Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

Over thirteen years ago, Queens Park Rangers came up against the incredibly entertaining train-wreck that was Kevin Keegan's ultimately unsuccessful bid to win the Premier League with Newcastle Utd. Just three days previously, the Toon Army suffered the calamitous 4-3 defeat at Anfield which sowed so many doubts about their capacity to see out a title-winning season. Therefore, when future QPR manager and current Blackpool boss Ian Holloway opened the scoring and silenced St James Park, the title race could well have been over. Newcastle had to call on another golden son, not on the bench, but on the pitch, in Peter Beardsley, who scored two late goals to keep Alex Ferguson worrying for a few weeks at least.

Jump forward a decade and more to tonight's meeting, the first since that eventful April showdown and Newcastle are once again challenging for the title, though this time in dramatically altered circumstances. After their horrific season last year, the club finally succumbed to a relegation which had been scripted in previous years. In turn, the club's finances were in such disarray and the mismanagement of the club was so total, that during the summer break, they couldn't add to their squad and had to watch as some, if not all, of their previous star players departed for more prestigious pastures.

Their start to life in the Championship has surprised most then and I too thought their miserable run from last season would extend into this. Instead, they have won all but two of their first nine games, with only one defeat and have only conceded one goal at St Jame's Park in the league. In short, my theory that QPR will play better and pick up points against the better teams could be sorely tested tonight with Newcastle gunning to go five points clear at the top of the table.

There are some glimmers of hope for nervous Rangers fans though, not least their own team's steadily improving form which culminated in the five goals smashed past Barnsley on Saturday, leaving them unbeaten in their last five league games.

The team news for Newcastle isn't entirely rosy either, particularly at the back where Fabricio Coloccini, Ryan Taylor and Danny Simpson will all miss out. Further up the pitch, their prospects are slightly better as Woody/Danny Guthrie returns from suspension and more importantly, Jonas Gutierrez is also in contention after recovering from a hamstring injury. He impressed for me in the Premiership and could be a key player for Newcastle this season.

For the Hoops, there is little change in terms of personnel available. Matt Connolly is still suffering with glandular fever, Fitz Hall and Angelo Balanta have yet to fully recover from groin injuries whereas Lee Cook remains sidelined, though a scan this week revealed that the winger can begin light training again. The team could be unchanged from Saturday then, though I still think that Magilton rates Adel Taarabt quite highly and may feel that his ability to keep the ball (if not to pass it) could be valuable in relieving pressure against the Toon.

Just a week after matching Chelsea for most of the 90 minutes, QPR certainly have it within them to give Newcastle a few frights but also to lock them out from scoring. Even at Stamford Bridge, they did not gift the home team a vast amount of clear-cut chances and the Gorkss-Stewart partnership could really start to flourish now, despite the little hiccups on Saturday.

Up front will still be a problem though and Rangers, who are unlikely to open up Newcastle on too many occasions, will need two blinding games from their forward line if they are to win. I think that might just be beyond them but a draw would still be a great result and would set down another marker to the rest of the Championship who may now start to take QPR more seriously (remember that if they were to win their two games in hand, they would be third).

PREDICTION - SCORE DRAW

So often at Loftus Road, what is going on off the pitch takes precedence over the actual football on display. So for once, lets get Flavio Briatore out of the way straight off. No-one, including probably the man himself, knows what the future holds for the co-owner of the club following his enforced exile from Formula One. The Football League have written to the FIA to clarify their recent action against the Italian and to see if he can remain at QPR under their 'Fit and Proper Persons' test. A sticking point, depending on your outlook, could be that Briatore hasn't strictly been banned from F1. Instead the powers-that-be stated that they wouldn't sanction any events in which he was present. As he also was not present and had no right of appeal, his lawyers could have a field day should the Football League follow suit and banish him from football.

