In Nines absence I will be doing the next couple of match day threads while he's on holiday.
Starting off with a tricky away trip in the west midlands against Birmingham City. Not a happy hunting ground for the R's, though we won last time thanks to a Ravel Morrison brace. Who will step up this time? Time for the likes of Chery, Fer and especially Phillips to do so. But I fear we won't come away with a win unless the defence has been heavily drilled (that didn't sound right reading it back) during the international break.
Still, I believe we can pull it off, a narrow win, 0-1 or 1-2?
Good luck to the ones travelling, hope you get your just rewards.
SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP
TEAM NEWS
Birmingham City winger David Cotterill is back in training next week after his hamstring injury but is still ruled out for the visit of QPR to St Andrew's.
Andrew Shinnie (hamstring) is fit and Demarai Gray, who scored in the 2-0 win at Leeds, is over the groin injury that ruled him out of England Under-20 duty.
QPR will be without forwards Charlie Austin and Jamie Mackie, who are both sidelined with hamstring injuries.
Jay-Emmanuel Thomas will keep his place in the Rangers starting line-up.
MATCH FACTS
Birmingham City have lost only once in their last nine matches versus QPR at St. Andrew's, winning six (D2).
QPR return to Sky Bet Championship action with a tough away fixture against Birmingham City on Saturday afternoon.
After a morale-boosting 4-3 win versus Bolton Wanderers prior to the international break, Chris Ramsey’s side will be determined to build on that victory with another positive showing at St. Andrews, but it certainly won’t come easy against Gary Rowett’s high-flying Brum side.
Indeed, Birmingham currently occupy fourth spot in the second tier, following an impressive start to the campaign which has yielded 18 points from their opening ten fixtures.
But Rangers will be buoyed by the Blues indifferent home form, which has seen them succumb to back-to-back defeats to Nottingham Forest and Rotherham United in their last two outings in front of their own supporters.
Furthermore, Rangers have been solid, if not spectacular, on the road so far this season, with two victories and a draw from five away fixtures.
David Cotterill will miss out for the hosts with a hamstring injury, but Blues are set to have Andrew Shinnie back in action.
The attacker injured his hamstring against Rotherham towards the end of last month, but has resumed full training and should be available for the visit of the R’s.
Sandro is pushing for a start for Ramsey’s side after an impressive cameo from the bench against Bolton, whilst Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is again expected to lead the line in Charlie Austin’s absence, following his impressive match-winning performance in the same game.
STAR MAN
Demarai GRAY (Forward)
Demarai Gray made his first team debut as a late substitute in Blues’ Sky Bet Championship fixture against Millwall on October 1st 2013.
The teenager, who can play on either the right or left hand side of midfield, is a product of the club's Academy and has been at Blues since the age of ten.
The 2014/15 campaign was Gray’s real breakthrough season with the club. The England Under-20 international made 43 appearances and scored six goals, earning himself plenty of plaudits, as well as being named as the club's Young Player of the Season.
Earlier this summer, Gray signed a new three-year contract with Blues that runs until June 2018.
PRE-MATCH TALK
QPR boss, Chris Ramsey: “We’re looking forward to the game.
“It’s another tough test for us, away from home, against a club who have started the season well.
“But we believe in what we’re trying to do and we’ve played well on our travels this year, so it’s a game we’re going into with a positive mindset, looking for a positive result.”
Blues winger, Demarai Gray: “I don't think we are more comfortable away from home than at home.
“I just think that together we are a great team. You are not going to be 100 per cent every week and you saw that with the two games against Forest and Rotherham.
“But we have shown in the last two games what good character we have got, our reaction was two 2-0 wins, we have just got to keep that up now.”
MATCH ODDS
Birmingham City win: 23/20
Draw: 23/10
QPR win: 2/1
LAST TIME OUT
Birmingham City 0, QPR 2 – Championship – Saturday 8th March 2014
Scorer: Morrison (2)
HEAD TO HEAD
Birmingham City: 21
Draws: 13
QPR wins: 17
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: C Boyeson
Assistant Referees: J Hunt & D Plowright
Fourth Official: D Coote
The "sexy" column:
Possible line-up for the R's:
Birmingham City – Likely line-up (4-4-2):
Kuszczak; Caddis, Morrison, Robinson, Grounds; Gleeson, Kieftenbeld, Maghoma, Davis; Gray, Donaldson
Starting off with a tricky away trip in the west midlands against Birmingham City. Not a happy hunting ground for the R's, though we won last time thanks to a Ravel Morrison brace. Who will step up this time? Time for the likes of Chery, Fer and especially Phillips to do so. But I fear we won't come away with a win unless the defence has been heavily drilled (that didn't sound right reading it back) during the international break.
