MANCHESTER CITY 6-0 QPR: Sergio Aguero Hat-Trick Relegated Rangers

For Queens Park Rangers this was more than merely a limp descent from the Barclays Premier League. It was a descent into financial chaos and possibly even non-league football. A descent that should embarrass the Loftus Road hierarchy as much as it does the highly-paid players who so meekly surrendered their top flight status to Sergio Aguero and his Manchester City colleagues here.

Before this encounter had even kicked-off an issue with Sandro’s residency visa meant he was unable to play. How ludicrous. But more depressing for Chris Ramsey would have been the sight of the players he could select contributing little more than their Brazilian colleague. For a team supposedly fighting for survival, this was an abject, strangely apathetic display. Quite the opposite to the defiance we saw from Burnley the previous day.

But there are wider, more serious implications for a club now threatened with a huge fine, possibly as much as £58million, for a breach of Financial Fair Play rules. For a club that could yet find itself in the Conference next season if a deal cannot be struck with the Football League. 

QPR are in this situation largely because of the sheer amount of money squandered on ageing, mediocre players. Even last season, when they were chasing promotion from the Championship, they were said to have a higher wage bill than the winners of Spain’s La Liga and the beaten Champions League finalists, Atletico Madrid.

That wage bill would have only increased this season, seemingly ranking them seventh or eighth in the Premier League, and the manner in which those players have acquitted themselves this season is disappointing to say the least. 

Sure, they had to contend with the upheaval of losing Harry Redlknapp at the start of February. And even if Redknapp blamed bad knees for his sudden decision to quit, a further investment in players probably was required during the January transfer window.

But the bigger mistake, in hindsight, was handing the reins to Ramsey when Crystal Palace and West Bromwich Albion proved the value of appointing a gifted, experienced manager to guide them out of trouble. Ramsey, for all his apparent ability as a coach, reflects on just two wins from his 13 games in charge

Compare this QPR performance to the one they produced under Mark Hughes on the last day of the season three years ago. They might have lost in the end, Sergio Aguero scoring the dramatic winner that secured that first Premier League title for City, but they sure put up a fight that day when different results elsewhere could have sent them down.

On this occasion they offered no resistance, Aguero scoring a hat-trick with Aleksandar Kolarov, James Milner and David Silva adding City’s other goals; an emphatic win that presumably eases the pressure on Manuel Pellegrini on a weekend when there has been yet more talk – denied by the club on Saturday - of Pep Guardiola moving to The Etihad this summer.

If City were excellent going forward, and at they were mesmerising, the manner in which QPR defended must have been so disconcerting for Ramsey.

There was not a hint of commitment or concentration, never mind organisation.

Aguero is a wonderful player, and the class and athleticism he displayed on the solo run that led to his 4th minute goal was a joy to watch; a footballer in his prime.

But QPR’s defenders made it far too easy for him, Clint Hill and Steven Caulker failing to even make a challenge as Aguero skipped diagonally across their penalty area. In the end Matt Phillips collided with him in an attempt to halt the City’s striker’s progress but to no avail, the Argentina international lifting a delightful chip over the advancing Rob Green to send the home side into the lead.

There was a brief response from QPR, with Charlie Austin quite rightly having a goal ruled offside. But they were woeful. Too many misplaced passes, too little desire.

City were tearing them to pieces, with Aguero, Silva and Milner proving particularly impressive. 

The only surprise was how long it took City to score a second. They had plenty of chances. Milner went particularly close. But not until Kolarov unleashed a marvellous 32nd minute free-kick did they double their advantage.

QPR did go close to halving that lead soon afterwards, Leroy Fer sending an effort against the crossbar that Bobby Zamora really should have then pounced on. As it was his header was weak, enabling Joe Hart to recover and make a simple save.

City’s third goal, scored shortly after the break, compounded Ramsey’s misery. The rather hopeful ball Silva tried to deliver into the path of Aguero should have been simply enough Suk-Young Yun to intercept, but the Korean allowed the ball to slip under his right boot and so enable City’s striker to burst clear. And faced with only Green to beat, the Premier League’s leading striker did so with ease.

Aguero’s third would come in the 64th minute, on this occasion from the penalty spot after Phillips had made a clumsy, cynical challenge on the advancing Silva. It was Aguero’s fifth hat-trick for City and one that should now see him secure the Premier League’s golden boot with Harry Kane now five goals behind. 

Milner would score City’s fifth five minutes later, QPR’s failure to stop Wilfried Bony win the initial header resulting in a simple close-range conversion for the England midfielder.

By the end if had become something of an exhibition match, Silva accelerating onto a delightful Bony back-heel before rounding Green and slotting home from inside the six-yard box.

The visiting fans were less than impressed. Indeed when Shaun Wright-Phillips came on as a substitute to the applause of his former fans, QPR’s supporters responded with rather less welcoming gestures. Perhaps understandably in the circumstances. 

Source:dailymail