But for once on a Saturday, the display on the pitch was far more captivating than any dodgy going-ons behind the scenes. QPR were far from perfect and came narrowly close to letting Barnsley back into a game which should have been dead and buried. After the workmanlike win over Cardiff last weekend and the tireless display against Chelsea though, yesterday marked the point where some flair and goals finally entered the mix as well.

QPR flew out of the starting blocks against a new-look Barnsley defence which included two new loan signings, Ryan Shotton and Carl Dickinson, both from Stoke City. They were a goal up after only seven minutes, Mikele Leigertwood showing that Jim Magilton's decision to play him at right-back in the last few games could be inspired. He ran at a Barnsley defence which refused to try and challenge him, allowing him time and space to drill the ball into the bottom right corner.

In a breakneck opening 15 minutes, Rangers soon doubled their lead, Ben Watson, back in the team after being cup-tied against Chelsea in midweek, playing in Akos Buzsaky down the left wing. The Hungarian continued towards goal and lifted the ball towards the back post; the merest deflection helped to guide it into the net.

Normally at this stage QPR tend to sit back and allow the opposition to get back into the game, but Saturday's team wanted to get one more goal before they played that game. This was easily the pick of the bunch as well, Buzsaky scoring a goal which I venture few, if any, in the QPR squad would be capable of.

Jay Simpson trapped the ball well on the left touch-line and laid the ball off to Buzsaky who took a few touches in the direction of the Barnsley net before lifting a 30-yard curler high into the Barnsley net. It was a nice moment for a player who struggled in his first games back this season following a long lay-off with a knee injury.

Barnsley manager Mark Robins possibly picked up some tips from Alex Ferguson during his playing days because his side's conviction rocketed after the break. Iain Hume floated a free-kick into the QPR area shortly after the break and Stephen Foster was on hand to loop a header past Cerny. In the space of a couple of minutes, they'd conceded a second after Stewart lazily brought down Adam Hammill in the area. Andy Gray stepped up to see his penalty initially saved by Cerny but he made no mistakes with the rebound.

At this stage, it would have been far from surprising to see QPR capitulate especially as they had the albatross of 'no wins at home' around their neck. To their credit, they quickly regained their composure and ten minutes later, a half-volley inside the area from Ben Watson squirmed through the hands of David Preece to give the R's some breathing space. Their fifth goal, which settled any remaining nerves, was similarly scrappy, Gorkss heading on a Watson corner which Simpson could just nudge over the line. It was a due reward for the side which played by far the better attacking football throughout the game, but was also indicative of a very shaky Barnsley defence.

There was still time for Adel Taarabt to take to the pitch for his customary half-hour of wholly ineffective showboating and 'running into cul-de-sacs', which is now his trademark move. This time though, his antics were met with hostility from his own supporters, who booed him after he wasted one particularly promising attack. In turn, he angrily gestured towards the crowd to show his frustration; a touch of 'you don't appreciate what I'm trying to do here'.

On a few QPR message boards, opinion seems pretty divided on this 'incident' (though it really was nothing major). Some see the minority of fan's reactions as a disgrace and as potentially damaging to the confidence of the type of flair player QPR normally desperately crave. Whilst it is undoubtedly counter effective to boo your own players, I do have some sympathy for the complete frustration many feel towards Taarabt. He is talented, but is far from being miles ahead of anyone else at the club, yet he plays in a way which is now bordering on disrespectful to his teammates.

I don't know if his very, very brief time in the Premiership fostered a mentality that he should be able to win Championship games on his own, but he can't and never will and he needs to look to his teammates pretty quickly. I also sense that the club have not helped by raising his ego a bit too far at the moment, through talk of how lucky QPR are to land such a player, a player they could never have attracted previously. If anything, I think he's struggling even at this level and would be found out in the Premiership in a minute. Again though, I seem to be wasting more attention on him than any other player and I also fully expect him to score in the next five games consecutively to show me up as the charlatan I am.

