please log in to view this image Saturday February 17th 3pm Kick off Loftus Road please log in to view this image Last time verses Bolton; R's looking for win against Wanderers QPR’s 32nd fixture of the Championship season is against Bolton at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon. With just six points and three positions between the two teams, the R’s can expect another tricky game against a Bolton side who have picked up some good results in recent matches. Wanderers, who on the opening day of the Premier League season in 2011/12 came to Loftus Road and won 4-0, have been victorious in four of their last nine league games meaning they are currently in their best form of the season. During this little run, they have defeated Bristol City, Sheffield United and Cardiff City - three of the current top eight and have also kept four clean sheets. They are now 19th in the league - two points above the drop-zone. After a slow start to the campaign in which they lost nine out of their first 11 league games, Bolton has really picked up in the middle part of the season and it’s a great credit to Phil Parkinson that he has guided his team into a position where they are now odds-on to beat the drop. But like QPR, Bolton still have a lot of work to do in the final 15 games of the year. Another reason why they deserve so much credit for their recent form is that at the end of January they sold their top goal-scorer Gary Madine to Cardiff. His departure has seen other players step up but it’s away from home where the Whites need to improve – picking up just one away win this term. When the two teams met earlier on in the season it was a really scrappy affair with Bolton dominating the first half before QPR deservedly equalised late on through Idrissa Sylla after controlling the whole second period. The last time the two teams met in October 2015 it was an absolutely thrilling game with the R’s coming from behind to win 4-3 thanks to a special 90th minute winner from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas. Ollie will be hoping his side can continue their impressive form at home. Rangers have picked up seven points from a possible 12 in our recent home games and were 1-0 winners over Barnsley last time out. We are currently situated in 16th place but a win could see us climb to 14th depending on other results. Key battles: Karl Henry v Jordan Cousins Two hardworking, battling midfielders who will be expected to work very hard for the team to win the ball back and distribute to others. Everyone in W12 knows the underrated qualities that Karl Henry brings to a side. Time and time again the former R’s midfielder will put the dirty work in which will help free up the more attack-minded midfielders and his work off the ball often goes towards strong team performances. The versatile Cousins, who has been operating in the centre of midfield lately, provides great energy in the middle of the park and is adaptable - being both being defensive with strong tackles and interceptions whilst also capable of providing late attacking runs into the box. Both will know each other’s game well but it’s perhaps the physical battle that is so important for this particular contest. Sammy Ameobi v Nedum Onuoha Arguably Bolton’s most dangerous forward - Ameobi can go long periods without being seen before punishing the enemy with a sublime piece of skill or improvisation. A great example of this would be his winner against Bristol City a couple of weeks’ ago where he scored a wonderful solo goal to give his team an unlikely three points. Onuoha made his 200th start for QPR against Wolves last week. After an injury-hit season, the R’s skipper is now somewhere close to his best and will relish the challenge of facing Bolton’s talisman. Josh Vela v Luke Freeman A battle between arguably the two most technically gifted players at Loftus Road on Saturday. In a match where there will undoubtedly be a lot of tackles, set-pieces and crosses both teams will know they will also need that extra bit of quality when it comes to creativity and these two are the most likely to oblige. Vela, who came through Bolton’s youth academy, is very easy on the eye and great at threading little forward passes as well as linking up with other strikers and midfielders. He has contributed four assists to a team that has struggled for goals this season. Freeman has been the one unquestionable success of QPR’s season. The diminutive midfielder has enjoyed the freedom of playing just behind the striker and has provided some excellent crosses and through balls with no other player in the division creating more goals than the former Bristol City man. Both players will have to work hard to find space in what is expected to be a congested midfield but both will hope to provide the key to unlocking the opponents' defence.
No prediction thread up yet! I'll be getting on a plane soon(ish). QPR 3-1 Bolton ? 1-1 ? ? 1-1 ? Come on u Rssssssssss!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Many thanks I think this will be a tight match Boys upfront must take chances No composure We need that little Smyth back No fear
A nice piece about Heidar Helguson on LFW who played for both clubs..... Having made only four starts and six substitute appearances during a near two-year stint at Bolton Wanderers, during which he scored just twice, any opposition fans looking in this week may be rather perplexed by the affection in which Heidar Helguson continues to be held by Queens Park Rangers supporters. In fairness, two years into his Loftus Road career, a similar unceremonious exit through the tradesman's entrance seemed likely for the Icelandic international here too. The DVD extras for The Four Year Plan documentary feature a scene in Gianni Paladini's office that would be alarming for QPR fans if they weren't already oh so painfully aware of the way the club went about its business in those days and the results of that on the pitch. It's entitled 'The Striker' and it's a long scene from the cutting room floor of Paladini trying to add firepower to the QPR squad. Read the rest here https://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/membe...reject-who-starred-in-qpr-promotion-–-history
Looking forward to a victory Saturday.....must win match. Oh why is Dave doing the match day thread. What's 999's up to?
A must not loose game this one . We win I think we have a great cushion for the rest of the season , a draw not a terrible result but s loss and we are being dragged into the dog fight .
No doubting this is another must win game for Holloway and the boys - but most of all for the club and the fans, we need this. Won’t be an easy game and it’s time we took our chances and sealed a game. Come on you Rrrrrrrrr’s.
Back to the tried and tested. It looks like Eze will have to force himself into the team based on good performances from the bench.
3 points today and I reckon Ollie can start experimenting with team line ups in preparation for next season, after all we’ll only need another 11 or 12 points from 14 games, obviously we’ll get those.
Yes, it is s conservative tried and tested team. I hope that we do not say that that we lack speed and energy. The good news is that it is in the bench.
