Queens Park Rangers suffered a miserable first day back in the Premier League as Bolton Wanderers pounced for a 4-0 win at Loftus Road.
Gary Cahill, the defender many people expect to leave Bolton before the end of the month, scored a superb opener before the break. A Danny Gabbidon own goal and subsequent strikes from Ivan Klasnic and Fabrie Muamba made it a truly rotten day for Neil Warnock, whose side also had vetern defender Clint Hill sent off at the death.
Rangers, playing in the top flight for the first time in 15 years, thought they had grabbed an early advantage only for new signing DJ Campbell to be correctly ruled offside when he tapped in fellow new arrival Jay Bothroyd'’s cross.
The Hoops then suffered a massive blow when a third new signing – the luckless Kieron Dyer – fell awkwardly and had to be replaced by Bradley Orr. The former England man was believed to have a broken metatrasel, though a scan later revealed no break according to Warnock.
Kevin Davies began to impose himself on the home defenbce as Owen Coyle’s men chased a foothold, but the hosts were having the better of it and Orr had to deflect a stinging Bothroyd effort behind.
Martin Petrov and Campbell exchanged efforts as the half wore on, but it was Bolton who grabbed a half-time lead out of nothing. Trotters new boy Chris Eagles regained possession after a corner was cleared and picked out Cahill, who took a touch before curling in a beautiful effort to take the opening day smile from Warnock’s face.
Bothroyd headed just wide right before the break, with Paddy Kenny denying Klasnic with a fine low save after the break and Davies heading a futher Trotters chance wide.
A rare chance for Adel Taarabt saw QPR’s mercurial talent send a shot flying wide, but soon enough the new boys' big day really hit the buffers. Alejandro Faurlin fouled Davies just outside the QPR area and Eagles’ delivery deflected off the wall before Gabbidon could only put it into his own net.
Klasnic then really buried Hoops dreams, ramming a shot to Kenny’s net - via a deflection from Orr - after Davies knocked the ball down for him.
With his defence in ribbons, Warnock watched on in disgust as Muamba, not known for his goal prowess, waltzed into the hosts’ box and fired Klasnic’s pass to the net for a Bolton fourth.
There was still time for Hill to earn the 12th red card of his career with his best Zinedine Zidane impression, the defender losing patience as Bolton kept the ball and headbutting Petrov in the stomach.