Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

QPR look like they intend to secure their Championship status the hard way with a number of unappealing fixtures on the horizon. Considering their away form this season - just four wins and none in the last 12 - any game not at Loftus Road instantly becomes more demanding, but today's will be a test for its own reasons.

Leicester are smarting from a run of four defeats, their worst run for more than three years, which puts their play-off potential in severe jeopardy, with Blackpool just a point behind them. Their local paper, the Leicester Mercury, is worried enough to have started a vague Dare to Dream campaign to get people behind the promotion push - though it doesn't seem to have much point beyond telling supporters to go to games.

The Hoops, of course, need the points for their own reasons, with games against relegation candidates Crystal Palace and Watford to come and the visits of Cardiff and Newcastle to still contend with. A fifth away win today would ease a few worried minds as the season nears its conclusion.

Leicester City Team News

The biggest bit of team news for Leicester City is one they have been dealing with for some time. Top scorer Matty Fryatt's broken jaw against Doncaster Rovers at the end of February was less than welcome; the player has been out ever since, recently returning to light training but needing to make up about 9lbs in weight which he lost due to inactivity after this jaw was wired and plated.

No other Leicester player has yet hit double figures and though they adjusted gamely af first, including a 3-0 win over Nottingham Forest in their next game, a lack of inspiration up front hasn't helped over those last five games in which they've failed to win, including four defeats.

Midfielder Lloyd Dyer could also miss out after picking up a knock during Friday's 3-0 defeat against West Brom but defender Wayne Brown and importantly in the context of Fryatt's absence, strikers Paul Gallagher and Yann Kermorgant, should all be available.

QPR Team News

Rangers continue to assess Jay Simpson on a match-by-match basis as he struggles with a hamstring injury. Starting the game against Sheffield Wednesday, he wasn't quite up to full speed and came off on 73 minutes to be replaced by youngster Antonio German. Neil Warnock may chose to rest Simpson with an eye to the crucial game against Crystal Palace.

It is also likely to be Carl Ikeme's last game for the Hoops as he is contracted to return to his parent club Wolves tomorrow. Unless Warnock chooses to gel Radek Cerny back into the side straight away, Ikeme will turn out for the Hoops one last time. Defender Dusko Tosic could also get his first start for the Hoops, although one of the loanees would have to make way with Matt Hill surely the most likely candidate.

Form

As mentioned already, Leicester's form is escaping them at just the wrong time. Four consecutive defeats have left them clinging onto the play-offs, though they will point to next weekend's game against Peterborough as a saving grace, with rivals Blackpool instead travelling to St James' Park. Following that game Leicester could do QPR a favour as they face Watford at home, followed by fixtures against Preston and Middlesbrough. In short, they need to start winning and quickly and will look to their three remaining home games as the best opportunities to book their place in the play-offs.

They've had the beating of QPR once already this season; another game in which the Hoops took the lead only to throw away through a combination of calamitous keeping and poor defending. Rangers' record at the Walkers Stadium will improve their pre-match confidence though; they've picked up seven points from their last three visits there and have only lost once, in January 2005.

Prediction

In front of a home crowd desperate to revive their side's season, QPR will probably look to today's game as a bonus fixture from their remaining matches; one that they will not automatically expect to get anything from, but will be mightily pleased if they do. The big winner today could be Ian Holloway, former manager of both clubs. Anything less than a win for Leicester and his Blackpool side could place themselves in the driving seat for the play-offs by beating Doncaster at home, thereby ending that team's hopes of sneaking into the top six as well.

Fear could largely dictate the opening to this game with so much at stake for both teams and with Leicester guaranteed to not have their top scorer and QPR's uncertain to start, goals will be at a premium. Rangers are trying to ensure their safety in incremental steps with four draws in a row. It's not the most thrilling way to stay up but I think it could become five draws today, which would set a Championship record this season.

SCORE DRAW

I'm starting to realise with each week why QPR seem to attract what could be termed a 'healthy cynicism' from some of their supporters. After a blistering run of form which took them to the edge of the play-offs, QPR waited for a record crowd, the Sky cameras and the attendance of the England manager to eschew their attacking football and replace it with decidedly dodgy defending leading to their first home defeat of the season (Scroll to the bottom for the BBC highlights - they're only available until November 7th though).

That's not to over-react about this defeat though which whilst disappointing for the club is far from catastrophic and was also the result of excellent football from Leicester. A win in their game in hand and Rangers go into the play-off positions.

Mikele Leigertwood returned to the side following a bout of swine flu to partner Alejandro Faurlin in the middle of the pitch but apart from that QPR were unchanged. From the off, their opponents made it clear they would no push-over as respectfully some sides QPR recently faced have been. That was largely due to the tireless work of their main front man Matt Fryatt (pictured right) and the vital support he recieved from Dany N'Guessan and Martyn Waghorn. Waghorn had a goal disallowed on 15 minutes for a very tight offside decision but Rangers were also finding their way into the game.

First Faurlin curled a free-kick towards the top corner which Chris Weale had to tip over and then Adel Taarabt found space in the box before running aground when a pass to Akos Buzsaky looked the better option. Again the Moroccan demonstrated why the home crowd need to accept his ball-greedy nature though because just before the half-hour mark, he picked up a lucky deflection on the edge of the area and precisely passed a shot into the net.

The real disappointment for Rangers and their manager would be their lack of application after going a goal ahead because ten minutes later, Leicester were level. Peter Ramage afforded N'Guessan far too much space on the wing and he whipped in a fierce cross which Fryatt expertly glanced past Radek Cerny.

