QPR players think away grounds are bigger than they actually are â according to their boss. The mind game afflicting those in hoops is indirectly the fault of Loftus Road â both enemy and friend to Rangers as they prepare to face Champions League finalist and derby rivals Chelsea on Sunday. W12 is a fortress right now, but Mark Hughes reckons the tight, little ground does nothing for beleaguered Hoops on their travels. Such is the LR bear pit, it was the 12th man that helped beat Spurs last Saturday to go with recent fine wins over Arsenal, Swansea and Liverpool. But on the road they have failed to register three points since the middle of Noevember. Rangers are hoping to turn their wretched away form on its head when they cross Hammersmith & Fulham for the Sunday lunchtime kick-off. And if Hughes is right, the enclosed surrounds of Stamford Bridge should be more to Rsâ taste. He said: âLoftus Road is very tight. âBut when we go to bigger grounds it looks as if there is more ground to cover, a feeling of expanse if you like, when in fact the pitch sizes are very similar. âWe need to be more dynamic away from home. The key when youâre away is to score first, but there is definite plus playing at Loftus Road.â
Hmmm... home and away... whilst we actually did better away in the first part of this season, Hughesy might be on to something there. In all the time I've been watching Rangers we've rarely managed much more than 3 away wins a season.
He is trying to say that Stamford Bridge is more enclosed, more like LR and so we will be better there....but is it last time I went I didn't think it was. I just think it is confidence and Sparky is just trying every trick in the book to make them think they can do it on Sunday. Anything that works gets my vote
They might need some aversion therapy; Joey should bring them with him to the Tate, acres of space in there AND he knows it like the back of his hand...
I dunno Sooper, there's certainly a reason why we're so different away than we are at home. Of course it could be tactics or the fact the home side will play better because well, they're at home. But maybe hes onto summat there. Maybe our boys feel a wee bit intimidated when away from their home comforts? Either way, it has to change sooner or later.
Most of our problems away from home have been due to poor defending and woeful performances. How many games have we not carried enough threat to get back into games once our opponents have got in front? It doesn't make a blind bit of difference trying to analyse it now, we simply need two wins ANYWHERE to be sure...
It is just as likely to be Derry's lucky underpants. He wears them at home, but they're still in the wash for the next game which is often away. Would probably have been better if he had worn the same pair for every game and instead of putting them in for a full wash after a match just give them a quick rinse through with squirt of fairy liquid.
Tjjaaa? After serious consideration I conclude that no player should ever wash lucky underpants. This should create the necessary space as the season progresses to enable us to win comfortably playing at home or playing away!
You might be onto something here Eamon, with me living up North and being of a Southern persuasion I've been wearing my thermal long johns since October and we've not been relkegated during that time...hmmmm
No I think Sparky has a point. In the days when Arsenal were good I remember in the majority of their title winning seasons their away record was far better than their home record. Highbury was a tight pitch so they often struggled whereas on the bigger pitches like St James Park, The Reebok, Villa Park etc they won for fun. One of the reasons I am convinced United have always struggled at Stamford Bridge is because of the tightness of our ground and how enclosed it is and close you are to the fans etc, same with Anfield. They've fared a lot better at Arsenal since they moved to the Emirates which is more like Old Trafford
