QPR V West Brom – Match Preview

QPR will look to bounce back from a disappointing performance against Newcastle with a home match against West Brom tomorrow afternoon. Harry Redknapp will hope the home victory over Fulham will give his players belief that they can perform to their potential in front of the home crowd. The atmosphere against Fulham was electric and the supporters will no doubt make the same raucous racket for what will be a very competitive festive fixture. The Newcastle game was very poor in terms of attacking play by QPR but defensively they looked okay until Shola Ameobi came on and did what Grant Holt has done several times against us and bossed the defence into submission.

The West Brom game will be a very tough and scrappy. They have more steel than Fulham in the midfield and won’t allow Taarabt the space in behind. They are very potent up front too. Shane Long is a player I admire. He is tenacious and has pace to burn. Unfairly, I’d call him a classier Jamie Mackie due to his superior finishing ability. Fellow striker Romelu Lukaku is a big physical presence that can affect a game like Ameobi or Holt can. Positively, I don’t think we will concede three goals like we did in the last fixture and we will be wise to their threat down the flanks which should cut out the supply to their strikers.

Last Fixture

Newcastle 1 (Ameobi)
QPR 0

Team: Green, Ferdinand, Fabio, Nelsen, Hill, Faurlin (Derry), Mbia, Taarabt, Granero (Wright-Phillips), Mackie, Cisse (Hoilett).

West Brom2 (Gera, Lukaku)
Norwich 1 (Snodgrass)

Team: Foster, Olsson, Popov, McAuley, Jones, Morrison, Brunt, Dorrans (Fortune), Gera (Long), Lukaku (Tamas), Odemwingie.

QPR Team News:

Julio Cesar could return after struggling with injury recently. Nedum Onuoha and Armand Traore are doubtful.

Possible line up:

Player to watch: n/a

West Brom Team News:

Yousouff Mulumbu will return from suspension. Claudio Yacob and Steven Reid are doubtful.

Possible line up:

Player to watch: n/a

The Stat Attack

LAST FIVE

Queens Park Rangers: DDDWL
West Brom: LLLDW

HEAD 2 HEAD

Queens Park Rangers: 13
West Brom: 17
Draw: 9

LAST TIME OUT

Premier League – 6/10/12
The Hawthorns

West Brom 3 (Morrison, Gera, Mulumbu)
QPR 2 (Taarabt, Granero)

Team: Cesar, Ferdinand, Hill (Traore), Nelsen, Bosingwa, Mbia (Hoilett), Park, Taarabt, Wright-Phillips (Mackie), Granero, Zamora

Attendance: 23,987

Ref Watch:

Referee: Chris Foy (St Helens)
Assistants: Simon Beck (Bedfordshire) & Harry Lennard (East Sussex)
Fourth Official: Andy Davies (Hampshire)

Chris Foy is the match official for tomorrow’s game against the Baggies. This season Foy has issued 30 yellow cards and 0 red cards in 16 games.

Match Prediction:

If QPR can find the same balance as they did against Fulham they stand a great chance tomorrow. West Brom have tricky wingers and determined strikers that have an eye for goal but cut out that supply and they struggle. Their defence is solid but not the most athletic from what i’ve seen this season. If we do hit them on the counter they could come unstuck but if the Newcastle game was anything to go by, I wouldn’t worry about that if I was a West Brom fan. Redknapp needs to get the tempo back into the R’s game. If we can move the ball about quickly and hit the strikers early, I think QPR can cause problems. A lot of our hopes rest on Adel Taarabt’s shoulders. If he can find enough space to effect the game in the same way as the last home fixture then we could turn them over. However, should West Brom turn up in a stubborn mood and squeeze the space on the pitch, I foresee a rather low-scoring game.

2-1QPR home win

Next Up

Who: Liverpool
Where: Loftus Road
When: 30/12/12