Laudrup impressed by goal haul

Soccer: Michael Laudrup could not have dreamt of a better start to life as Swansea manager after watching his side thrash QPR in west London. The Welsh side dominated from the outset at Loftus Road, showing no signs of weakness after the summer departures of former boss Brendan Rodgers and midfielder Joe Allen to Liverpool.

Summer signing Michu broke the deadlock after just eight minutes and doubled Swansea’s tally in the second half, netting an exquisite curling left-foot strike.

The old guard wrapped up the 5-0 victory as Nathan Dyer grabbed a brace and Scott Sinclair struck to get Laudrup’s life at the Swansea helm off to the best possible start.

“That was impressive,” the Dane said. “Winning the first game in my debut - and also the team’s first in their second season in the Premier - away and 5-0. I don’t think anyone could’ve dreamed about that. Of course, the most important thing is the team and I am very happy for the players.

“Last season I think it took until January to win the first away game and it is very important that you know you can win an away game as it gives you a lot of confidence for the rest of the season. If you know or think you will always lose or maybe only draw, you have to win all your home games.

“It has given us a lot, a lot of confidence, which we can bring to Swansea for the next two games to try win at home.”

Today’s victory leaves Swansea joint top of the Premier League after what was Laudrup’s first match in English football, although he is well aware it will not always be that easy.

“Well, if I had never played football myself or been a manager maybe I could think that, but I have been in football for 30 years,” he said. “I know, and we all know, that there will be bad days, bad weeks and maybe even bad months, but what is important is when we get results like that we’ve have to take it and use it.

“I think it is very important for a small team to start the season winning an away game. I think that’s very important.”

A notable absentee from Swansea’s starting line-up was winger Sinclair, fresh from the revelation that he wants to leave the Liberty Stadium.

Laudrup is not sure whether the 23-year-old will depart before the end of the transfer window and insists the current situation did not affect his decision to name him on the bench.

“There is no update,” he said. “Looking at him training, I had no problems putting him in the squad. In the end I chose Nathan \[Dyer] and Wayne \[Routledge] for the starting XI because they have both been here from the first day I came.

“We worked a lot together and Scott has only been here for nine or 10 days because he was at the Olympics. I think from what I’ve seen in training he is 100 per cent focused and I don’t know what will happen, not even Scott knows in this moment.”

Sinclair netted the final goal at Loftus Road after easily finding space in QPR’s porous defence.

Hoops boss Mark Hughes was taken aback by the margin of victory but was keen not to pick out any player for particular criticism.

“I think it is a collective thing today,” he said. “We just need to be better collectively as a team. It was difficult. It was a really warm day and the worst thing you want to do is concede and then have to chase games and try and affect them.

“It was difficult for the guys, but from my point of view I certainly expected a much more accomplished performance than was delivered. We’ll come together this week and next week we will be fundamentally better.”