Match Day Thread QPR v Forest

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QPR999

QPR999

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QUEENS Park Rangers take on Nottingham Forest at Loftus Road on Saturday in what is arguably the biggest game of the season for both clubs.

The R’s have been dragged into the relegation battle following six defeats in a row although our destiny is still very much in the hands of Holloway’s side. A win on Saturday would completely kill any possibility of Rangers going down with Blackburn still five points behind with just two games to play.

QPR are 19th in the league with Nottingham Forest directly below them in 20th and fellow midlands side Birmingham City in 21st. Rotherham are already relegated and Wigan are also extremely likely to head back down to League One. That leaves one out of four fighting for their place in the division – with QPR two points ahead of Forest and three in front of Birmingham.

This season is unlikely to live long in the memory of many Rangers fans but if the Hoops can maintain their status in the Championship then it will give the club the chance of rebuilding in the summer. It is, of course, easy to forget that this time last month QPR were one of the form team in the division, playing good football and had just come off the back off a 5-1 victory over Rotherham. A combination of bad luck, injuries and some poor performances has meant all that momentum has been lost, which shows just how quickly things can change in football but Rangers still have the chance to end a disappointing campaign on a high.

Our visitors Nottingham Forest have themselves not had too much to shout about this term. Despite a fairly decent start, Forest have struggled to find any sort of rhythm this season and have consistently been towards the lower end of the table. The August sale of their young prodigy Oliver Burke and allowing skipper Henri Lansbury to leave in January has certainly not helped their cause but this will be a year that Forest will be glad to see the back of.

A lot of their problems have come from two issues; picking up just 11 points away from home (second worse in the division) and conceding goals with only Rotherham letting in more than Forest’s 76.

Former Rangers manager Mark Warburton took over from Philippe Montanier in March and results have slightly picked up since the ex-Brentford boss has been in charge. Last weekend’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest was an absolutely crucial result for Forest and means that survival is now completely in their own hands.

There was plenty of drama when the two sides met back earlier in the season. Karl Henry was dismissed in the first half and Britt Assombalonga gave Forest the lead early on in the second period. The match then became ten aside when Hildeberto Pereira was sent off for his second bookable offence with Idrissa Sylla coming off the substitute’s bench and heading in a late equaliser for the Hoops.

Something which QPR manager Ian Holloway says is essential for the final game of the season at Loftus Road is that the players, staff and importantly fans stick together. Loftus Road can be an intimidating place for the opposition to play their football when the crowd is fully behind the R’s and hopefully that roar can see the players over the line on Saturday.

(''Last weekend’s 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest was an absolutely crucial result for Forest and means that survival is now completely in their own hands. )

They beat themselves? Maybe that's what we should do to win 3 points :emoticon-0102-bigsm

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Team News
​
QPR: Grant Hall remains a doubt having missed the last three matches owing to tendonitis, while Jordan Cousins is out for the remainder of the season following surgery on quad muscle.

Nottingham Forest: Zach Clough has been nursing a small injury but is in contention for Saturday’s match. Jack Hobbs is still out but Matt Mills and Armand Traore are both back in training giving Warburton a strong squad to choose from.

Predicted lineups: ( I can't put up a graphic as the site is down. )

QPR ... Smithies, Furlong, Bidwell, Onuoha, Lynch, Manning, Luongo, Freeman, Lua Lua, Washington, Smith

Forest ... Smith, Lichaj, Worrall, Mancienne, Fox, Vaughan, Ward, Cohen, Osborn, Carayol, Assombalonga.



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MATCH ODDS

QPR win: 6/4
Draw: 23/10
Nottingham Forest: 7/4
QPR first goal scorer: Idrissa Sylla 5/1
Nottingham Forest first goal scorer: Britt Assombalonga 9/2

LAST TIME OUT

Nottingham Forest 1-1 Brentford - Championship, Friday 28th October 2016
QPR goal-scorers: Idrissa Sylla
Nottingham Forest goal-scorers: Britt Assombalonga


HEAD TO HEAD
(In all competitions)

QPR wins: 15
Draws: 21
Nottingham Forest wins: 28

MATCH OFFICIALS

Referee: James Linington
Assistant Referees: Daniel Robathan and Robert Merchant
Fourth official: Robert Whitton​


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OLLIE: WE NEED THE CROWD

Ian Holloway previews Saturday’s crucial game against Nottingham Forest …

  • Ian Holloway has called for fans' help on Saturday
  • QPR know win over Norttingham Forest will secure Championship status
  • R's boss insists 'players will be at it'
THIS weekend sees QPR host Nottingham Forest at Loftus Road, knowing a victory will safeguard their Championship status.

The visitors, meanwhile, need four points from their final two matches to avoid relying on other results to keep them in the second tier.

QPR have failed to register a point from their last six games while Forest have picked up seven points during the same period.

Ian Holloway is under no illusions about how big Saturday’s game is, while an almost-packed house shows the R’s fans recognise the magnitude of the fixture as well.

“It’s all about being positive now – it’s all about sticking behind the boys,” Holloway told www.qpr.co.uk.
“We have to make sure that we beat Nottingham Forest. It’s in our hands and we can get this season over and done with this weekend.

