FOLLOWING a set of stunning home results Queens Park Rangers are back on the road to face Nigel Clough’s Derby County, a match televised live on the BBC.
Rangers have certainly found their feet at Loftus Road with 13 goals in their last three games, while only two defeats have been incurred thus far, both on their travels.
Clough’s Rams have been in indifferent form this season with a crushing home win over Sheffield Wednesday tempered by the surprising 6-1 defeat against Cardiff City.
The Rams boss began his managerial career at Pride Park with a defeat at the hands of Paulo Sousa’s QPR – Wayne Routledge running riot on that occasion, form he has found consistently this season.
Both sides have an extensive injury list going into the televised clash with Derby forced to dip into the transfer market to bring in Bryan Hughes from Hull City in a bid to cope with their omissions.
While Derby remain rooted in the bottom half of the Championship, QPR are four points off the summit with a game in hand and look to extend a positive run this weekend.
Last Fixture
QPR 4 (Buzsáky 31, Simpson 39, Vine 71, Agyemang 83)
Reading 1 (Howard 86)
Team: Radek Černý, Peter Ramage, Damion Stewart, Wayne Routledge, Ákos Buzsáky (Gavin Mahon 66), Kaspars Gork?s, Ben Watson (Sent Off 30), Alejandro Faurlín, Jay Simpson (Rowan Vine 53), Gary Borrowdale, Adel Taarabt (Patrick Agyemang 76).
Middlesbrough 2 (Johnson 22pen, 59)
Derby County 0
Team: Stephen Bywater, Paul Connolly, Dean Leacock, Jay McEvely (Lee Croft 20), Dean Moxey, Shaun Barker, Gary Teale (Greg Mills 78), Robbie Savage, Kris Commons (Paul Dickov 11), Jake Livermore, Rob Hulse.
Derby County Team News:
Who R Ya? >>>
Nigel Clough has a mounting injury list ahead of this weekend’s clash with no fewer ten players already ruled out of the match.
Defenders Jay McEveley (cheekbone) and Fredrik Stoor (ankle) are sidelined along with midfielders Miles Addison (foot), Paul Green (foot), Stephen Pearson (groin), Steve Davies (ankle), Ben Pringle (knee), Giles Barnes (achilles) and Kris Commons (hamstring).
The striking options are also depleted with James Vaughan (knee) sidelined along with Chris Porter (hip). Clough is therefore poised to hand loanee Bryan Hughes his Rams debut while Lee Croft and Paul Dickov could come into the reckoning.
Possible line-up:
Connolly – Barker – Leacock – Moxey
Croft – Livermore – Savage – Teale
Dickov – Hulse
Player to watch: TBA
TBA
QPR Team News:
Once again Jim Magilton must make the tough decision of who to play in the middle of the park with Ben Watson receiving his second red card in succession. Gavin Mahon looks set to partner Alejandro Faurlín at the heart of midfield.
Radek Černý will line up behind an unchanged back four of Peter Ramage, Kaspars Gork?s, Damion Stewart and Gary Borrowdale, despite the imminent return of Mikele Leigertwood from a virus.
The aforementioned Faurlín and Mahon should start in the middle in the absence of Ben Watson with the attacking trio of Ákos Buzsáky, Adel Taarabt and Wayne Routledge sitting behind Jay Simpson if he recovers from a slight knock.
Simpson has been announced as part of the squad but should he not make it Patrick Agyemang and Rowan Vine are ready to deputise following their goals during the week.
Angelo Balanta (groin), Hogan Ephraim (ankle) Martin Rowlands (knee), Matthew Connolly (glandular fever) and Alessandro Pellicori (knee) are sidelined.
Possible line up:
Ramage – Stewart – Gork?s – Borrowdale
Mahon – Faurlín
Buzsáky – Routledge – Taarabt
Simpson
Player to watch: Ákos Buzsáky
Ákos Buzsáky has been on fire of late overseeing the rejuvenation of QPR’s home form and contributing several goals into the bargain.
His ability to orchestrate proceedings on all areas of the park make him a tough opponent for the best of defenders and it is hope he will be the key to unlocking the Derby rearguard.
The Hungarian international has scored four goals in his last five games, a run which also includes a goal on international duty in an away win over Denmark.
To read his career profile Click Here >>>
The Stat Attack
LAST FIVE
Derby County: W L W D L
Queens Park Rangers: W D L W W
HEAD 2 HEAD
Derby County: 16
Queens Park Rangers: 11
Draw: 15
LAST TIME OUT
Coca Cola Championship – 17-01-2009
Pride Park
Derby County 0
Queens Park Rangers: 2 (Routledge 22, Leigertwood 36)
Team: Radek Cerny, Matthew Connolly, Kaspars Gorkss, Damion Stewart, Damien Delaney, Wayne Routledge, Mikele Leigertwood, Gavin Mahon, Martin Rowlands (Hogan Ephraim 12), Lee Cook, Heidar Helguson (Samuel Di Carmine 64).
SEE ALSO:
Derby County 1-2 QPR – 03-11-1973
Ref Watch:
Referee: Mr Martin Haywood (West Yorkshire)
Assistants: Mr Simon Bennett (Staffordshire) William Smallwood (Cheshire)
Fourth Official: Mr Craig Pawson (South Yorkshire)
Not much can truly top the display of ineptitude that was on offing during the week at Loftus Road, courtesy of our old friend Andy Hall.
Sending off Ben Watson for a quick free-kick is there as a land-mark to epitomise the referee’s performance to a tee.
Now attentions turn to Mr Haywood, the referee that allowed Clarke Carlisle’s goal for Burnley despite Chris Eagles punching the ball past Cerny on the line.
To read our report on the official Click Here >>>
Match Prediction:
2-0 QPR
If Rangers can get a first half goal then a demotivated Derby County may well lost their bite as was shown by the R’s last trip to Pride Park.
Wayne Routledge tore apart the Rams rearguard in a useful display in his second game for Rangers and will be looking to continue his form on a wide surface this weekend.
If Rangers can keep a clean sheet, then the confidence is now in the side to not only score goals, but many of them.
Predictions
LeeCookFan: 3-1 QPR
Superhoop50: 1-0 QPR
southernhoop: 3-1 QPR
Nomar: 2-1 QPR
QPR4Me: 2-0 QPR
Lenny367: 2-1 Derby
Clonmany_Hoop: 3-1 QPR
sandydl: 2-0 QPR
beforerodney:3-0 QPR
toboboly: 3-1 QPR
danielqpr: 2-1 QPR
LCF’S CHAMPIONSHIP PREDICTION LEAGUE >>>
Next Up In W12
Teams: Queens Park Rangers v Leicester City
Date: Friday October 30, 2009 – 7:45pm
Ground: Loftus Road, London.