Match Day Thread Derby v QPR

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Queens Park Rangers take on Derby County live on Sky Sports tonight at Pride Park for what is the first game back after the international break.

Rangers head into this fixture as one of the Championship's in form sides having won three of the last four games. In contrast Derby are going through a real lean spell winning just one of their last ten league games.

Earlier this month the Rams made the decision to relieve Steve McClaren of his duties at the club and appointed the highly rated Gary Rowett. The former Birmingham manager’s first game in charge was a draw against bitter rivals Nottingham Forest but he has now had two weeks to work with most of his squad.

When you look at the quality of players that Derby possess it would not be unfair to suggest that they have slightly underachieved this season. They began the year in 7th place just one point off the play-offs but their poor run of form has now seen them drop to 10th and significantly nine points adrift of the play-offs. Rowett is adamant that the midlands club can still achieve their target of making the top six but will realistically know they will probably have to win their remaining eight games to make this possible.

Derby will look back to their early season run for some inspiration. In the reverse fixture between the two sides a late Thomas Ince volley gave the Rams all three points in what was their seventh league win in a row. In truth the game at Loftus Road wasn’t a classic and Rangers arguably deserved a share of the spoils but it shows the talent that they have in their armoury if they can get firing.

QPR are currently enjoying their best spell of the season with the two week break coming at the worst time for Holloway’s side after recording their biggest victory of the campaign against Rotherham.

However Rangers have not won at Pride Park since 2009 and have struggled in games directly after the international break this term.

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TEAM NEWS ​

QPR: Massimo Luongo is unlikely to be involved after arriving back from international duty with Australia this morning whilst Pawel Wszolek has been ill.

Derby County: Darren Bent is available following an illness whilst Bradley Johnson is available despite picking up an injury against Forest last time out. The Rams will be without George Thorne, Craig Forsyth, Nick Blackman and Jason Shackell, who all remain long-term absentees.

Possible Starting Xl's

CARSON

BAIRD - KEOGH - PEARCE - OLSSON

BRYSON - JOHNSON

INCE - RUSSELL - VYDRA

NUGENT

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PRE MATCH TALK ​

Ian Holloway: “The boys have had a nice break. We gave them four days off to spend with their families and they’ve come back refreshed. The boys understand what I want from them. I’m craving consistency – and we’re showing that at the moment. We need to keep that ticking over now, because we’ve got a crazy period coming up."

Gary Rowett: “Sometimes it’s going to go great, sometimes it’s not going to go so well but I think that’s when we need us all to be together to maintain that positivity. Results are going to do that, energy and effort are going to do that - that’s the way we show the fans what we’re about. There’s a perception that this group of players don’t have enough hunger to be successful but that’s certainly not something I’ve seen in training in the past two weeks.”

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MATCH ODDS

QPR win: 14/5
Draw: 12/5
Derby: Evens
QPR first goal scorer: Matt Smith 7/1
Derby first goal scorer: Darren Bent 9/2

LAST TIME OUT

QPR 0 - 1 Derby - Championship, Wednesday 14th December 2016
Derby goal-scorer: Thomas Ince


HEAD TO HEAD
(In all competitions)

QPR wins: 15
Draws: 18
Derby wins: 19

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Geoff Eltringham
Assistant Referees: James Mainwaring and Billy Smallwood
Fourth official: Christopher Kavanagh

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Ian Holloway Pre-Match Interview ... http://www.qpr.co.uk/news/article/2016-17/qpr-ian-holloway-derby-county-3649002.aspx​

The Rams are unbeaten in their last three home league games against QPR (W2 D1) since losing 4-2 in October 2009.

The Hoops have failed to score in four of their last six league games against Derby, scoring exactly twice in the other two games.

Derby County have won only one of their last 10 league games (D4 L5) and drew 2-2 last time out vs Forest in Gary Rowett`s first game in charge.

Since returning to the club, Ian Holloway has won 41% of his Championship games with QPR, while previous boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink won just 28% of his matches.

QPR have won five of their last seven Championship matches (D1 L1), as many as they`d won in the previous 20.

QPR have won more points in the last seven games than any other Championship team (16).

Matej Vydra has scored two goals in his last three league games, the same total he`d bagged in his last 31 combined.

QPR's 5-1 win vs Rotherham was their biggest margin of victory in the league since a 4-0 victory against Swansea on Boxing Day 2010.

Last time out, Yeni N'Gbakoto became the first QPR player to have a hand in three goals in a league game since Charlie Austin vs Rotherham in August 2015.

Ian Holloway is unbeaten in his last three games away to Derby as a manager (W2 D1), keeping a clean sheet on each occasion.

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Great research ...

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I get the feeling that Wszolek will be rested as we've got 3 difficult fixtures this week. If Mackie doesn't start I think he might go with Ngbakoto.