So QPR finally won at home, Taarabt is rivalling Briatore as Public Enemy Number One, Akos Buzsaky could be hitting his stride and QPR scored five goals and their strikers still only managed one, though Simpson looks like he will worry a fair few Championship defences. Two tough away games follow at Newcastle tonight and at Swansea on the weekend. If the R's can continue their fine run of form, remain unbeaten and pick up at least one win, then the worries of the opening month will disperse and a promotion challenge will have to be taken seriously again.

HIGHS: Five goals at home, so rare for QPR; one absolutely stunning strike from Akos Buzsaky; enough resilience and character in the team to not capitulate at 3-2.

LOWs: Taarabt's 'cameo' performance from the bench (a bit like Kanye West at the MTV Awards); defensive frailties at the start of the second half; another low attendance.

QPR - Cerny, Stewart, Gorkss, Borrowdale, Leigertwood, Routledge (Faurlin 69), Buzsaky, Rowlands, Watson, Vine (Taarabt 69), Simpson (Pellicori 80)

Subs not used - Heaton (GK), Ramage, Mahon, Ephraim.

Goals - Leigertwood (7), Buzsaky (15, 39), Watson (67), Simpson (79).

Bookings - Borrowdale (87)

Barnsley - Preece, Foster, Butterfield (Kozluk 57), Dickinson, Shotton, Colace, De Silva, Hammill, Doyle, Hume (Bogdanovic 60), Gray (Campbell-Ryce 76)

Subs not used - Rusling (GK), Devaney, J. Gary, Thompson.

Goals - Foster (51), Gray (55).

Bookings - Shotton (36), De Silva (39), Kozluk (59)

Referee - Mr K Evans

Attendance - 12,025.

After their renewed joy away from Loftus Road and an admirable display against Chelsea in midweek, QPR return to the day-job of trying to get out of the Championship against one of the less glamorous sides in that division. They welcome Barnsley tomorrow and will be primed to get their first home league win of the season, but as is so often the case, they are unlikely to get everything their own way against a team which is bouncing from their own Carling Cup exploits, having knocked out Premiership side Burnley.

To get that win, QPR will be without defenders Matt Connolly, who is suffering from glandular fever and Fitz Hall, who has returned to training following his groin injury but won't quite be ready for this game. Angelo Balanta is still unavailable through injury as is of course Lee Cook. That means the midfield will be similar to Wednesday night, but Magilton will have to decide if Ben Watson returns and takes Alejandro Faurlin's place after impressing in the win at Cardiff. Adel Taarabt is also ready to start again and I think he will come in for Rowan Vine, despite the latter player showing the seeds of a promising partnership with Jay Simpson. To make up for Connolly and Hall's absence, Kaspars Gorkss and Damion Stewart will continue at centre-back. Another call will be if Mikele Leigertwood keeps his place at right-back; he clearly gives more to the side going forward than Peter Ramage, but questions could be raised about his defensive abilites. Radek Cerny will return to the team despite Tom Heaton's impressive game against Chelsea.

Barnsley had a worse than terrible start to the season, losing four of their first five games which seemed to confirm their credentials as pre-season relegation favourites. It also prompted the sacking of Simon Davey, who managed the Tykes since November 2006, in which time he maintained the club's survival in the second tier and guided them to the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time since 1912. The club turned to former Manchester United player Mark Robins to steady the ship and he looks to have done just that. Despite losing his first game narrowly away at Watford, Robins has kept Barnsley unbeaten since with a 3-2 win at Derby County and a goalless draw at home with Swansea. It leaves the Reds poised to exit the relegation places if they could get a victory at Loftus Road and the 3-2 win against Burnley will give them added confidence to get that result.

Robins certainly had a varied playing career. Starting at Manchester United where he was credited with the goal which saved Alex Ferguson's job (he scored the winning goal in a third round FA Cup clash with Nottingham Forest with the rumour being that Fergie would been sacked had they failed to win). Unable to establish himself as a first-choice player for United, he went on to play all over England and in Europe as well. He helped guide Norwich City to UEFA Cup football and a win against Bayern Munich and also had lengthy spells at Leicester City and Rotherham United.