The Leicester winner was the result of an even greater defensive lapse, this time on the part of Radek Cerny. He attempted an incredibly risky cross-field goal-kick to Ramage and instead played in the hovering Fryatt, who ran at goal and then placed his shot to the far corner. It was truly a howler but one which shouldn't be dwelt on excessively because Cerny remains one of the best keepers in this league.

Not over-reacting across the board will be Jim Magilton's central message to his players following this defeat. Just as they didn't become world-beaters because of their recent run, nor are they now a poor side because of one defeat. They remain genuine contenders for promotion, with a first-team and squad to realise that. It's just that every now and then, they seem to forget it.

QPR - Cerny, Ramage (Vine 67), Stewart (Hall 54), Gorkss, Borrowdale, Leigertwood, Routledge, Buzsaky, Faurlin, Taarabt (Agyemang 86), Simpson. 

Subs not used - Heaton, Alberti, Ainsworth, Parker. 

Goals - Taarabt (33) 

Leicester City - Weale, Neilson, Brown, Berner, Hobbs, Oakley, King, Wellens, Fryatt (Gallagher 75), N'Guessan, Waghorn (McGivern 90). 

Subs not used - Logan, Morrison, Dyer, Howard, Kermorgant.  

Goals - Fryatt (37, 64). 

Bookings - Neilson, Oakley, N'Guessan.  

Referee - J Moss 

Attendance - 17082 

Click to 16 minutes on the programme below for the QPR highlights (only available until November 7th though). 

QPR welcome Leicester City tomorrow night with both club's pulling a few surprises in their ascent of the Championship table.

Team news and all that malarkey on QPR to follow, but first, a minute on their opponents who sit one point and two positions above QPR in fifth.

Nigel Pearson has the luxury of a close to full squad to call on with no recent injuries or suspensions to speak of. The only current absentees are defenders Aleksandar Tunchev and midfielder Stephen Clemence.

The biggest bit of team news for Leicester could be the arrival of Edgar Davids. Unlikely as it sounds, Leicester have been 'wooing' (for want of a better word) the former Milan, Inter and Juventus player for the past couple of weeks. Leicester chairman Milan Mandaric has had his fill with David's procastinations and has given the player until midday tomorrow to make a decision. The Mail reckon that Portsmouth have gazumped Leicester though: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1221448/EXCLUSIVE-Dutch-star-Edgar-Davids-make-surprise-return-English-football-Premier-League-strugglers-Portsmouth.html. Their current transfer embargo doesn't apply as the player is a free agent.



Formed in 1884 by the pretty wonderfully named Old Wyggestonians. Wander from ground to ground looking for a home. Apply to join the Midland League in 1891 but their plans are nearly scuppered by the shadowy Leicester Corporation who decide to close the club’s Mill Lane ground. By 1891, the club finally reach their promised land at Filbert Street. Oh yeah, at this time they’re not even called Leicester City but Leicester Fosse. Finally make it to the Football League, beat Notts Olympic (?) 13-0 but football wasn’t very good then was it?

Not much happens, times are hard, Leicester Fosse are no more but come back to life as Leicester City in 1919. Things look up now, and the club, with record goal-scorer Arthur Chandler finish as runners-up in the top-flight in 1929. Up, down, up, down. Brian Clough’s mate, Don Revie, as a player, then guides the club to their first-ever FA Cup Final in 1949 with two goals in a semi-final against Portsmouth. Watch the highlights here on British Pathe: https://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=26598. Best bit of commentary: “Leicester were given two chances – a dog’s chance and no chance at all” – it puts Clive Tydlesley to shame. 

Lose the final and Revie misses the game because of a nose-bleed (Wikipedia so possibly not true: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Revie#As_a_player) which has to be the worst excuse for missing an FA Cup Final in history.

The 60s are less about short-skirts and more about losing Cup Finals in Leicester – three in the space of eight years, though they do win their first League Cup in that decade and have a World Cup winner between the posts in the form of Gordon Banks and they clearly know how to pick their keepers because Banks is replaced with Peter Shilton, still England’s most capped player.


Up, down, up, down with nice football in between, arise Gary Lineker who starts his career with Leicester in 1979 and winds up as joint top goalscorer in Division One in 1984/85. Lineker buggers off but he does wind up playing for Barcelona so you can’t really blame him. Up, down, up, down, lots of trips to Wembley with Brian Little and Mad Martin and a further two League Cup wins. The quality of the managerial dug-out dips slightly with the dual appointment of Micky Adams and Dave Bassett, new stadium, down, administration, Gary returns to save the day, up, down, down to the third (first time ever), back again, in the play-offs.


Surely the second of those League Cup wins in 1997. Leicester debatably reached a historic peak under boss Martin O'Neill who oversaw three successive top-half finishes in the Premiership and three League Cup final visits to Wembley. The second ended in defeat against Spurs, the third was a wonderful send-off for O'Neill as they beat Tranmere, but that first one, against the unpredictable madness of a Middlesbrough side containing Juninho, Emerson, Ravanelli and current Leicester boss Nigel Pearson, will surely take some beating. It took two attempts as well, Steve Claridge scoring an extra-time winner in the replay.


You don't have to go too far back for this. For all their to-ing and fro-ing throughout their history, Leicester held proudly to the honour of never having played in England's third tier. Sadly for them,  general decline throughout much of this decade culminated in relegation to League One just two seasons ago under former Hoops manager Ian Holloway. 

I can remember Ian Holloway sounding like a genuinely broken man on the day Leicester succumbed to the third tier but I can't currently find the clip anywhere. Below though is his famous 'pulling' analogy whilst as QPR boss when he channelled the spirit of David Brent (not for the last time). Everyone will have heard this before but I'd never heard the bit after when he suddenly craps himself when he thinks what his wife will make of it: