Match Day Thread Boro v QPR

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QPR999

QPR999

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Mar 26, 2011
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QUEENS Park Rangers will be hoping to end a positive week on a high when Ian Holloway’s side head north to take on Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.

Saturday’s match will be the third of the week, in which the R’s have picked up four points, meaning we head into this match in 10th position, just one place behind our opponents.

Having come down from the Premier League last season, much is expected of the Teesiders this year. Boro spent over £40 million on players in the summer transfer window whilst also appointing former Leeds boss Garry Monk as their new manager as they look to make a swift return to the Premier League.

However, they haven’t quite had things their own way in the opening seven games of the season. They began with a defeat against Wolves whilst also being beaten by Nottingham Forest and dropped points at home to Preston. They have yet to concede a goal at the Riverside.

Fans of Middlesbrough may feel somewhat disappointed with how their last campaign in the Premier League went. After narrowly missing out in 2015, losing in the play-off final to Norwich, Boro made no mistake the following year – ending the season in the top two.

But they found the step up from the Championship to Premier League very difficult – managing just 27 goals – the lowest in the league, as they were relegated a few weeks before the season ended with just 28 points finishing in 19th position.

Despite mainly being in the Championship in the last few years, Middlesbrough were previously a mainstay in the top division. They were particularly successful during the mid-noughties when they qualified for Europe and made the Europa League final where they were beaten 4-0 by Seville.

After guiding Boro to the Premier League the board decided to part ways with Boss Aitor Karanka during last season. Steven Agnew took temporary charge until the end of the campaign before appointing Monk in the summer after he almost took Leeds to the play-offs last season playing an attractive style of football.

After a pulsating London derby in the week, the R’s can look forward to what is expected to be a different kind of test this weekend. Rangers enjoyed 70% of possession in the game against the Lions attempting to break down a stubborn Millwall defence but will face a far more attacking side on Saturday.

QPR’s form at home has been excellent this season but it’s been a different story away from Loftus Road, picking up just one point from a possible nine. In fact you have to go back to February for the Hoops last away win – an emphatic 4-1 victory over Birmingham City.

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When and Where?
Saturday 16th September 2017 - kick-off 3pm BST.

Last Time Out
QPR 2-3 Middlesbrough 1st April 2016

Middlesbrough moved to 2nd in the Championship as they held on for an enthralling win under the lights at Loftus Road. Boro's Jordan Rhodes opened the scoring, only for Jamie Mackie to level with a superb effort that went in off the bar with his weaker left foot. Grant Leadbitter had a penalty superbly saved by Alex Smithies before the Boro captain found Gaston Ramirez with the resulting corner to nod home a second. Ben Gibson made it 3-1 before Dutchman Tjaronn Chery set up a tense finish with a stunning strike.


Stats
  • QPR have won two of our last three games against Middlesbrough at the Riverside
  • No draws in the last ten meetings between the two sides
  • Middlesbrough have lost just one of their last seven matches at home
Manager Viewpoint's
Ian Holloway: "We've got to go to a place like Boro and show what we can do. Can we go and get some away points? I believe we can. I'm not happy with our points return away from home. We've got to show resilience and be strong. I've taken teams there before and won - and I believe we can go there and get a result this weekend."

Garry Monk: "I've got a lot of respect for Ian Holloway. He's an experienced manager and whenever you come up against one of his teams it's difficult. His sides are always versatile and unpredictable. We have to be ready for anything - preparation is everything - but the main focus is on us and hopefully we can come away with the right result."

Team News
QPR: Nedum Onuoha (hamstring) is out. Fellow defenders Grant Hall (knee), James Perch (knee) and Joel Lynch (hamstring) are also unavailable.

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Middlesbrough: Boro’s in-form winger Adama Traore is out following his red card on Tuesday night. Rudy Gestede will also miss out after undergoing surgery for a dead leg whilst Martin Braithwaite is unlikely to recover from a muscular injury he picked up last month.

Referee:
Darren Bond - Handed out just two yellow cards in his last two games.

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I honestly have no idea why anyone, Ollie included, would prefer Bidwell at LB or LWB and Robinson in a back 3 or CB position. Why has Ollie done that recently? Bidwell is clearly better at defending and Robinson is often better going forward. Tomorrow it should be:

Furlong Baptiste Bidwell Robinson

I also think we should try and get straight on the score sheet in this game after the nervy start against Millwall, so I think we should start with Smith and Washington up front in order to get a few headers on goal from Smith. Also, maybe Washington deserves being dropped for Sylla, so that Washington can buck his ideas up a bit. He can sit on the bench and wait for Sylla to get tired.
 
