This Saturday sees a welcome return to league football at the CCS after the "glamour" of the cup in midweek with the visit of QPR. The Hoops come to us placed bottom of the table courtesy of a 4-0 opening day hammering away from home at the hands of Watford, a result which will do nothing for their fans nerves following a really poor season last time around. A bit like our own Bluebirds though, the times they are a changin' down in W12 with long standing shareholder and VT's country compatriot Tony Fernandes selling up his stake in the club having been on board since 2011. On the playing side, the R's have recruited some experienced players in the shape of Jack Colback, Asmir Begovic and most recently defender Steve Cook. Overall 12 players have departed with a total of 7 coming in as gaffer and ex-City Loan player Gareth (Wildthing) Ainsworth looks to improve the clubs fortunes on the pitch following far too close a dalliance with relegation last year (sounds spookily familiar). For this weekend Ainsworth has said he’s "hoping to have him [Cook] involved at Cardiff" and speaking about Colback, who signed a two-year deal at QPR, he added “Jack is also close to making his first start. We’re monitoring him very closely to see if he can make the trip.” Bulut's Bulletin Speaking to the press on Thursday, the manager was relishing the opportunity to play in front of the home fans, and hoped they could pick up the win against a QPR side who will no doubt try to respond to their heavy defeat last weekend. “I had the supporters live in Leeds, there were only 2,000 of them but they were great,” Erol began. “When the stadium is full this weekend, it will be a great atmosphere. They will all be fully behind us, to support and push the team, to get the three points that we are expecting. “Everyone is expecting that it will be an easy game, but I don’t think so. No one game will be easy in this league. They did lose the first game 4-0 in Watford, but now against us, they will be much different on the field. We have to be prepared for that and we will be prepared for that. It doesn’t matter what’s put in front of us, we always think about getting the three points.” Erol also provided injury updates to three members of the First Team. “Joe Ralls today was doing some individual training to test his pain. He looked good today and tomorrow he will be part of the team training. It looks like he will be ok for Saturday. “Yakou Méïté has a little problem with his muscle. I think we will have him with us in around ten days. His injury started in Portugal, then he got well but a small pain has pushed him back a little bit again. “No change on Ryan Allsop, and we will need a few days with him for sure.” So, likely to be little change from last Saturday. especially if Captain Ralls is fit for duty, though I suspect he may get benched in favour of Ebou Adams or Andy Rinomhota who have both had encouraging showings in their respective games this week. With just a point difference between the two sides over the last 6 games one could think that this will be a real relegation type scrap, even this early on in the season, yet I'm pretty sure that if the fans of both teams were polled the Bluebirds faithful would be feeling far more positive as to what the future holds. Past Meetings Last time out at the CCS saw a 0-0 draw in a game that must have been one of the dullest ever in either clubs history. Just 1 shot on target in the entire game and little to get excited about. I can't actually recall if I was there for that one and if I was then I've clearly wiped it from my memory!! However, if ever there was a sign of how far Rangers have fallen since then was prevalent, then the fact that after that snorefest they were still sat in 7th spot (joint 5th) yet finished 20th, just 1 place and 1 point better off than us is surely it? So, in order to cheer us up, here's a few more highlights from our games v the R's at the CCS, including what must have been one of the strangest games I've seen up play where despite our visitors being by far and away the better side, almost everything we hit went in and we ran out 3-0 victors back in 2019. So, with the reminiscing out of the way, what odds does VT have for this one??? So, VT confident enough to make the Bluebirds slightly odds on for the win.... well, he is a successful businessman so we'd do well to listen to him (just ask jck!!). Well I Never We all know QPR call Shepherds Bush (Bush Bush Bush Bush) home but the name Shepherd's Bush is thought to have originated from the use of the common land there as a resting point for shepherds on their way to Smithfield Market in the City of London? Evidence of human habitation can be traced back to the Iron Age (not to be confused with the Hammers Age). Shepherd's Bush enters the written record in the year 704 when it was bought by Waldhere, Bishop of London as a part of the "Fulanham" estate. Despite QPR being formed quite some time ago (either 1882 or 1886 