With QPR welcoming Liverpool to Loftus Road sitting bottom of the league, LFW looks back to a meeting between the sides in 1989 when second-from-bottom QPR sprung a surprise against the title chasers.

Recent Meetings

QPR bowed out of their second stint in the Premier League with a 1-0 defeat at Anfield on the final day of the 2012/13 season. The day will always be remembered as Jamie Carragher’s last senior match for Liverpool, and he came within the width of a post of signing off with a spectacular 35 yard piledriver in the second half. In the end a low drive from Coutinho in the first haf was enough to settle a drab game, in which the debut of Michael Harriman and subsequent man of the match performance was the highlight for the visitors. Harriman has not played a single second of senior league football for QPR since.

Liverpool: Reina 6, Johnson 7, Carragher 7 (Coates 85, -), Skrtel 6, Enrique 6, Henderson 6, Lucas 6, Downing 6, Ibe 6 (Borini 64, 6), Coutinho 8 (Suso 74, 6), Sturridge 6

Subs not used: Jones, Wisdom, Coady, Assaidi

Goals: Coutinho 22 (assisted Ibe)

Bookings: Henderson 7 (foul)

QPR: Green 7, Harriman 7, Onuoha 7, Hill 6, Traore 6, Remy 6, Mbia 4 (Granero 46, 6), Derry 6, Park 5 (Hoilett 80, -), Townsend 6, Zamora 5 (Mackie 72, 6)

Subs not used: Murphy, Fabio, Ehmer, Bothroyd

Bookings: Hill 31 (foul), Derry 66 (foul), Townsend 71 (dissent)

QPR 0 Liverpool 3, Sunday December 30, 2012, Premier League
Arguably QPR’s worst 45 minutes of the dreadful 2012/13 season came against Liverpool at Loftus Road at the end of December. A win against Fulham prior to Christmas had provided hope but subsequent defeats to Newcastle and West Brom sapped confidence and Luis Suarez was able to run amok in this live Sky fixture with two goals in the first quarter of an hour. When a defensive calamity allowed Daniel Agger to make it three before the half hour a rout looked on the cards and Harry Redknapp sent on Shaun Derry for Djibril Cisse at half time — effectively shutting up shop to protect a three goal deficit.

QPR: Cesar 4, Onuoha 6, Nelsen 5, Hill 3, Traore 3, Wright-Phillips 2 (Da Silva 80, -), Diakite 2 (Granero 63, 3), Mbia 3, Mackie 4, Taarabt 4, Cisse 2 (Derry 46, 6)

Subs not used: Green, Ferdinand, Faurlin, Hoilett

Bookings: Mbia 56 (diving), Da Silva 90 (foul)

Liverpool: Reina 6, Johnson 7, Agger 7, Skrtl 7, Enrique 6 (Suso 71, 6), Allen 7 (Carragher 87, -), Henderson 8 (Lucas 64, 6), Gerrard 8, Downing 7, Sterling 6, Suarez 9

Subs not used: Gulacsi, Coates, Shelvey, Assaidi

Goals: Suarez 10 (assisted Henderson), 16 (assisted Downing), Agger 28 (assisted Gerrard)

Bookings: Leiva 82 (foul)

QPR 3 Liverpool 2, Wednesday March 21, 2012, Premier League

Last season’s home game with Liverpool will go down in history as one of the classic Loftus Road games. Rangers, fresh from a seemingly crushing defeat at relegation rivals Bolton, fell 2-0 behind to Kenny Dalglish’s men thanks to a fabulous scissor kicked volley from defender Sebastien Coates and a scrambled effort from Dirk Kuyt. With only 18 minutes left to play that looked like the end of the matter but Shaun Derry’s flying header from a corner — his first goal for five years — hauled QPR back into the game and when Taye Taiwo swung over a perfect cross five minutes from time Djibril Cisse was on hand to power home a fine header against his former club for the equaliser. Mark Hughes seemed happy with that point, urging his team to stay back and in shape for fear of losing a winning goal, and when the R’s were awarded a late free kick they committed only Bobby Zamora forward for it. Liverpool cleared but when Paddy Kenny returned the ball to their half Jose Enrique could only find Luke Young with a clearing header, and then he slipped trying to deal with the second ball which allowed Jamie Mackie to run through on goal and lift the roof off Loftus Road with a low finish into the net.