It was at Rotherham where his managerial career began and he had a similar rescue job to do there as he now faces with Barnsley. 13 points off League One safety in March 2007, he lifted the club out of the relegation spots and in the two following seasons, challenged for promotion.

As well as steadying the ship on the field, Robins has also been quick to make some additions to the Barnsley squad and has clearly marked the defence out for strengthening. Slovenian international Suad Filkekovic signed on Wednesday on a free transfer which will keep him at Oakwell until at least January and following the Carling Cup win, he nabbed defenders Ryan Shotton and Carl Dickinson, two promising youngsters on three-month loans from Stoke City.

According to the good old BBC, Barnsley don't currently have any major injury concerns and could welcome winger Jamal Campbell-Ryce back into the side. Defender Darren Moore is less certain to come back into the team. All three new signings are also available.

QPR had mixed form against Barnsley last season, coming from behind to beat them 2-1 on the opening day at Loftus Road but they suffered the reverse scoreline at Oakwell with Anderson Da Silva and Daniel Bogdanovic on the score sheet. Particularly at Loftus Road though, QPR have excellent form against the Tykes, who haven't won there in the last 50 years.

It has to be the all-important first home win of the season then. QPR are always a contrary bunch of players which is why I back them against bigger clubs but always suspect they will come a cropper against some of the 'lesser' sides in the league. Their attitude to this game will be key as will the home crowd who can't get on the team's back at the first mislaid pass. Only then will Jim Magilton be able to breathe a sigh of relief at full-time.

PREDICTION QPR HOME WIN

The image of QPR as one of the richest clubs in England is always at odds with the squad on offer at Loftus Road, but the combined wealth of QPR's current owners can't be dismissed. In fact, together they far surpass the potential spending power of Chelsea's Roman Abramovich.
When the two sides clashed in the Carling Cup on Wednesday night though, it was clear how far QPR still have to go to compete with clubs of Chelsea's stature. Rangers far from disgraced themselves in a tight encounter, though they will be disappointed with the number of goal-scoring chances they crafted, but there was always a feeling that the Blues could slip into a second gear if required.

A quick look at their sub's bench gave a striking example of the current gulf between the two teams. If need be, they had the talents of Frank Lampard, Michael Essien, Ashley Cole and John Terry to call on. That safety-net allowed them the freedom to test out some youngsters, with Sam Hutchinson starting at centre-back and 18-year old Fabio Borini getting a run-out up front. They could also ease in some players returning from injury. Joe Cole made his first start in eight months following a cruciate knee ligament injury, with Paulo Ferreira also returning following a similar injury. £18 million signing Yury Zhirkov also made his first competitive start in a Chelsea shirt.

QPR weren't quite so spoiled for options so Jim Magilton went with a relatively unchanged side. The only nod to this being the Carling Cup was placing Tom Heaton, on loan from Man Utd, in goal, allowing Radek Cerny the night off. With Ben Watson cup-tied, Alejandro Faurlin also came in to partner Martin Rowlands in the middle of the pitch. What is most pleasing about QPR at the moment is that Magilton seems to have settled on a 4-4-2 formation which finds room for Wayne Routledge and Akos Buzsaky on the wings. This could pay dividends in future games at Loftus Road.

Chelsea tested Rangers early with Florent Malouda and Salomon Kalou getting in shots on target which Heaton dealt with admirably, but the Hoops also showed that they could threaten on the break, Routledge going on a bracing drive through the heart of the Chelsea midfield, which drew four or five players. He eventually found Buzsaky who curled a decent effort just over the bar.

I got a much closer view of the bench for this game and Magilton was as involved in the game as some of his players. Rowan Vine exercised most of his attentions in the first half, not always in a complimentary way, as he held up the ball well but then often wasted the team's momentum with some questionable passes. Both he and Jay Simpson had to work tirelessly to make the most of what little of the ball they saw though.

