Ian Holloway has stumbled upon a very simple formula at QPR.
You play Ryan Manning, you win games.
The Galway man’s rise at Loftus Road has come from nowhere but it’s been incredible.
Ian Holloway came in, plucked him from the reserve team, played him on New Year’s Eve and the former Mervue man hasn’t looked back.
They can't get enough of him! https://t.co/oIS0GEIVSb #QPR #QPRFC
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) January 6, 2017
Three games, three wins and the 20-year-old’s popularity is soaring on the west side of London.
And it’s not like they’ve beaten just anyone. Manning played the whole game at Wolves when QPR beat them 2-1. He started against Reading in the 2-1 home win. He was absolutely integral on Thursday night too in the 1-0 win at Reading.
Nine points from three games and the Irish underage international has helped reignite a flame at Rangers that had long since stopped flickering.
https://twitter.com/taylarmurray93/status/819669161093767168
Live on Sky Sports, Jamie Mackie put Reading to the sword in the only goal of the game at the Madejski Stadium. It’s not like the striker could’ve missed though with the ball served and polished and presented on a silver platter with pure elegance from Galway’s finest.
Ryan Manning laid on the assist and it was a thing of beauty.
It was class and it was creative but it was also lung-bursting. It came about because he made it come about.
Look at Manning’s starting position when the break-away pass is played.
But he takes off anyway and doesn’t look back.
He still has so much ground to make up on the play.
But by God he makes it up.
The idea that he can pick out Mackie from here is insane.
But he does with the most delicious touch off his left toe.
Mackie does the rest. QPR win again.
Watch this moment of quality – preceded by unforgiving seconds of manic running. This man is looking every bit the real deal the more he plays.
WATCH: Jamie Mackie enjoyed this one. Reading 0-1 QPR. Tune in to Sky Sports 1 now. Brought to you by @Screwfix. https://t.co/qBR5ypUGrw
— Sky Sports Football (@SkyFootball) January 12, 2017
That co-commentator who says the pass got through “fortuitously” deserves to be shot.