 Friday, 9th Mar 2012 19:27 by Clive Whittingham For the first time in weeks QPR have a suspension free squad for a crucial game at Bolton, nursing the country’s worst home record, on Saturday. Bolton (19th) v QPR (16th)Barclays Premier League >>> Saturday March 10, 2012 >>> Kick Off 12.45pm >>> Reebok Stadium, Bolton >>> Live on Sky Sports 1 Chelsea fans are, I find, a bit like a cold and flu virus; you know you really don't want one but sometimes there's just no avoiding them. Twice in the past fortnight I've happened upon one, all ruddy cheeked and stinking of the Surrey commuter belt, and found myself cornered in a situation where only a career damaging vault down a fire escape would have saved me. Both were tremendous stereotype confirmers – no idea who Robert Fleck is, believe the club's first manager was Ruud Gullit etc etc – and both came out with an astoundingly arrogant summation of QPR's current plight. To their credit they did both ask me how things were at Loftus Road but when I told them things looked pretty bleak they both replied with exactly the same line: "Hmmm, yeh, well, not as bad as my lot." Really? Really? Such breathtaking self centeredness can only come from somebody who has no idea that their team once lost a competitive match at Scunthorpe United 4-1. I was there. The situation at Chelsea can be summed up quickly – they might not make the Champions League this season. Christ the Mayans were right, the end of the world does come in 2012. Chelsea have an ageing team assembled under a short sighted transfer policy and whenever a manager tries to replace any of them Frank Lampard gets the hump. Personally I think they should just go ahead and make John Terry and Frank Lampard the managers because, much like Alan Shearer at Newcastle, nobody else is going to get a fair crack of the whip until they’ve realised they’re not as good or as important as they think they are. But anyway, basically their problems boil down to finishing fifth instead of fourth. However will they cope? It all reminded me of the sad time that a family friend (no longer) would stand in our kitchen and wax lyrical about all the problems he was having with his bad back while my father sat in the next room being fed through a tube awaiting his next round of chemotherapy. Both that tosser and the two Chelsea fans more recently merely serve to reinforce my opinion that the majority of people are twats. There are more than six billion people in the world and I can tolerate (and often it's little more than that) about 30 of them. A QPR fan believing this weekend's game with Bolton is the be all and end all could equally be accused of similar self absorption by a fan of, say, Port Vale or Darlington who may lose their clubs altogether. Given that QPR's debt is now £56m (according to the latest accounts) and Bolton's is £110m this game probably isn't even as vital for Rangers as it is for their opponents. That said it is clearly important for QPR's future plans of new training ground and stadium development that they stay up this season, and a defeat here would put a serious dent in that ambition. Bolton’s remaining fixtures are a dream compared to QPR’s. The other thing the Chelsea fans had in common was the look of sheer incredulity when they heard I'd be going to Bolton this Saturday. One was flabbergasted I went to away matches at all, the other asked me if I realised the game was on the television. These are the sort of people who might not even watch Chelsea on the television if there happens to be some "rugger" on the other side. I suppose when you win all the time then it's solely about the football, which is why a run of a few draws and dropping down to fifth seems like a big deal and the idea of going to watch a losing team at Bolton appears absurd. QPR stopped being purely about the football for me a long time ago and so despite our recent abysmal form, recent dreadful record at Bolton, recent dire away results and perilous league position tomorrow morning will still be the same as any other matchday. I'll still wake up an hour before my alarm and be too excited to get back to sleep, I'll still bound around the flat getting ready like some demented child at Christmas, and I'll thoroughly enjoy my day in the north with four of the people I do actually like regardless of the poxy result. Although if QPR could pull their collective finger out and start posting some points soon that would be lovely. Links >>> Opposition Focus >>> Fixture History >>> Referee >>> Travel Guide This SaturdayTeam News: QPR can finally return Djibril Cisse to their attack alongside Bobby Zamora after his month long three match ban came to a welcome end. Samba ‘The Mentlist’ Diakite is also back from suspension and will compete with Shaun Derry for the central midfield spot alongside Joey Barton. Luke Young is also fit to return to the right side of the defence but given Clint Hill’s form at centre back it remains to be seen whether Hughes slings him straight back in and if he does who he takes out. Dropping Hill would be harsh, and he may be ideally suited to tackle Bolton’s robust forward line. Fitz Hall and DJ Campbell are back in light training but not fit enough yet and Adel Taarabt will be assessed in the morning to see if he is fit to play. Bolton could be short at left back having loaned Paul Robinson to Leeds and then days later lost Marcos Alonso who has returned to Spain following a family bereavement. He may yet make it back in time to play. Kevin Davies is fit to return to the starting line up after missing the last three matches with a knee injury picked up in a 2-1 