Bobby Zamora is expected to make his QPR debut in a new strike partnership with Djibril Cisse. Adel Taarabt and Armand Traore are back from Africa Cup of Nations duty and Jay Bothroyd could return from a groin problem. On-loan defender Sebastien Bassong could make his Wolves debut after joining from Tottenham. Midfielder Jamie O'Hara is fit after a double hernia operation but Karl Henry is still suspended. MATCH PREVIEW Mick McCarthy is living on borrowed time at Wolves. Two consecutive home defeats have piled on the pressure, and the Molineux misery plumbed new depths with Tuesday night's capitulation to Liverpool. The boos intensified, the banners were out and even chairman Steve Morgan was incensed enough to deliver a scathing attack on the players in the dressing room. His patience has snapped and it's easy to understand why. Wolves are two points adrift of safety after a run of nine games without a win. In fact, they've only managed two victories since August! âQPR are on the up and their momentum makes them favourites but Mick McCarthy is nothing if not a fighterâ To be fair, they've been competitive on the road recently, drawing their last three matches in a row, but their frequent failings at home mean they need to start winning away and that won't be easy at Loftus Road. Of course, Queens Park Rangers made the change at the top only last month. Neil Warnock was dismissed with the club still a point ABOVE the relegation zone. After his achievements last season some saw the decision as ruthless but his successor Mark Hughes has brought an immediate improvement and QPR are climbing the table again. The club's wealth suggests a rosy future too and they were the biggest domestic spenders as the January transfer window closed. Djibril Cisse made an instant impact with a goal on his debut in Wednesday's draw at Villa. Bobby Zamora will hope to announce his arrival in similar style, while Nedum Onuoha and Taye Taiwo should stiffen the defence. QPR are on the up in more ways than one and their momentum makes them favourites but Mick McCarthy is nothing if not a fighter. He's picked himself up from the canvas a few times in his career already. Ducking and diving to avoid that knock-out blow, only a fool would write him off just yet. MATCH FACTS Head-to-head â¢QPR won the reverse fixture 3-0 in September and are targeting the league double over Wolves for the first time since 1983-84. â¢Wolves have won one of their last five league games against QPR - 1-0 at Molineux in the Championship in April 2009 when Sylvain Ebanks-Blake scored the only goal. â¢Five of the last seven league meetings at Loftus Road have ended in a draw. QPR â¢Rangers have won one of their last 11 league matches - 3-1 at home to Wigan on 21 January. â¢They have not kept a clean sheet for 14 matches, their longest run in the top flight since 16 in a row from October 1990 to February 1991. â¢The west London club brought in six new players during the January transfer window, more than any other top-flight club. â¢Bobby Zamora has never scored on his Premier League debut for a new club, failing to do so for Tottenham, West Ham and Fulham. He is yet to score against Wolves. Wolves â¢Wolves are enduring a nine-match winless run in the league (D4, L5). â¢They have not won in their last 10 Premier League visits to London since a 3-1 victory at West Ham in March 2010 (D3, L7). â¢Mick McCarthy's side have conceded in each of their last 20 league matches. They have not gone 21 matches without a clean sheet since a top-flight club record 23-match streak from December 1961 to August 1962. â¢They are the only Premier League club yet to score in the opening 15 minutes of a match this season. â¢Steven Fletcher needs one league goal to reach double figures for the second year in succession. I didn't know Bassong had gone to wolves!!
What will be really interesting about today's game is how MH sets up the team. We are playing at home in pretty much a "must win game". No room for defensive tacticts. We have to play for a win today. Let's see what team he starts.
He did mention the possibility of playing both Traore and Taiwo, the latter on left midfield. Sisse and Zamora surely a given, and I imagine Young, Anton and Ned will all start. Will Adel start.Perhaps not, but I'd like to see how him and the front 2 interact. A range of possibilities for Sparky, interesting to see what he goes for.
