Venables - How Can QPR Beat City

How QPR can ruin Man City's big day

By TERRY VENABLES
Last Updated: 12th May 2012
MANY people are saying QPR need a miracle to even get the point they require at the Etihad tomorrow to guarantee their Premier League survival.

Roberto Mancini’s side are unbeaten on their own patch in the league this term and are just a single win away from sealing a first top-flight title since 1968.

But Rangers boss Mark Hughes and his men should forget about looking to the heavens for inspiration — salvation lies much closer to home.

Just a few miles down the road from their Loftus Road ground, in fact. At Chelsea!

Now I know that name is a dirty word with Rs fans as the west London neighbours have never got on.

But Rangers can take heart from their bitter rivals as they embark on mission impossible in Manchester tomorrow.

After all, not many people gave Chelsea any chance of beating Barcelona in the Champions League semi-final, did they?

Especially after the first 43 minutes of the second leg at the Nou Camp — where the rampant Catalans scored twice to wipe out Chelsea’s first-leg lead and John Terry was sent off.

Roberto Di Matteo and his depleted team had a bit of good luck with Lionel Messi missing a penalty.

But they showed what you can achieve in football with lots of hard work, determination and organisation.

Rangers need to replicate that tomorrow if they want to ensure their survival remains in their own hands.

The fourth-bottom club know a draw would be good enough to seal their top-flight status for next season.

They also know they could even lose and still avoid the drop — IF relegation rivals Bolton fail to win their tricky finale at Stoke.

Rangers will be hoping for a favour from the Potters but cannot rely on that.

That is why they must try to emulate Chelsea’s performance and, more importantly, mentality against Barca when they face City.

The Rs need to be as defensively sound as the Blues were in both legs of their Champions League semi-final against the Catalans.

The likes of Anton Ferdinand and Clint Hill in defence will have to put their bodies on the line in the same way as their Chelsea counterparts Terry, Gary Cahill and Branislav Ivanovic did.

Throwing themselves in front of City’s inevitable shots will not be enough.

The Rangers defenders will have to make sure they block them, too. Deflections will not be enough. City’s gifted stars will want to play through the middle.

So just like Chelsea against Barca, Rangers will have to close down areas in the middle of the park to stop Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez and David Silva from playing.


City will not want to load balls into the box from out wide. When they do reach the bylines they prefer to cut the ball back.

Rangers must be wary of City’s runners into the area. Their defensive unit must remain tight and switched on at all times.

But they cannot just park the bus for 90 minutes — or else they will be asking for trouble.

They have to try to give City something to think about, too.

I expect Rangers to play their usual 4-2-3-1 and defend at all times with seven players.

For some spells they may even have eight or nine men behind the ball.

But Hughes knows his team will need to try to catch City on the breakaway — and that is why Jamie Mackie and Adel Taarabt could prove so important.

Both will not only need to track back but must also bust a gut to support and initiate attacks.

If they do not, their lone striker, whether it is Bobby Zamora or Djibril Cisse, will be left isolated and outnumbered by City’s defenders.

And that will in turn peg Rangers back, inviting City to attack at will.

Vincent Kompany scored the winner from a corner for City in their last home game against rivals United.

But set-pieces could be a valuable weapon for QPR and I am sure Hughes and his players have spent a lot of time working on them in training this week.

The dressing room before tomorrow’s match will not the be time for him to bombard his players with information.

All of them will know what their jobs will be. Hughes will just need to have a few words here and there to remind and encourage his players.

They might have the worst away record in the Premier League, but you will be amazed how much confidence players can get from a few early touches and spells of possession.

None of them should be frightened of the ball, all of them must want it and try to keep it.

And the game will be played as much in the head as it will on the pitch.

To get the result they desire, the Rangers players must banish negative thoughts.

Despite the enormity of the challenge in front of them, they must focus on trying to pull off what would be the most surprising result in what has been a season of surprises.

That said, I still believe their survival will ultimately depend on what happens at the Britannia.