Sport

Gloom deepens at QPR after cup exit

QPR 2 MK Dons 4: Queens Park Rangers owner Tony Fernandes has said he will leave the club if they are relegated from the Premier…

Mon Jan 28 2013 - 00:00

QPR 2 MK Dons 4:Queens Park Rangers owner Tony Fernandes has said he will leave the club if they are relegated from the Premier League this season.

QPR suffered a humiliating defeat at home to Milton Keynes Dons in the FA Cup and are five points from safety at the bottom of the table.

The anger in the crowd – from those who remained until the bitter end, that is – was palpable and Fernandes, who bought the club in August 2011, is feeling the heat. Despite vast expenditure on new players QPR have struggled and Harry Redknapp is the third manager they have employed since the takeover.

“Attendance was great,” tweeted Fernandes. “Thanks to fans Everything worked. We will fix it. I’m still optimistic. Many fans attacking me. Doing our best. As I said we won’t stop trying. As I have said many times I take all responsibility and will face the music. Always spirit up. If can’t fix it I will be first to go.”

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Next up for QPR is the visit of Manchester City tomorrow. “We will pick a different team on Tuesday,” said Redknapp, who is hopeful Loic Remy will be available after hamstring trouble.

Greatest day

Despite the mess at QPR this was the greatest day in MK Dons’s short history. They had never reached the fifth round before and veteran striker Alan Smith savoured every moment of a match in which they led 4-0 after 56 minutes.

The 32-year-old was part of the Leeds side that reached the semi-finals of the Champions League in 2001 but said this victory rivalled that run.

“This one will be remembered as fondly as some of those results,” said Smith. “Obviously it was not as spectacular as who you were playing against – they were all European giants. But it is a Premier League team who have spent a lot of money and we came and played good football.”

Smith is the same age as his manager but, while his career is drawing to a close, Karl Robinson’s is in its infancy. The manager turned down an approach from Blackpool this month.

Blackpool’s offer was attractive but loyalty is important to Robinson.

“At this moment in time I’m in a good place,” he said. “My family mean a lot to me. My dad had a heart attack last week and thankfully he’s come over the back of that now. I think loyalty’s a gift and I love the club that I work for and the group of players.”