“I don’t believe we’ll go down – but you have to earn that right in the Championship. Deep down, of course I wish we were safe already, but we’re not. However, regardless, I’m proud of how the team are sticking together – how they’re learning and the way that they’re working.

“Unfortunately, we’ve lost six in a row, but I’m not downhearted. The team I pick for Saturday will be well-drilled, they’ll be well-oiled and ready to go in order to beat Forest. That’s all that matters.”

Holloway oversaw a stunning period of results – and performances – during February and March, with Rangers amassing 16 points from 7 games, making them the form team of the division. And the R’s gaffer admits the recent run has been hard to take.

“It has been tough, but that’s just the way it is,” he said. “We’ve got to get over the line. We need everybody behind us, because I believe we can solve all this ourselves.

“We haven’t got time to worry; we’ve got to get on with it. I’m convinced that these lads know where they’re going. It’s just about getting over the line. Deep down, things aren’t as bad as everybody thinks they are. If we get a result this weekend, it’s onwards and upwards – into next year.”

Holloway has urged the fans to play their part on Saturday, adding: “The lads have lost a bit of confidence, and we need the crowd to help us.

“That’s all I’m asking – if you see the effort you demand, please keep on encouraging the players.

“If you don’t, you can hammer them and you can hammer me because that’s not right. But I’m telling you, they’ll be at it – and they won’t let you down.”

Read more at http://www.qpr.co.uk/news/article/2...ngham-forest-3695242.aspx#dGe1IzgEKi6UDG8w.99
 
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QPR999 said:
A lot of their problems have come from two issues; picking up just 11 points away from home (second worse in the division) and conceding goals with only Rotherham letting in more than Forest’s 76.
Click to expand...
The script is written right there. I've lost count of the clubs with a poor record or run who have had joy at LR this season. So, it must almost certainly be 3 points and be a clean sheet for Forest. Or will a QPR team that's been ludicrously cautious and visibly nervous for the last 6 games finally man up? Holloway's boast about effort means nothing - it's inspiration not perspiration that's been lacking.
 
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I hope Hall can play, and also that Pawel starts on the right wing with Sylla as striker.

Edit: I see Hall is scheduled to sign autographs and take photos in the fanzone before the game so It looks like we'll be wide open at the back again.
 
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Going to venture down to the Crown and Sceptre early on and make a day of it with a few mates - if anyone is going to be about.

Talk of Brexit, Trump and the GE will be out of bounds. However up for discussion will be:

1) Cold War Aircraft Carriers: Audacious Class v Clemenceau Class, which was best?
2) Kelly-Anne Conway v Gina Miller, who would you choose?
3) Gus Caesar v Julio Cesar, why Gus should be [HASHTAG]#ForeverRs[/HASHTAG] next
4) Whatever happened to Swords?

Feel free to add to the discussion
 
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No frivolous pictures this week. The game tomorrow calls for a more serious note. We have got to win. No excuses. I thought we were safe on 50 points 4 weeks ago and we should have been. Six losses on the spin has changed my optimism somewhat. Even I, an Ollie fan am questioning his skills at the moment. How did we go from being the form team in the division to where we are now? I wonder, if we go down, will a get a partial refund on the ST have have already paid for?
 
QPR Oslo said:
I hope Hall can play, and also that Pawel starts on the right wing with Sylla as striker.

Edit: I see Hall is scheduled to sign autographs and take photos in the fanzone before the game so It looks like we'll be wide open at the back again.
Click to expand...

As Oslo said....extremely worried about this...Assombalonga is a real class act...he will score against our defence...no doubt!

Especially if Perch is playing the Hall role in front of Ned and Lynch. And Bidwell is dreaming of beaches

Can see us going all defensive and going goals down again before making a spirit go of it in the last 30 minutes
The only good thing is their defense is possibly worse than ours....so an eventual spirited fight might get us a point, where it didn't vs Brighton or Wednesday or Huddersfield
 
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Haven't made my mind up yet:

1. Stay completely sober and listen nervously and intently.
2. Get Brahms and pretend not to care.
3. Spend the day in the garden and have a worried butchers at 18.00 CET.
4. A combination of 1-3.

Whatever I do will most probably be wrong (although the garden seems the less stressful of the choices!).
 
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rangercol said:
I'm there tomorrow and absolutely ****ting it!! I can see this going down to the last game of the season, with us not getting another point and relying on others to lose.
Hope I'm wrong and there should at least be a good atmosphere tomorrow.

Come on U Rsssssssssssss!!
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It's Karma Col. We will lose tomorrow meaning we have to go to Norwich and get something to ensure safety. They will then rollover and let us win it and will make a public apology for cheating us out of the Title 41 years ago. They will also write a personal letter to you begging forgiveness for 41 years of hurt.
 
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It's quite possible he'll go all out defensive, believing that a draw would maybe be enough to see us over the line (which may be true), but I would rather we went down fighting and gave it a real go - at least he would get a good response from the crowd. Forest are vulnerable at the back, and a strong attacking line-up may see them crumble.

How has it come to this?
 
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