QPR could make it four wins from this weekend at Pride Park. They have started the season in explosive fashion scoring 9 without conceding and will be hoping to continue that fine form with victory over midlands outfit Derby.
Derby started the season well with an impressive 2-1 victory away to Leeds but have since lost their last three games to Crewe, Cardiff and Coventry. Nigel Clough will be looking for a positive reaction from his team this Saturday and the Pride Park faithful might fancy their chances at home.
Derby have all sorts of injury worries ahead of our game. Star striker Rob Hulse is a major doubt with an Achilles injury so makeshift striker Dean Moxey should continue upfront after scoring against Coventry. Neil Warnock has no fresh injury concerns amongst the Rs’ squad ahead of Saturday.
The match should be entertaining. The last scoreless result between the two sides was in 2004 and since then there has been on average of two goals per game.
There is also the battle between Robbie Savage and Adel Taarabt. After the 1-1 draw at home to Derby Savage commented: “I`ll let Taarabt out of my pocket now” as a reference to marking him out of the game.
Last season Savage played very well against the R`s however, like the other Derby players, he hasn`t got going this season so whether he can handle Taarabt, who is in the form of his life, remains to be seen.
Last Fixture
QPR 2 (Orr, Helguson)
Scunthorpe 0
Team: Paddy Kenny, Bradly Orr, Kaspars Gorkss, Matthew Connolly, Clint Hill, Sean Derry (Leigertwood), Alejandro Faurlin, Adel Taarabt (Akos Buzsaky), Hogan Ephraim, Jamie Mackie, Heider Helguson (Antonio German)
Coventry City 2 (Jutkiewicz pen, Turner)
Derby County 1 (Moxey)
Team: Bywater, Brayford, Roberts, Barker, Leacock, Moxey, Green, Savage (Porter), Bailey, Commons, Doyle (Cywka)
Vital Quotes:
With Derby’s injury problems, Nigel Clough has been looking at adding to his squad: “There is a chance of getting somebody in before Saturday but everybody seems to be waiting for something to happen. I think the last few days of the window is probably when it will all kick off,” he said.
QPR’s Neil Warnock is also looking to add to his squad ahead of this coming Tuesday’s transfer window closure. Warnock admitted to being disappointed at having missed out on number one target Jon Walters who joined Stoke last week. Warnock told the BBC “We have to look to improve. In fairness the front three are all doing very well at the moment but we are very thin on the ground regarding the squad numbers and regarding the strikers.’
Derby County Team News:
Derby County Team News:
Nigel Clough has several injury concerns ahead of the match on Saturday, Rob Hulse, Chris Porter, Russell Anderson and Tomasz Cywka are all doubts. Although Porter and Cywka likely to return but Anderson and Hulse are definitely out.
Derby`s injury problems have been well documented and last weekend Dean Moxey, normally a left-back was used as an emergency striker. Ironically enough Moxey scored against Coventry but that didn`t stop Derby losing when in the grand scheme of things they probably deserved a point.
The majority of the team is pretty settled with Bywater in goal, Barker and Leacock at centre back and with midfielders Green, Savage and Commons in the side it gives Derby some stability and a fairly strong spine.
Possible line-up:
Bywater
Brayford – Barker – Leacock – Roberts
Cywka- Green – Savage – Moxey
Commons
Porter
Player to watch: Kris Commons
Player to watch:
Kris Commons has been identified as the player to watch ahead of this week`s match against Derby County.
One to watch
Queens Park Rangers Team News:
QPR Team News
Martin Rowlands continued his road to recovery this week when he featured in a reserve fixture against West Ham.
The Ireland international played 30 minutes in that game and will also play in next week`s reserve fixture.
Rowlands has been out of action for 10 months and is now nearing a return. Warnock is looking forward to the return of Rowlands and said “It will feel like a fantastic signing when he is back. I couldn’t buy anyone better than him.’
In other team news Fitz Hall could return whilst Lee Cook remains the only long-term absentee. Otherwise Warnock should stick with the same team that beat Scunthorpe.
Possible line up:
Kenny
Orr – Hall – Gorkss – Hill-
Derry
Ephraim -Taarabt – Faurlín – Mackie
Helguson
Player to watch: Adel Taarabt
Player to watch: Adel Taarabt
A person that needs no introduction to QPR fans he is a player that can turn a match on its head in an instance. Sometimes petulant and disruptive he can be a temperamental figure but when he is in the mood Adel Taarabt can be devastating.
The attacking midfielder signed for Tottenham Hotspur in 2007 after a successful loan spell from French side Lens. Spurs paid around £3 million for him and big things were expected but after lack of first team appearances he has since had two successful loan spells at QPR.
This summer saw Adel Taarabt sign permanently for QPR for a figure believed to be in the region of £1 million. Taarabt is also an international footballer making his Moroccan debut against Czech Republic in 2009.
Taarabt has been sensational so far this season with two goals and four assists in three games and will hope to continue that form on Saturday.
Match Facts & Stats
LAST FIVE
Queens Park Rangers: D W L W W
Derby County: D W L L L
HEAD 2 HEAD
Queens Park Rangers: 12
Derby County: 16
Draw: 16
LAST TIME OUT
Coca Cola Championship – 23- 3 -10
Loftus Road
QPR 1 (Cook)
Derby County 1 (Barker)
Team: Ikeme, Ramage, Stewart, Connolly (Hill, 33 ) , Gorkss, Leigertwood, Taarabt, Faurlin, Cook (German, 59 ) , Vine, Simpson (Ephraim, 78 )
Attendance: 12,569
Ref Watch:
Ref Watch:
Referee: Mark Haywood (West Yorkshire)
Assistants: S L Massey & P C Wright
Fourth Official: R Fletcher
Mark Haywood is the match official for the game on Saturday and was the man in charge of the very same fixture last year which resulted in a 4-2 victory for QPR in front of the BBC television cameras.
Haywood has officiated four games this season. They include Preston`s 5-0 victory over Stockport in the League Cup, Shrewsbury`s 1-0 win over Macclesfield, Carlisle`s impressive 4-1 victory over MK Dons and Swansea`s 3-1 win against Tranmere which was also in the League Cup.
Last season Haywood issued 76 yellow cards and 3 Red in 35 games.
Match Prediction:
1-1 Score Draw
QPR v Derby usually means goals so I certainly expect an entertaining game. Derby are suffering from a depleted squad at the moment but I still think they have potential goal threats in Kris Commons and Chris Porter.
Expect QPR to fly out the traps and to see Taarabt at the centre of all things good for Rangers. I`m hoping that because Taarabt will be highlighted as our key player by the opposition it might leave space for players like Hogan Ephraim, Jamie Mackie and Alejandro Faurlin to create chances.
I think if QPR can keep solid at the back they can hit Derby on the break much like they did against Sheffield United. If that is the case then Rangers stand a good chance of winning the match.
That said I think I`m going to play it safe with a score draw 1-1.
Next Fixtures:
Who – Middlesbrough
Where – Loftus Road
When – Saturday 11 September 2010 at 3.00 pm