QPR: Kenny 7, Young 6, Onuoha 6, Ferdinand 6, Traore 7 (Taiwo 46, 7), Barton 3 (Mackie 62, 7), Derry 5, Diakite 7, Taarabt 6, Zamora 7, Cisse 7 (Buzsaky 88, -)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Gabbidon, Bothroyd, Wright-Phillips

Goals: Derry 77 (assisted Taarabt), Cisse 86 (assisted Taiwo), Mackie 90 (assisted Young)

Liverpool: Reina 5, Kelly 6 (Coates 34, 6), Carragher 5, Skrtel 6, Jose Enrique 4, Kuyt 7, Spearing 7, Adam 6 (Henderson 46, 6), Downing 7, Gerrard 7, Suarez 7 (Carroll 82, 5)

Subs Not Used: Doni, Aurelio, Shelvey, Flanagan

Goals: Coates 54 (unassisted), Kuyt 72 (assisted Downing)

Liverpool 1 QPR 0, Saturday December 10, 2011, Premier League

Radek Cerny turned in an inspired display in the QPR goal at Anfield earlier that season, but couldn’t prevent the R’s slipping to a 1-0 defeat. Veteran Czech keeper Cerny, deputising for the injured Paddy Kenny, was in magnificent form throughout but was unfortunately beaten on one occasion by Luis Suarez and that was good enough for Kenny Dalglish’s side to take maximum points. Suarez stole a march on Luke Young immediately after half time and headed home from close range at the Kop End to seal a 1-0 win. Unfortunately QPR only really came into a dour game as an attacking force in the final five minutes when more ambition and urgency earlier in the game may have brought greater reward.

Liverpool: Reina 6, Johnson 7, Skrtel 7, Agger 7, Enrique 7, Maxi 7 (Bellamy 78, 6), Adam 7, Henderson 6, Downing 8 (Shelvey 86, -), Suarez 9, Kuyt 7

Subs Not Used: Doni, Carroll, Coates, Carragher, Kelly

Booked: Agger (foul), Bellamy (dissent)

Goals: Suarez 47 (assisted Adam)

QPR: Cerny 9, Young 6, Gabbidon 7, Ferdinand 7 (Orr 50, 6), Traore 7, Mackie 6 (Hill 78, 6), Barton 6, Faurlin 7, Wright-Phillips 6, Smith 5 (Campbell 66, 6), Bothroyd 6

Subs Not Used: Putnins, Derry, Buzsaky, Connolly

QPR 1 Liverpool 2, Sunday February 11, 1996, Premiership

Liverpool are one of those top flight mainstays that we’ve avoided in cup competitions since our 1996 relegation season and so Wednesday will be the first meeting between the clubs at Loftus Road since 1996. The R’s were staring the First Division square in the face when Roy Evans brought his side to W12 back then, Ray Wilkins’ men had lost six league games on the spin since Christmas and went into the Super Sunday clash extremely low on confidence. The game played out much as you would expect, with Liverpool cruising into a two goal lead in the first half before Danny Dichio gave the R’s false hope in the second. Although QPR did win the next match, 3-1 away at Sheff Wed, and rallied late in the season it wasn’t enough to save them from demotion.

QPR: J Sommer, D Bardsley, R Brevett, D Maddix, S Yates, S Barker, I Holloway, N Quashie, D Dichio, K Gallen, T Sinclair

Subs not used: G Goodridge, B Allen, T Challis

Goals: Dichio

Liverpool: D James, R Jones, P Babb, M Wright, J Scales, J McAteer, M Thomas, S McManaman, J Barnes, R Fowler (J Redknapp, 76), S Collymore

Subs not used: T Warner, I Rush

Goals: Wright, Fowler

Previous Results

2012/13 Liverpool 1 QPR 0

2012/13 QPR 0 Liverpool 3

2011/12 QPR 3 Liverpool 2 (Derry, Cisse, Mackie)

2011/12 Liverpool 1 QPR 0

1995/96 QPR 1 Liverpool 2 (Dichio)

1995/96 Liverpool 1 QPR 0

1994/95 Liverpool 1 QPR 1 (Gallen)

