Match Day Thread Blackburn v QPR

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QPR will look to build on their promising performance on Tyneside in the week when facing relegation threatened Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park on Saturday afternoon.

The R’s twice came from behind to deservedly take a point against Newcastle United midweek and means Holloway’s side have suffered just one defeat in their last six outings.

Rovers on the other hand had to deal with the disappointment of conceding a late goal against Leeds as they were beaten 2-1 in a game where they done more than enough to secure at least a point.

It’s been that kind of a season for the Lancashire outfit. They find themselves in 23rd position with only Rotherham below them in what has so far been a very disappointing campaign. The frustrating thing for Blackburn and their supporters is that they have done the double over Newcastle, defeated Derby at Pride Park and are unbeaten in two matches against 5th place Huddersfield.

This shows that Rovers are certainly capable of competing against the bigger teams in the division and that they have the quality to be doing a lot better than where they are positioned but they have gone on two really poor runs for which they have suffered for. Firstly at the start of the season it wasn’t until the 8th game where they got their first win. They then lost four in a row in what happened to be a winless December.

Things have looked brighter since the turn of the year picking up four points from a possible 12 and also progressing to the last 16 of the FA Cup, defeating QPR 2-1 at Loftus Road in the process.

But a good run in the cup will mean very little to Owen Coyle or Blackburn if it meant dropping down to League One in the process. Let’s not forget Blackburn were a mainstay in the Premier League until they were relegated in 2012 and are just one of five teams that have lifted the Premier League trophy. You’d have to go back to 1980 for when they were last in the third tier of English football but with them hot on the heels of Wigan, Burton Albion and Bristol City; Rovers will know there is still all to play for.

Not only did last week see Rangers get a well earned draw at Newcastle but they were also busy in the transfer market. On deadline-day the Hoops agreed a permanent deal for Pawel Wszołek, brought in former Fulham target-man Matt Smith and late in the day added an old fans favourite in Ravel Morrison.

These signings and the relatively good form that QPR are in has brought a fresh optimism and outlook for both the team and supporters – make no mistake about it Rangers will be hoping for all three points come 5pm on Saturday afternoon.

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TEAM NEWS

QPR: Matt Smith and Ravel Morrison are both available for selection. Grant Hall has returned to training but remains a doubt with an Achilles injury sustained against Burton Albion. Idrissa Sylla and Yeni Ngbakoto have also returned to training and will be assessed.

Blackburn Rovers: Hope Akpan could return to the squad for Saturday's match against Queens Park Rangers. The Rovers midfielder missed the midweek clash with Leeds United after sustaining an ankle injury in the FA Cup win over Blackpool the prior weekend. Elliott Ward, Adam Henley and Tommie Hoban - are still missing, whilst Corry Evans is also still out.

Steele,

Nyambe, Greer, Lenihan, Williams,

Feeney, Lowe, Mulgrew, Bennett,

Gallagher, Graham.

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Key Player: Danny Graham – The frontman seems to have found a home at Blackburn where he has returned to his prolific best, scoring 11 goals in 20 league starts.

PRE MATCH TALK

Ian Holloway: “I am absolutely delighted with the group we’ve now got – we would struggle to have a better window than we’ve had. There is a real buzz around the place and we need to carry that into the game against Blackburn.”

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Marvin Emnes: “The thing is, we are playing good but we have been unlucky in a couple of games. If we can turn the luck around then I’m sure we will get some more points. We have to keep training hard and keep doing what we are doing. We have been in games but dropped points in the last 10 to 15 minutes. We need to build some momentum but I think it is coming soon.”

MATCH ODDS

QPR win: 23/10
Draw: 23/10
Blackburn: 13/10
QPR first goal scorer: Idrissa Sylla 6/1
Blackburn Rovers first goal scorer: Danny Graham 5/1

LAST TIME OUT

QPR 1 - 2 Blackburn – FA Cup, Saturday 7th January 2016
QPR goal-scorers: Jake Bidwell
Blackburn Rovers goal-scorers: Joel Lynch (OG), Liam Feeney

HEAD TO HEAD
(In all competitions)
QPR wins: 14
Draws: 12
Blackburn Rovers wins: 20

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: Tony Harrington
Assistant Referees: Timothy Wood and Jordan Hunt
Fourth official: Carl Boyeson

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Shelly From Park Royal Says '' Up the R'sss!''

