QPR suffer defeat as Rio Ferdinand makes first start for Harry Redknapp's Hoops

By John Drayton
Published: 14:59 GMT, 26 July 2014 | Updated: 16:26 GMT, 26 July 2014
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Rio Ferdinand suffered a miserable start his QPR career as the Premier League si
de suffered a 2-0 defeat to Bundesliga Two team Red Bull Leipzig.
The former Manchester United and England man joined the side last week and watch
ed their 1-0 win in Erfurt on Tuesday night from the sidelines.
But the 35-year-old was in the thick of the action from the whistle on Saturday
as he expertly guided Rangers to a first-half clean-sheet before he was withdraw
n at the interval and Red Bull star Yussuf Poulsen put Rangers to the sword.
VIDEO Scroll down to watch Redknapp: QPR need to sign five or six players to be
ready
Bad start: Rio Ferdinand made his first start for QPR as the Hoops lost 2-0 to R
ed Bull Leipzig on Saturday
Bad start: Rio Ferdinand made his first start for QPR as the Hoops lost 2-0 to R
ed Bull Leipzig on Saturday
Experienced: Ferdinand had kept a first half clean sheet before being taken off
for the second half
Experienced: Ferdinand had kept a first half clean sheet before being taken off
for the second half
Rio Ferdinand trains with new QPR team-mates for first time
MATCH FACTS
QPR first half XI: Green, Dunne, Ferdinand, Hill, Simpson, Doughty, Henry, Barto
n, Wright-Phillips, Phillips, Austin.
QPR second half XI: Green, Caulker, Collison, Wright-Phillips, Onuoha, ONeil, Fau
rlin, Petrasso, Dunne, Zamora, Sutherland.
The west London side started with the back-three manager Harry Redknapp has been
talking about using as he works to get the best from new signings Ferdinand and
Steven Caulker, the former Cardiff man who started the game on the bench after
joining up with the team on Wednesday, following his 8m switch.
But Rangers failed to adapt to the new set-up and were camped in their own half
for most of the first half as the second-tier German side had the best of the ch
ances.
The only moments of spiked interest, as Rangers cautiously passed the ball sidew
ays too often for their travelling contingent to enjoy, were the over-zealous ch
allenges raining in from both parties.
Danny Simpson was on the receiving end of one nasty challenge but Joey Barton -
fresh from his Twitter row on Friday with former Rs team-mate Yossi Benyaoun ove
r Gaza - and fellow midfielder Karl Henry dished some out, also, for the west Lo
ndon side.
The best chance of the opening half went to the visitors - who were promoted fro
m the German third-tier title last season - and it was almost down to some wizar
dry from a famous name linked to Arsenal.