1994/95 QPR 2 Liverpool 1 (Ferdinand, Sinclair)

1993/94 Liverpool 3 QPR 2 (Ferdinand, Barker)

1993/94 QPR 1 Liverpool 3 (Wilkins)

1992/93 Liverpool 1 QPR 0

1992/93 QPR 0 Liverpool 1

1991/92 QPR 0 Liverpool 0

1991/92 Liverpool 1 QPR 0

1990/91 Liverpool 1 QPR 3 (Ferdinand, Wegerle, Wilson)

1990/91 QPR 1 Liverpool 1 (Falco)

1989/90 Liverpool 2 QPR 1 (Wegerle)

1989/90 Liverpool 1 QPR 0*

1989/90 QPR 2 Liverpool 2* (Wilkins, Barker)

1989/90 QPR 3 Liverpool 2 (Wright 2, Falco)

1988/89 Liverpool 2 QPR 0

1988/89 QPR 0 Liverpool 1

1987/88 QPR 0 Liverpool 1

1987/88 Liverpool 4 QPR 0

1986/87 Liverpool 2 QPR 1 (Fillery)

1986/87 QPR 1 Liverpool 3 (Bannister)

1985/86 Liverpool 4 QPR 1 (Rosenior)

1985/86 Liverpool 2 QPR 2** (Whelen og, Gillespie og)

1985/86 QPR 1 Liverpool 0** (Fenwick)

1985/86 QPR 2 Liverpool 1 (Fenwick, Bannister)

1984/85 QPR 0 Liverpool 2

1984/85 Liverpool 1 QPR 1 (Fereday)

1983/84 Liverpool 2 QPR 0

1983/84 QPR 0 Liverpool 1

1978/79 QPR 1 Liverpool 3 (Eastoe)

1978/79 Liverpool 2 QPR 1 (McGee)

1977/78 Liverpool 1 QPR 0

1977/78 QPR 2 Liverpool 0 (Bowles, James)

1976/77 QPR 1 Liverpool 1 (Givens)

1976/77 Liverpool 3 QPR 1 (Eastoe)

1975/76 Liverpool 2 QPR 0

1975/76 QPR 2 Liverpool 0 (G Francis, Leach)

1974/75 Liverpool 3 QPR 1 (G Francis)

1974/75 QPR 0 Liverpool 1

1973/74 Liverpool 2 QPR 1 (Thomas)

1973/74 QPR 2 Liverpool 2 (Bowles, McLintock)

1968/69 QPR 1 Liverpool 2 (Bridges)

1968/69 Liverpool 2 QPR 0

1913/14 Liverpool 2 QPR 1* (Mitchell)

* - FA Cup

** - League Cup

Memorable Match

Last season’s dramatic 3-2 victory over Liverpool at Loftus Road will go down in the annuls as one of the great nights in W12, but it wasn’t the first time a relegation haunted QPR team had turned over the Scousers by that scoreline.

The R’s faced Liverpool four times in the 1989/90 season thanks to an FA Cup replay. The first of those meetings was in the league in November with player-manager Trevor Francis clinging onto his job after a run of just two victories from the first 12 league matches that had left the R’s second bottom of the table. Liverpool, who would go onto win the league by nine points from Aston Villa, were second at the time and hot favourites as Francis, fresh from hospital after an operation on a long standing injury and reeling from a newspaper interview where his £500,000 signing from Liverpool Nigel Spackman had issued a damning verdict on his managerial style, gingerly took his seat at the front of the director’s box in the South Africa Road stand.

Initially QPR struggled to keep hold of John Barnes — the England international midfielder given a dangerous free role behind the strikers by Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish. Rangers had lost consecutive home matches to Southampton, Charlton and Coventry prior to this one conceding seven and scoring just two in the process and Barnes fired the first shot across the bows after seven minutes when he tried his luck from long range and sent a dipping shot a couple of feet over David Seaman’s bar.

The Super Hoops returned fire. Alan McDonald knocked a long ball up towards the Liverpool box which Mark Falco flicked on and Paul Wright turned over the bar while trying to execute a difficult scissor kick with his back to goal.

