Manager Jim Magilton was full of praise for his QPR side following the 2-0 vctory at Cardiff on Saturday. Off the pitch there has been much speculation over the future of chairman Flavio Briatore.

Manager Jim Magilton praised his side for executing his game plan “to perfection” at Cardiff City on Saturday.

Magilton told the club’s official website: “We executed the plan to perfection. To a man, we were outstanding and I'm delighted for the lads. It's never easy in the Championship, but we got out of the blocks really quickly and stamped our authority on the game. We were clinical today. Jay took his two goals well. We've had a steady start without really finishing teams off. Today we managed to score at the right times, and some of our football was fantastic. We knew what to expect here, Cardiff are a very good side. Dave Jones' sides are never easy to play against. They are always well organised and they've got a potent threat in Chopra and Bothroyd. But we thought if we kept them quiet, which we did, we'd have every chance of winning the game.

"Jay's come in and been great. His work ethic has been outstanding. He was unlucky not to score against Scunthorpe and Peterborough. He just needed a goal to get him going and today thankfully he got his just rewards. I thought Rowan Vine was very good too. It's nice to have him back in the side. He was unlucky not to score what would have been a great goal for him, when the ball came back off the post. This victory is for Mr Briatore as much as everybody else. I'm sure he will be delighted tonight.”

Jay Simpson was rewarded for his performance and goals by being named in the Eurosport Championship team of the week.

Magilton’s opposite number Dave Jones was scathing about his team’s efforts when he spoke to the Cardiff official website saying: “Before the match, we spoke about Rangers being more dangerous away from home because they are getting flak at home. They are probably more comfortable away. We didn't shut them down and make life difficult for them. The first goal was offside but we shouldn't have been playing offside anyway. We were caught out of shape because somebody didn't want to run five yards to stop them from playing the ball. Too many of our players want to play the way they want to play instead of the way we want them to play.

"We never started with any tempo Sadly that was true of my front line. People at the back will lump balls if there is no movement in front of them. There are not many times I've come in as manager of this club and said that about the players. But this was probably the most lacklustre performance I've seen from us in a long time. They didn't compete hard enough. I can't defend them in any way whatsoever. What I can't accept is that we didn't work hard enough. I've been in the dressing room and that all know that.”

There were two temporary departures from Loftus Road on Saturday with young defenders Joe Oastler and Lee Brown, who both impressed in first team action during pre-season, joining Conference side Salisbury on one month loans. Oastler came on as a second half sub for The Whites on Saturday but could not prevent them slipping to a 2-0 defeat against Tamworth. Salisbury are currently third bottom of the Conference with four points from their first 11 matches – they were deducted ten at the start of September after going into administration and have lost their last two matches. They face bottom placed Chester City on Tuesday night.

Off the pitch the Flavio Briatore saga rumbles on in the press this weekend with the newspapers seeming divided on whether the Italian will be forced to relinquish control of QPR as part of the ‘crashgate’ scandal currently engulfing F1.

The Telegraph reports that following the bad press created by the incident, where Briatore allegedly ordered Nelson Piquet Jnr to crash his car in the first ever night time grand prix in Singapore last year to give Fernando Alonso a better chance of winning, Lakshmi Mitttal will look to sever business ties with Briatore. That could mean, according to the paper, Mittal and Bhatia buying Briatore out at Loftus Road and taking control themselves.

The Mail reports that Briatore’s status as a ‘fit and proper’ person will be scrutinised at the Football League’s monthly board meeting in October if damning evidence of a race fixing plot is revealed by the World Motor Sport Council in Paris tomorrow.

The BBC believes though that Briatore’s status as QPR chairman is safe as his resignation as Renault team principal last week prevents him from being charged with anything by motor racing authorities that could affect his status in the ‘fit and proper’ person test.

Mitall, Bhatia and Bernie Ecclestone will be present at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday as QPR take on Chelsea in the League Cup but Briatore will not LFW understands. There were mixed fortunes for former QPR players this weekend. Heidar Helguson, technically still a current QPR player but playing for Watford on loan while we pay a fair chunk of his wages, scored twice from close range as Watford came from 2-0 down to take a 3-2 lead against Leicester at Vicarage Road on Saturday. Sadly things didn’t end well for Helguson, who went off injured, or Watford, who ended up drawing 3-3.

Ian Holloway followed a 2-1 home win against high flying Newcastle on Wednesday with a 1-0 win at big spending Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Terrell Forbes conceded a penalty as Yeovil lost 2-0 at Southampton, Scott Donnelly scored and Dean Parrett made his debut as Aldershot won 2-1 at Crewe in League Two.

Elsewhere in the Championship this weekend Everton’s James Vaughan has joined Derby on loan but he could not save the Rams from their fourth straight defeat, a 1-0 setback at out of form Crystal Palace on Saturday. Plymouth have also been active in the loan market, strengthening their defence with Man Utd youngsters David Gray and James Chester. Gray made his debut on Saturday but could not prevent the Greens slipping to a 3-1 defeat at Newcastle. The big result of the weekend saw Middlesbrough beaten 5-0 at home by West Brom, Sheff Utd held off a second half come back from Steel City rivals Wednesday to win 3-2 at Bramall Lane.

Photo: Action Images

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