depending on how you see their formation), it was only in 1920, when the Football League introduced a third division, largely made up of Southern-based teams - with the original divisions having included teams largely found in the north of the country and the midlands - that QPR would get the chance to play in something close to a national league system. Sharing The Love A few players that could rightly be described as "legends" due to the impact they made whilst with the club with the exception of one player (Langley) who arguably didn't hit the anticipated heights and sadly saw his career take a real nosedive quite quickly. Then of course we have the Bluebird's only player capped for the England Jay Bothroyd. What a player he turned out to be for us, and interestingly in his media work he's become of bit of a star too. For Season Two of TV series Ted Lasso, assistant director Sophie Worger hired former professional player Kasali Casal to manage the soccer choreography. Casal enlisted a team of former professional players to play for the opposition teams facing AFC Richmond during game scenes, these included Bothroyd and fellow former Premier League players and Lee Hendrie, Jermaine Pennant and George Elokobi! So, will us Bluebirds be Cock-a-Hoop come full time? Will we send the R's Trottering back to Shepherd's Bush with less reward than Dell Boy and his hooky case?? And will Rinomhota be our "handy Andy" this time around and replicate the ginger stripper's play-off final heroics??? All I know is "Oh, Erol, I would give everything just to be like him" Blooooooooooobirds!!!!!
Fantastic read as always Brizzle. You do us proud sir. So this is the fixture that normally prompts me to bore you all with my affection for QPR. But I'll spare you this season. As Brizzle suggested, this ain't going to be a pushover. We have to remember how poor we were last season especially at CCS and that we're at the beginning of yet another regime. Vital that the players get the crowd going. So some aggressive high press stuff is required. Get 'em going Erol! Bloooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooobirds
Well done Brizzo - this is becoming a habit. Just an odd thing I've spotted. Favourite to score anytime tomorrow from either side with B365 is our very own Morgan Wigley @ 21/10............ Do they know something we don't?
Ben Hur makes this look like an epic. Another Python reference just for Clingo. Brilliant as ever Brizzle!!!
Evening, thanks for popping over. I'd love to share your optimism (or pessimism) but we're still very much a work in progress so won't be taking anything for granted. Are you guys really thinking that negatively already this season? You may do the reverse this year to what you did last year!?
Evening. I wouldn't be quite so pessimistic. Three goals for us in a league game would be a novelty, clear or murky.
No we’re terrible. No ability, gutless, terrible management/tactics. We have nothing. Watford stopped playing in the second half last week and still hit the bar and forced a couple of decent saves. 10-0 would have been a fairer reflection of the game and I don’t think Watford will do much this season. However we’ve just got Steve Cook in who might organise us a little bit. Not played since Jan so doubt he’ll be rushed in for tomorrow though the kid we had playing at Watford was painfully out of his depth so maybe he’ll have to be. But yeah we’re dreadful. Begovic looks a decent signing (plenty of practice) but the players who made us tick early last season are either gone, injured, not arsed or played woefully out of position and unable to affect the game. Oh also we hate having the ball so if you somehow lose it I wouldn’t worry. At worst we’ll lump it out for a throw.
Can't bad that bad Bwood? But just in case we will hide the rope, drugs, guns and razor blades. And stop the trains. Maybe no need as they are probably on strike anyway.
I’m sure you’ll be able to triangulate this soon. Bwood is not exaggerating at all. We are dire, the worst I’ve seen in fifty plus years of following this frequent shambles. If you don’t win at a canter you need to ask some hard questions of your team and management (who is it now)?
I’m kind of drawn to see as many games as possible this season. Which is like rubbernecking at a really nasty car crash involving yourself.
Very divisive comment Bwood. He played for us late 60's or so then went to Saltypool. Became manager for the JB's (Jack Barstewards), Wales and elsewhere. Never involved with us again. They say memory of history is good but not recently as your brain fails you.
My first Championship manager kind of game I signed Andy Legg. I assume he’s still left-back. Was a very solid player for me.
Good old Leggy.... Got some stick when he first signed due to having played for a small Welsh club down west, but proved himself to be a very committed Bluebird over time. The popular expression when talking of him is to say he went from a Jack to a King!!