OLLIE: I’M SO HAPPY WITH GROUP OF PLAYERS WE’VE GOT

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Ian Holloway speaks ahead of Saturday’s trip to Blackburn …

• Ian Holloway says he is delighted with group of players he now has
• Ravel Morrison and Matt Smith could make QPR debuts at Blackburn
• Grant Hall, Idrissa Sylla and Yeni Ngbakoto are doubts

AFTER a hectic week which included deals on transfer deadline day and a brilliantly-earned 2-2 draw at Newcastle United, Ian Holloway says he is ‘delighted’ with the group of players he has brought together since his own return to the club just three months ago.

As Holloway looked to put his stamp on the QPR squad, he swiftly recalled Michael Doughty and Darnell Furling from their loan spells at Swindon, while Ryan Manning was promoted from the academy into the first-team group.

Meanwhile, Kazenga LuaLua, Sean Goss, Luke Freeman, Matt Smith and Ravel Morrison were brought in during the January transfer window, while Pawel Wszolek, who has excelled under Holloway, turned his loan deal into a permanent one.

Tjaronn Chery, Seb Polter, Sandro, Ben Gladwin, Ariel Borysiuk and Nasser El Khayati left the club during January, be it on loan or permanently.

Holloway said: “I have been so happy with the business we have done during this window. I honestly think you would struggle to have a better one. But in terms of the ins and the outs, I am pleased.

“You get situations, for whatever reason, where players want to leave. When that happens, it’s important that you move them on.

“I didn’t think we would be able to get the group I wanted together as quickly as we have, in terms of players here who can play in the way I want us to. The fact we have been able to do it in the time that we have is fantastic.”

The R’s squad stayed up north following their draw at Newcastle in order to give them the best possible preparation time for Saturday’s game at Ewood Park. And Ollie has used the opportunity to gel his group.

“We’ve got all the players together up here and it’s like a mini pre-season,” he said.

“The timing couldn’t have been much better after the new lads coming in, because it has given them a chance to get to know the group.

“And something that has really meant a lot to me is the comments we have had from the hotel staff here. They have said how polite and well-mannered all the lads are. That means so much to me, that’s where we start as a group, by showing everyone what QPR is all about.”

Holloway took 24 players north for the two fixtures. Eight of those 24 were brought in by him, in some form, since his return to the Rangers dugout.

“It’s a big change,” Holloway admitted. “That’s a third of the group. Ideally, it’s not what you want to be doing during the season but it was necessary and I couldn’t be happier with what we have now.

“Now we have options, and we have competition for places, which is just fantastic.”

As Holloway prepares for the trip to Blackburn, he wants his players to again demonstrate the spirit they showed at St James' Park.

“We are on a high after the performance and result at Newcastle,” he said. “What really pleased me was the character of the lads.

“After going behind at a place like Newcastle it would have been easy to fear the worst and go into yourselves. We didn’t do that, we didn’t wilt. We showed brilliant character and rightly took something from the game.

“The support up there for us was just incredible, it really was. I want to say a special thank you to all the fans that travelled and got behind us, it meant so much to us.

“We wanted to show that what happened against Burton Albion was a blip – and now we need to carry that on into Blackburn this weekend.

“I need to come up with something now for the Blackburn game. They beat us in the FA Cup at our place a few weeks’ ago and I’m still smarting about that, to be honest.”

Owen Coyle’s side find themselves in the bottom three after winning only one of their last ten league fixtures – with the solitary victory coming at Ewood Park against Newcastle.

“That just shows you how tough the Championship is, how competitive it is,” Holloway said.

“There are no fixtures in this division that are easy. We are going to have to be on top of our game again this weekend, and all the lads know that.”

Recent arrivals Matt Smith and Ravel Morrison could be in line to make their debuts for the R’s.

Meanwhile, Grant Hall, Idrissa Sylla and Yeni Ngbakoto have returned to full training but remain doubts for Saturday’s game.

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I hope this doesn't put the mockers on it ...

Blackburn v QPR (Saturday, 3pm)

Having taken a point at Newcastle in midweek, this is another one for QPR to try and win to move away from the relegation zone.

QPR will take great confidence from that draw and they could have been a couple of goals up if they had been more clinical. Losing to Leeds in the last minute was a blow for Blackburn and I think they will be beaten again.

PRUTTON PREDICTS: 1-2 (Sky Bet odds 10/1)

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/david-prutton-predicts-fulham-qpr-9752716

However he did predict that we would get a draw at Newcastle.