Wright, a summer signing from Aberdeen, had announced his arrival in W12 by scoring both goals in a 2-0 opening day win at Crystal Palace but he struggled to settle at Rangers and would soon move back north of the border to join Hibs. Thiis match turned out to be one of the rare highlights in his QPR career though and he opened the scoring from the penalty spot in the twenty seventh minute.

Liverpool seemed strangely rattled as first Ronnie Whelen was booked for chopping down Andy Sinton in full flight, and then Simon Barker rode a rough challenge from Glenn Hysen on the edge of the box as the free kick was played up towards him — referee John Martin was happy to play advantage through that one but when the cross was then played into the area the referee pointed to the spot as Mark Falco collapsed theatrically under contact from Hysen once again. Wright thrashed the ball high down the middle of the goal and into the roof of the net.

Sadly the lead lasted barely seconds. From the kick off Steve McMahon instigated a patient passing move around the edge of the QPR penalty box and then when they finally did seek penetration through Barnes the frustration of the situation was too much for Paul Parker who lunged in wildly, sent Barnes tumbling and could hardly complain about the award of the game’s second penalty in as many minutes. Barnes took the kick left footed, sending David Seaman the wrong way for the equaliser and his eighth goal of the season.

Liverpool though continued to suffer from their own indiscipline. Barnes deserved more than a caution for a professional foul on Justin Channing and Hysen was becoming a one man free kick machine as he once again fouled Falco after being beaten in the air by the former Spurs man just after the half hour. Standing 30 yards from goal and faced with a three man wall, Paul Wright tried his luck and found it was in after his speculative free kick struck McMahon in the wall, changed direction and flew past Grobbelaar and into the net for his sixth goal of the season and second of the game.

Rush fired over after being fed from McMahon straight from the kick off but Rangers made it to half time in front and Dalglish substituted Steve Nicol in favour of Jan Molby at the break. Ronnie Whelen moved out of midfield to right back to accommodate the rotund Dane.

There is nothing more fragile in football than a 2-1 lead and when Seaman needed two attempts to deal with a low cross from Barnes on the byline it looked like it could be a long second half. Seaman was much more alert and impressive in the next attack when Molby fed Barnes with a splendid cross field pass and his deep cross was headed towards goal first by McMahon and then, instinctively, by Rush but Seman reacted instinctively and diverted it over the bar from point blank range with one hand. A superb stop.

A central midfield pairing of Simon Barker and ageing Peter Reid was, unsurprisingly, struggling to keep hold of McMahon, Barnes and co at this stage and the traffic was flowing one way but incredibly Rangers then scored a third goal against the run of play in spectacular fashion. A powerful run by Sinton down the left flank left Whelen trailing and when he cut in field it forced Hysen to step away from Falco to close off the winger’s route to goal. Sinton calmly slipped the ball to Falco who made the most of the space afforded to him on the edge of the box to widen the angle slightly with his first touch and then fire an unstoppable left footed 25 yarder across Grobbelaar and into the far corner in front of a jubilant Lower Loft terrace.

Having taken a two goal lead QPR needed to steady the ship and maintain possession but they never looked comfortable with Barnes all afternoon and once again Liverpool struck back within minutes of conceding. This one was all Barnes’ own work — he got McDonald back peddling in the area and after advancing deep into the box he fired the ball past Seaman and into the top corner from eight yards out. With more than half an hour left struggling QPR’s lead looked precarious.

The rearguard action often relied more on luck than judgement, but there were chances for a fourth goal on the counter attack as well and Alan McDonald of all people was inches away from converting a low cross from Reid. Maddix blocked Rush and Seaman claimed at the feet of Houghton as Barnes chipped the ball in behind the QPR defence. Another save, this time at the feet of Rush, required Parker to rush in and clear the ball behind.

When the final whistle sounded Francis’ wife Helen raced down the steps of the South Africa Road stand to embrace her husband. The result was Liverpool’s fourth defeat in five games, and lifted QPR out of the relegation zone on goal difference from Manchester City. Francis though was sacked just a couple of weeks later and replaced by his assistant Don Howe. Rangers subsequently rallied to a midtable finish.

