QPR 0 Derby 2

If you expected to be disappointed, does it count as disappointment ? One for the philosophers there, but let's just say this wasn't a big surprise. Teams with a real winning mentality don't ease off after a great result, they come out even stronger in the next game. Rangers have never been able to do that, and they didn't today.

All the forward players were below par, but Rangers still managed to come close three times, Blackstock was denied by a goal-saving challenge in the first half, then Ledesma's shot was bundled onto a post by a defender in the second half, and Blackstock struck the same post shortly after. But it was all too few and far between as pass after pass was misplaced. Even so, over-worked centre-halves Hall and Stewart might have salvaged a point, but with 10 minutes left Albrechtsen had way too much space to drill home a shot after a corner wasn't cleared, and Villa headed a second from another corner in the dying minutes. As the quiz question goes, we could beat Villa on Wednesday, but not today.

I don't have a lot to add on top of this interview with assistant Tim Flowers, which is accurate and to the point. At least we're back at it against Blackpool on Tuesday ; I expect to see Leigertwood back in for Parejo, and Ledesma could probably use a rest as well.