home defeat by Wigan last time out on this ground. Elsewhere: Well hold onto your hats for the least super Super Sunday since the time I woke up the morning after a defeat to Grimsby Town in the FA Cup to find a stray dog that used to hang around the bin store on he end of my bed licking my feet. Celtic v Dundee Utd (barely even a sport) followed by Norwich v Wigan. Good grief. Arsenal play Newcastle on Monday with an added Liverpool v Everton TV game on Tuesday but you've got to live through Sunday first. Strongly worded letter heading Sky's way I think. Obviously we get to go first this weekend and set the pace for the rest, or give them something to shoot at depending on what mood we're in. Wolves v Blackburn is of massive interest at 3pm. At the top Man Utd and Man City should probably both win their Sunday 2pm kick offs against West Brom at home and Swansea away respectively leaving the rest to keep pace. Tottenham go to Everton in the Saturday evening game while Chelsea host Stoke with John Terry back ready to play, making light of his initial two month diagnosis by suddenly returning after a fortnight - whatever could have brought on that miraculous recovery? Sunderland v Liverpool looks pointless but potentially entertaining, Villa v Fulham on the other hand looks like a dog of a game. I certainly wouldn't put it past Fulham to get a rare away win outside London from that match with the respective form of both teams. Referee: I see Martin Atkinson more than some of my work colleagues at the moment and it's rarely a good thing when I do. This will be his fifth QPR appointment of the season already and we are yet to win any of the games he's been in charge of. The first of them was on the opening day of the season when Bolton won 4-0 at Loftus Road so it's not the best omen that he's in charge again. He's also taken our defeats at Arsenal, at home to Man City and the home draw with West Brom. For a full, and expanding, case file click here. FormBolton: Since QPR won here 1-0 in 1995 through Danny Dichio’s header and then won the return fixture at Loftus Road (to no avail, both teams were relegated) Bolton have won seven and drawn one of nine meetings between the sides. QPR have never won at the Reebok Stadium – three visits, three defeats. Although the stats are skewed slightly by consecutive away games against Man City and Chelsea Bolton have not won in their last five, have lost the last four and have scored only once in that run. They have the worst home record in the Football League – two wins and two draws from 13 games – and have already lost 19 times this season. Bolton have however taken ten points from matches with teams in the bottom five, the best record of any of them, compared to QPR who have taken seven. QPR: Rangers are enjoying picking off obscure Premiership records this season – they have thrown away the most points from winning positions in the league (15) and have equalled the most players sent off in home games already (five) with games still in hand to take that to a record beating six. They look set to fall short of Middlesbrough’s record for most players used in a Premiership season though – Boro once fielded 37 different names, Rangers have so far used 33. That hasn’t been to much avail with just one win from the last 15 matches and a previously decent away record of three wins from the first six games now giving way to a run of no victories in seven road trips. No clean sheet in 18 matches now for the R’s either. Betting: After success last week professional odds compiler Owen Goulding says… Well it seems keeping analysis short and sweet helped last week as I returned to winning ways with my prediction. Looking at this week's game, I am hoping QPR can also return to winning ways - it’s been far too long. The 'six pointers' generally start around March time and if I was offering odds, it would be 1/100 that prior to kick off on Saturday, the Sky pundits will have used this phrase at least five times in relation to the game. It’s not a 'must win' game quite yet, but it certainly is bordering on it. QPR looked a far improved side vs Everton - the organisation was there for all to see and it looks as though Mark Hughes may be reaping the benefits of his time on the training ground. Unfortunately, time isn't something he has in abundance, and Rangers are going to need to step up again on their trip to the Reebok. With Cisse and Diakite available again, Hughes may be tempted to shuffle the pack, but I think he will keep it very similar to last week. I expect Diakite to be on the bench, although Cisse may well start. Bolton have been on an alarming slide since earning a point at home to Arsenal back at the beginning of February. Goals have been impossible to come by, but here they should have Kevin Davies back and therefore revert to a 4-4-2 system. Coyle has tried the 'let’s pack the midfield and try and get a draw' tactic in recent weeks, but to no avail. Here they will feel the need to attack and this could play well into QPR's hands. Bolton's defence looks weak and dramatically lacks pace. Also the big pitch at the Reebok should play to Cisse and SWP's strengths. It should be reasonably close, but Ladbrokes seem to have overpriced QPR at 11/5 for this one. I would be surprised if QPR are that big a price at kick off. Bet of Weekend QPR to win - 11/5 Ladbrokes. Tweet @loftforwords Pictures – Action Images Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
You need to login in order to post your comments |
   Blogs 31 bloggersColchester United Polls[ Vote here ] |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