QPR: Seaman, Channing, Parker, McDonald, Maddix, Sansom, Barker, Reid, Sinton, Falco, Wright (Clarke)

Liverpool: Grobbelaar, Husen, Burrows, Nicol (Molby), Whelen, Hansen, Beardsley, Houghton, Barnes, McMahon, Rush

Highlights >>> QPR 2 Liverpool 1, 1994 >>> QPR 0 Liverpool 1 1992 >>> Liverpool 1 QPR 3 1991 >>> Liverpool 2 QPR 1, 1990 >>> QPR 2 Liverpool 2 FA Cup 1990 >>> QPR 3 Liverpool 2 (first half) 1989 >>> QPR 3 Liverpool 2 (second half) 1989 >>> Liverpool 4 QPR 0 1987 >>> League Cup semi final 1986 >>> QPR 1 Liverpool 1 1977 >>> Liverpool 3 QPR 1 1976 >>> QPR 2 Liverpool 0 1975

Connections

Michael Robinson >>> Liverpool 1983-1984 >>> QPR 1984-1986

Michael Robinson’s time at Loftus Road may have been brief, but a player who settles a League Cup quarter final against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in QPR’s favour with a goal from the halfway line is always going to be remembered fondly by the W12 faithful.

Robinson had come through the ranks at Second Division Preston North End initially but showed enough attacking ability and promise for Manchester City, under Malcolm Allison, to spend a whopping £750,000 on him. The price tag weighed heavy, his City career never took off, and he was sold to Brighton at a hefty loss before he’d even completed one campaign at Maine Road.

At the Goldstone Ground Robinson rebuilt his reputation as both a promising attacker and cup final regular. He was part of the Brighton side that ran Man Utd close in the 1983 FA Cup final, which they reached despite being relegated from the league that year. It was Robinson who fed the ball through for Gordon Smith’s famous miss in the final seconds of extra time in the first match, which finished 2-2, and he played again in the Wembley replay which they lost 4-0.

Robinson didn’t go down with Brighton, moving back north to Liverpool for £250,000 where he found himself behind Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush in the pecking order. He nevertheless made enough league appearances for a 1984 title winners medal, came on as a substitute in the League Cup final with Everton that finished 0-0 but missed out on the replay which Liverpool won, and appeared in the European Cup final success against Roma.

Some pedigree therefore to bring to QPR where he pitched up at the end of the season hunting for regular first team football. His goal against Chelsea helped take him back to Wembley as Rangers beat his old club Liverpool in the 1986 League Cup semi final to set up a final with Oxford for which they were heavy favourites, but then we all know what happened next there.

Robinson’s career then took a turn for the strange. He moved to Osasuna in Spain and became part of a team that finished fifth in La Liga in 1988, a fine achievement for a club of that size. Sammy Lee, another former QPR and Liverpool team mate, joined him out there but at 31 Robinson, having picked Spanish up easily, retired to a career in the country’s media. He has been a regular co-commentator and presenter of football coverage in the country since the 1990 World Cup in Italy and even did voiceover work on the Spanish version of Shrek, playing the part of the Ugly Sister.

He finished his career with 24 caps and four goals for the Republic of Ireland.

Others >>> Djirbil Cisse, Liverpool 2004-2006, QPR 2012-2013 >>>Raheem Sterling, QPR YT, Liverpool 2010-present >>> Peter Crouch, QPR 2000-2001, Liverpool 2005-2008 >>> Paul Jones, Liverpool (loan) 2004, QPR 2006-2007, Neil Ruddock, Liverpool 1993-1998, QPR (loan) 1998 >>> Mark Kennedy, Liverpool 1995-1998, QPR (loan) 1998 >>> Jim Magilton, Liverpool 1988-1990, QPR (manager) 2009 >>> Paul Walsh, Liverpool 1984-1988, QPR (loan) 1991 >>> Nigel Spackman, Liverpool 1987-1989, QPR 1989 >>> Jimmy Carter, QPR 1985-1987, Liverpool 1991 >>> Sammy Lee, Liverpool 1975-1986, QPR 1986-1987 >>> Bobby Campbell, Liverpool 1958-1961, QPR (coach) 1986-1988

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Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images

TacticalR added 01:11 - Oct 19 Great stuff. It seems incredible that we'd gone from beating Liverpool in 2012 to going through the motions at Carragher’s testimonial in 2013. Although Michael Robinson had a few ups and downs he was always a stylish player.
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