McClaren hails performance as Eze goal helps sink former club

Posted Thursday, September 20, 2018 by PA

QPR boss Steve McClaren hailed Ebere Eze after the young forward played a starring role in a 2-0 victory at home to Millwall.

Eze, picked up by Rangers in 2016 after being released by the Lions, scored against his former club a couple of minutes after Massimo Luongo had opened the scoring.

Luongo headed in from close range on the half hour and Eze netted after being set up by Jake Bidwell’s cross.

“They told me (Eze had been released by Millwall) when I came here (to watch games) last season, and I watched him a lot,” said McClaren.

“How anybody could let him go – there’ll be reasons for it, I don’t know – I’m just so glad that we’ve got him.

“He’s a talent but he can get better. We need to add discipline to his game and work-rate. He is showing more of that and he’s getting the rewards.

“He’s a talented player but talent is nothing, you’ve got to work hard. You’ve got to be disciplined and do a job for the team, and I thought he was excellent.

“There’s a long way to go but he’s definitely a talent. He’s got tempo and drive.”

Millwall were much improved in the second half but Rangers were deserved winners and have recovered from a poor start to the season by taking 10 points from a possible 12.

“It was an excellent performance in the first half. We were solid, composed and played good football,” McClaren added.

“We were so good in that first half. We restricted and smothered them and we should have got a third goal in the second half.”

Millwall manager Neil Harris admitted he got his tactics and team selection wrong.

“I take full responsibility for picking the team I did and the tactics in the first half. I’ll hold my hands up and say I got it wrong – I’ve no problem with that,” Harris said.

“What I will bemoan is my players’ lack of fight in the first half. We weren’t good enough.

“We were playing in a London derby against a QPR side that were up for it and played aggressively, on the front foot, and used the ball better than us.

“We didn’t compete in the first half. We weren’t Millwall enough. My Millwall team doesn’t get outrun and outplayed. Moving forward, we will get better.

“We need to get back to basics. We need to be as good and as reliable as we have been.

“We’re not a million miles away and we showed that in the second half. I just got it wrong in the first half.”