Still, I believe we can pull it off, a narrow win, 0-1 or 1-2?
Good luck to the ones travelling, hope you get your just rewards.
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SKY BET CHAMPIONSHIP
- Venue: St Andrew's
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- Date: Saturday, 17 October
- Kick-off: 15:00 BST
TEAM NEWS
Birmingham City winger David Cotterill is back in training next week after his hamstring injury but is still ruled out for the visit of QPR to St Andrew's.
Andrew Shinnie (hamstring) is fit and Demarai Gray, who scored in the 2-0 win at Leeds, is over the groin injury that ruled him out of England Under-20 duty.
QPR will be without forwards Charlie Austin and Jamie Mackie, who are both sidelined with hamstring injuries.
Jay-Emmanuel Thomas will keep his place in the Rangers starting line-up.
MATCH FACTS
Birmingham City have lost only once in their last nine matches versus QPR at St. Andrew's, winning six (D2).
- QPR have won their last three league games against Birmingham City, keeping a clean sheet each time.
- No team has scored (18) or conceded (20) more goals in the Championship this campaign than QPR.
- Blues top scorer Clayton Donaldson has also provided more assists than any other player this season (five).
- No Championship side has won more points from losing positions this season than QPR (seven).
- QPR (11) have scored more goals via Englishmen than any other Championship team in 2015-16, four more than Birmingham (seven).
- Birmingham have lost their last two at home in the league competition. Blues have not lost three in a row since October 2014 (a run of four).
QPR return to Sky Bet Championship action with a tough away fixture against Birmingham City on Saturday afternoon.
After a morale-boosting 4-3 win versus Bolton Wanderers prior to the international break, Chris Ramsey’s side will be determined to build on that victory with another positive showing at St. Andrews, but it certainly won’t come easy against Gary Rowett’s high-flying Brum side.
Indeed, Birmingham currently occupy fourth spot in the second tier, following an impressive start to the campaign which has yielded 18 points from their opening ten fixtures.
But Rangers will be buoyed by the Blues indifferent home form, which has seen them succumb to back-to-back defeats to Nottingham Forest and Rotherham United in their last two outings in front of their own supporters.
Furthermore, Rangers have been solid, if not spectacular, on the road so far this season, with two victories and a draw from five away fixtures.
David Cotterill will miss out for the hosts with a hamstring injury, but Blues are set to have Andrew Shinnie back in action.
The attacker injured his hamstring against Rotherham towards the end of last month, but has resumed full training and should be available for the visit of the R’s.
Sandro is pushing for a start for Ramsey’s side after an impressive cameo from the bench against Bolton, whilst Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is again expected to lead the line in Charlie Austin’s absence, following his impressive match-winning performance in the same game.
STAR MAN
Demarai GRAY (Forward)
Demarai Gray made his first team debut as a late substitute in Blues’ Sky Bet Championship fixture against Millwall on October 1st 2013.
The teenager, who can play on either the right or left hand side of midfield, is a product of the club's Academy and has been at Blues since the age of ten.
The 2014/15 campaign was Gray’s real breakthrough season with the club. The England Under-20 international made 43 appearances and scored six goals, earning himself plenty of plaudits, as well as being named as the club's Young Player of the Season.
Earlier this summer, Gray signed a new three-year contract with Blues that runs until June 2018.
PRE-MATCH TALK
QPR boss, Chris Ramsey: “We’re looking forward to the game.
“It’s another tough test for us, away from home, against a club who have started the season well.
“But we believe in what we’re trying to do and we’ve played well on our travels this year, so it’s a game we’re going into with a positive mindset, looking for a positive result.”
Blues winger, Demarai Gray: “I don't think we are more comfortable away from home than at home.
“I just think that together we are a great team. You are not going to be 100 per cent every week and you saw that with the two games against Forest and Rotherham.
“But we have shown in the last two games what good character we have got, our reaction was two 2-0 wins, we have just got to keep that up now.”
MATCH ODDS
Birmingham City win: 23/20
Draw: 23/10
QPR win: 2/1
LAST TIME OUT
Birmingham City 0, QPR 2 – Championship – Saturday 8th March 2014
Scorer: Morrison (2)
HEAD TO HEAD
Birmingham City: 21
Draws: 13
QPR wins: 17
MATCH OFFICIALS
Referee: C Boyeson
Assistant Referees: J Hunt & D Plowright
Fourth Official: D Coote
The "sexy" column:
You must log in or register to see images
You must log in or register to see images
Possible line-up for the R's:
You must log in or register to see images
Birmingham City – Likely line-up (4-4-2):
Kuszczak; Caddis, Morrison, Robinson, Grounds; Gleeson, Kieftenbeld, Maghoma, Davis; Gray, Donaldson
