UNDER JEAN TIGANA, Fulham might have become the embodiment of French chic and elan.
However, as their stuttering performance here proved, even they are not immune to the pressures of a west London derby, which next season should mean a visit from Chelsea while for poor old Rangers, it will probably constitute a trip to Brentford in Division Two.
Class eventually won out, though it took a 36th-minute penalty from Louis Saha to set Fulham on their way to a win that puts more daylight between them and their Division One rivals than between Manchester United and the rest of the Premiership. Then a defence-splitting pass from substitute Luis Boa Morte allowed Lee Clark to tuck in the second in injury time.
Rangers fans' vision is probably too clouded by the green-eyed monster at the moment. But they really should take heart from Fulham's rebirth as a footballing power.
Only six years ago, when Rangers came down from the Premiership, Fulham, who like QPR, have flirted with financial ruin, were just scaling the walls of the Third Division. Of course, they have since become a branch of Mohamed Fayed's Harrods empire but, as Hull discovered a few days ago, there are still a few rich football romantics left.
Even on their bad days, or should one say their less spectacular ones, Fulham still offer the sort of entertainment that is spread pretty thin around the Nationwide.
Saha, who will bring dread as well as dreadlocks to the Premiership next season, was at the heart of most of the dangerous moves, making him the man most likely to unlock a QPR defence which centre-half Karl Ready led by example.
Saha's refusal to be wrestled off the ball, after gliding on to a Steve Finnan pass, allowed him to make the room for a delightful drag back, from which John Collins picked his spot with the outside of his left foot. Sadly for him, it was one to which goalkeeper Lee Harper was already diving, his acrobatic save leaving Collins holding his head, not in self-recrimination but disbelief.
Saha then headed against the angle and Lee Clark thumped a shot against the bar as QPR rode the sort of luck from which you can eventually expect to take a nasty fall.
They came down with a bump, as did Finnan, just after Clark's effort, Paul Murray using just a little too much force and Saha putting all his force behind his spot-kick as he scored his 20th goal of the season.
The biggest challenge to Fulham's season threatened to be their pitch, which has suffered more than most from the monsoons this winter but they have managed to relay large areas. It will not, however, be the green, green grass of home for much longer since, after next season, they will have to move out while Craven Cottage is rebuilt.
Source sport telegraph by By Roy Collins