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Ding dong, seconds out, round 2.... here we go for the second half of the season and our chance to wreak revenge on teams that vanquished us earlier in the year (ok, the odds on us getting revenge on all of them looks like a long shot I know, bit it's still Christmas time and a chance for miracles).
This boxing day sees the gloves coming off for the visit of QPR, a team that surprisingly have a worse recent record than even ourselves, with just 4 points gained from the last 16 on offer compared to our mammoth 5!
Of course, our last meeting saw a rather controversial start to the game, with Jack Simpson sent off and a penalty awarded for what was clearly a) not even a foul, and b) a red card offence as there was another defender alongside the attacking player, so there was no way he could have been the "last man".
That penalty and sending off set QPR up for an easy win at Loftus Road that evening, with the R's flying high at the time, in fact, after that game they reached the top of the table and had a very confident fan base.
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Not saying it's clear the Hoop's lad has taken a dive here but I've seen less effective frogmen than this!
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Should have known it was a mistake to let ref James Linington listen to Saturday Night Fever on his i-pod during the game. The Bluebirds were clearly not impressed with his dance moves (or decision making).
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Of course, times have (sort of) changed since then, with both teams slipping backwards. Since that meeting in October, we have slipped 2 places and picked up just 8 points in the ensuing 8 games but the Hoops have fared even worse, slipping 5 places and amassing just 7 points in the 8 games played since then.
For all that though, it must be said that the Londoners will still pose a tough test for our struggling boys in blue. They still sit just inside the pay-offs and have a very talented squad, but they have also recently lost their upcoming manager Michael Beale to the Scottish Rangers, with one former assistant to Steven Gerrard being replaced by another in the form of Niel Critchley. Critchley has a decent track record having managed Blackpool to promotion and having had stints under Gerrard at Aston Villa and as youth coach at Liverpool.
The corresponding fixture at the CCS last season saw us slip to a 0-1 defeat so let's hope we can find the finishing we showed back in 2019 instead when despite not playing particularly well we still managed to tonk the Hoops 3-0.
Early Bluebirds Team News
Ebou Adams once again moves closer to fitness, having had a knee operation, alas it seems January is the target for the unfortunate midfielder rather than this side of the New Year.
Rubin Colwill put in a good performance for the U-21s the other day, scoring a scorcher of a free kick which must surely once push him to the forefront of manager Mark Hudson's mind?
After fielding an attacking line up against Blackpool that included Etete and Harris alongside Robinson as a front 3, it would be no surprise to see the Bluebirds line up in very similar fashion. Despite the disappointment of conceding and drawing against the Tangerines there was a lot to be happy with in a good first half showing. Can the boys carry that same zest and verve beyond half time and through a full 90+ minutes?
Prutton Predicts
After the Bluebirds slipped up last weekend and QPR picked up their first win in a while, the Sky man has tipped our home boys to slip to yet another defeat by a 0-1 scoreline in this live Sky game.
The bookies have a marginally different outlook though with the Bluebirds favoured for the win.
Home Win 7/5 Draw 23/10 Away Win 19/10
Fun Fact
Queens Park Rangers have moved home ground location 18 times since they were formed in 1886. They began playing games at Welford’s Fields between 1886 and 1888, and currently play at Loftus Road – their home since 1963.
Sharing The Love
This weeks delving on players to share the shirt has turned up a "Wild Thing", a player who despite being with the Bluebirds a while never made an appearance for us, a Bluebird top scorer for a season and a Sierra Leone captain... can you work out who is who?
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So, can we slam dunk the Hoops this time around? Will Huds ring the changes to get a victory?? Can we land a knockout blow this Boxing Day and start to climb the table???
All I know is Santa didn't deliver 3 point before Christmas like I asked for so I can only assume they were caught up in the ail strikes and will arrive after Christmas instead...
Blooooooooobirds.
) a peaceful and joyful Christmas and New Year.
