By Dave McIntyre
QPR boss Ian Holloway has defended his purchase of Kevin McLeod after agreeing to sell him to Swansea for a small fee.
McLeod was yesterday pondering his future after Rangers accepted a bid for him from the Welsh club.
An offer from Swans manager Kenny Jackett had been in the pipeline for some time.
Holloway's former assistant expressed an interest in the out-of-favour winger several weeks ago and a structured deal worth up to £100,000 was discussed. The offer on the table is for significantly less than that, although McLeod will be allowed to leave if he can agree personal terms.
But he has already rejected a move to Chester and yesterday there was doubt at Loftus Road that the 24-year-old would be willing to move to The Vetch.
Having agreed to pay Everton £250,000 for McLeod just 18 months ago, Rangers face a struggle to recoup any of that cash before his contract expires at the end of the season and he can move on a Bosman free transfer.
He failed to deliver last season despite Holloway's high hopes for him and the writing was on the wall for McLeod when he was axed for the promotion run-in and Lee Cook was signed from Watford in the summer.
But Holloway, who sold Richard Langley to Cardiff in order to fund the signings of McLeod and Tony Thorpe, insists he has no regrets.
"I still rate Kevin McLeod highly and believe he can come again," Holloway said.
"He has not really performed and that's why he hasn't been involved. But he's still a good player.
"He isn't happy at not being in the team and his contract is up at the end of the season, so what can you do?
"There's no doubt he's played a big role for us. He did very well for us on loan at a really important time and he helped us get promoted.
"I think he was more than good enough for us to sign and has real talent. Sometimes things happen in football though and often these things turn out for the best. It's now a question of whether he can agree terms with Swansea."
QPR's hopes of getting up to £125,000 for McLeod were crushed last week when he snubbed Chester, who offered money up front with further payments based on appearances.
And at the weekend, Rangers learned that an attempt to offload McLeod to Bristol City in exchange for midfielder Tom Doherty had been unsuccessful.
Holloway is desperate to capture Doherty - partly so he can move Kevin Gallen back up front - and is still hoping to sign the Northern Ireland international.
Rangers are also talking to Middlesbrough about signing Andy Davies permanently.
Boro have agreed to extend the defender's loan spell but first recalled him for their Uefa Cup game against Liebherr tomorrow night.
Davies is then expected to return to west London and play against Wolves.
The 20-year-old is very highly rated by Steve McClaren.
But the Boro boss cannot offer him regular first-team football and is prepared to let him go for a modest fee with a sell-on clause included in the deal.
QPR THROW AWAY LEAD AS PLAY-OFF HOPES FADE
QPR 1 Preston 2
By Dave Evans
QPR'S play-off hopes all but ended in 45 minutes of tactical naivety at Loftus Road on Saturday as they threw away a dominant position to lose to an average looking Preston side.
The game turned on two second half substitutions by Preston manager Billy Davies. Ian Holloway failed to react to the situation until it was too late and even then Rangers never looked like salvaging a point.
"I felt in the second half it turned from a game where we had the intricate players who could hurt them, to one where they hurt us in what was a totally different game," said the QPR boss.
"It became very physical and maybe I should have changed things earlier but that's life, isn't it?"
That is life it you are content with staying in the middle regions of the Championship, and many would say that QPR should be rejoicing at such lofty heights this season, but they had a chance to muscle their way back into the play-off picture and they blew it.
The first half had been so good as windswept Preston ran around like headless chickens with Rangers showing the touch and desire to carve out the opportunities to have the game won by the break.
Jamie Cureton had two chances in the opening 10 minutes and another soon after Paul Furlong had headed home his 15th goal of a remarkable season.
Preston were there for the taking and the fact that they went in at half time just 1-0 down was crucial.
"The instructions Billy Davies must have given his boys at half time suited the conditions," said Holloway. "He couldn't have been happy at the break, and I just felt my lads stayed in the dressing room. I've never seen such a tale of two halves."
What Holloway said to his players at half time and for the whole of the second half must have fallen on deaf ears because this game turned on it's head the moment Paul McKenna and David Nugent were introduced to the fray.
Holloway summed up that second half performance: "When we play off our front men we look a good side and we create all sorts of opportunities, but the players said that the wind was swirly and all sorts of things. But for me I didn't see a leader out there who actually dominated the second half.
"It was like we were trying to play rugby and run the ball every time - sometimes you have to kick for position. Preston must be laughing all the way back up the motorway."
No doubt they were for in truth - player for player - Preston were no better than Holloway's team.
The difference was in the tactics. The supporters could see how this game was turning but none of QPR's quintet of experienced substitutes was brought on to change the course of the game until the visitors led 2-1 with 15 minutes left.
It wasn't as if the manager didn't realise what was going on.
"In the second half you could see it coming a little bit," he said. "Their wingers weren't going back and they were taking gambles and it paid off for them.
"But when my goalkeeper makes two saves like that and one of their players gets on the end of one of them, you've got to ask, where are my back four?"
QPR now play three of their next four league games at home and they will need nine points if they are to make a late bid to revive their season. It looks unlikely but Holloway has not given up.
He added: "It's a bitter blow for us. We needed to get three points back on them and now they have gone three further away from us.
"On the overall balance of play it could have gone either way but unfortunately it went their way.
"It is far from over but we've got to make sure that we learn. They looked a bit more experienced at winning games at this level, but if we miss chances we get punished."
Punished they were, but it didn't have to be that way and come the end of the season the manager may look back on this game as the one that finally ended their dreams of playing with the big boys for another year.
QPR: Royce 6, Edghill 5 (Bignot 76, 5), Shittu 7, Davies 7, Padula 8*, Ainsworth 7, Santos 6, Gallen 5, Cook 7 (Rowlands 76, 6), Furlong 7, Cureton 6 (Bircham 76, 5). Unused subs: Day, Rose.