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I think the Boro stadium looks like a spider that died and lays on its back.
That should start the banter with the boro fans
 
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awjm said:
I honestly have no idea why anyone, Ollie included, would prefer Bidwell at LB or LWB and Robinson in a back 3 or CB position. Why has Ollie done that recently? Bidwell is clearly better at defending and Robinson is often better going forward. Tomorrow it should be:

Furlong Baptiste Bidwell Robinson

I also think we should try and get straight on the score sheet in this game after the nervy start against Millwall, so I think we should start with Smith and Washington up front in order to get a few headers on goal from Smith. Also, maybe Washington deserves being dropped for Sylla, so that Washington can buck his ideas up a bit. He can sit on the bench and wait for Sylla to get tired.
Click to expand...
Lot to be said for that especially the inclusion of Furlong as their forwards are quite pacy and our CBs turn and move like a juggernaut. The only comment I would make is that a high press is better suited to a ball playing team like Boro who will play a passing game and try to play out from the back and Washington/Mackie seem to be quite adept at snapping at the defenders when they have the ball. Quite looking forward to this especially as it's only 60 miles or so and I'll be able to choose my seat or three to lie back in
 
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Nicely done as per usual 999's.....

Fancy us for a point even with a make shift back 4 especially now that Traore is suspended as he looked unplayable against Bolton last week........

Up the R's
 
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Rangers Til I Die said:
Tx 9s.
I'm sticking my neck out for a QPR win here.
We get some luck there. Anyone recall Bobby's goal when their goal kick hit his back and he was able to score.
Have I remembered that correctly?
Click to expand...
No RITD, the hit a divert in the ground & goalkeeper missed it completely, was leading 2-1 at time, hilarious moment.
 
Rangers Til I Die said:
Tx 9s.
I'm sticking my neck out for a QPR win here.
We get some luck there. Anyone recall Bobby's goal when their goal kick hit his back and he was able to score.
Have I remembered that correctly?
Click to expand...

Ravel Morrison also scored a cracker in that one ...

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Rangers Til I Die said:
Tx 9s.
I'm sticking my neck out for a QPR win here.
We get some luck there. Anyone recall Bobby's goal when their goal kick hit his back and he was able to score.
Have I remembered that correctly?
Click to expand...
Wasn't that Furlong at Ipswich? Their goalie at the time had a habit of gifting us goals including the Ray Jones one from the corner flag at Southampton when Jones' brilliance was only matched by the stupidity of the goalie rushing out to the corner flag to try to prevent Jones getting to it. What was his name? I seem to remember it was Kelvin something or other who also played for Wimbledon when Peter Crouch scored at HQ with a header from a cross by Langley
 
YorkshireHoopster said:
Wasn't that Furlong at Ipswich? Their goalie at the time had a habit of gifting us goals including the Ray Jones one from the corner flag at Southampton when Jones' brilliance was only matched by the stupidity of the goalie rushing out to the corner flag to try to prevent Jones getting to it. What was his name? I seem to remember it was Kelvin something or other who also played for Wimbledon when Peter Crouch scored at HQ with a header from a cross by Langley
Click to expand...
You're probably right but see video above for very similar Bobby goal v Boro. I think the ball hits his front rather than chest.
 
YorkshireHoopster said:
Wasn't that Furlong at Ipswich? Their goalie at the time had a habit of gifting us goals including the Ray Jones one from the corner flag at Southampton when Jones' brilliance was only matched by the stupidity of the goalie rushing out to the corner flag to try to prevent Jones getting to it. What was his name? I seem to remember it was Kelvin something or other who also played for Wimbledon when Peter Crouch scored at HQ with a header from a cross by Langley
Click to expand...

I was at the Southampton away game and remember Jones' goal well. I remember wanting to scream but I was getting married a few days later so had to preserve my voice. As you can hear below, the keeper was Kelvin Davis:

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daverangers said:
I was at the Southampton away game and remember Jones' goal well. I remember wanting to scream but I was getting married a few days later so had to preserve my voice. As you can hear below, the keeper was Kelvin Davis:

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Click to expand...
That lad was a proper striker. If only...
I was there too.
 
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With half our defensive options injured (and our best defensive picks not exactly setting a good example of 101 defending); plus some questionable choices by Holloway last time out, it could be a hard day ahead for us. Can see our midfield being pushed back to support our weakened back line, leaving our attackers waiting for long balls if anything at all. Hope I'm wrong.
 
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