The greatest compliment to QPR came at half-time when Carlo Ancelotti decided to plump for one of his biggest names, bringing Lampard on in place of Malouda who had been ineffective. It gave Chelsea far better shape in the middle and they deprived the R's of any further goal-scoring chances in the second half.

The eventual breakthrough came surprisingly on the break with Cole lifting the ball delicately into the path of Kalou. He bursted into the box and left Mikele Leigertwood decidedly flat-footed, the midfielder, employed at right-back again, making no attempt to challenge for the ball. The Ivorian then slammed the ball to the far corner, leaving Heaton absolutely no chance of a save.

After that, Rangers continued to enjoy more of the ball then they perhaps expected and further compliment was paid to their potential threat by the introduction of Cole and Terry. Magilton looked to Taarabt to make the difference, replacing the tiring Vine, but that only served to fuel his lone hero mentality. I don't want to harp too greatly on his lack of team play, but it remains unfathomable that he continues to try and dribble the ball into the goal on his own rather than play in a team-mate. I expect he will challenge Vine for his first-team place in upcoming games though with Simpson doing enough to continue his run up front at the moment.

The most pleasing aspect of QPR's evening was the confidence with which they set about Chelsea when possible and the belief that they could get something. This was most greatly visible on the touchline, with Magilton kicking every ball and wheeling away in frustration when attacks fizzled out to nothing. He clearly expected his team to get a result and that was shown in the bold formation he employed, with two men up front throughout the game and creative players throughout the midfield. There was no question of him 'parking the team bus in front of the goal' as Jose Mourinho once alleged teams would do on their visits to the Bridge.

He won't have won the hearts of every QPR fan yet as the team are still to put together a run of wins to really lift their season. But most will surely be taking him seriously now and will have dispersed any nagging doubts that he is there purely to pick Flavio's team. It will of course be in the Championship as well were his credentials will be most truly examined.

HIGHS: Matched one of the best teams in the country for much of the game; Jim Magilton seems to have a settled team and formation for the first time; the QPR fans, who showed that any negativity at home hasn't yet transferred away.

LOWS: Struggled to create any chances; questionable defending from Leigertwood at right-back; Adel Taarabt's personal quest to win football matches.

Chelsea - Hilario (GK), Ferreira, Belletti, Hutchinson (Terry 77), J Cole, Mikel, Malouda (Lampard 46), Zhirkov (A Cole 69), Kalou, Borini.

Subs not used - Turnbull (GK), Bruma, Essien, Matic.

Goal - Kalou (52)

Bookings - None

QPR - Heaton (GK), Stewart, Leigertwood, Gorkss, Borrowdale, Routledge, Buzsaky, Rowlands (Ephraim 73), Faurlin, Vine (Taarabt 66), Simpson (Pellicori 73).

Subs not used - Cerny (GK), Ramage, Mahon, Agyemang.

Bookings - None.

Referee - Mr M Jones.

Attendance - 37,781.

Where to begin? On a day in which there were some big results in the Championship, particularly West Brom's 5-0 demolition of Middlesbrough at the Riverside, QPR's victory at Cardiff City was able to slip slightly under the radar. Its significance for the rest of Rangers' season and for the shape of the Championship could be just as massive though. Not to get too carried away, especially when QPR have been poor for much of this season but there has always been a recognisable potential about the team and a feeling that sooner or later they would gel and pull off some notable results. It looks like yesterday was that day, with one of the early favourites in the Championship easily dispatched and outplayed. The key for Rangers will now be if they can build on that win and add some victories at their own stadium to boot.

It would be typical of QPR if they were to swap last season's abysmal away form for success on the road this year (they are already one win off equalling last season's number of away victories) whilst throwing away the progress made at Loftus Road for flaky home form. What was looking to be a really shaky start to the season appears much brighter in the glow of a win over Cardiff; a win in their game in hand and the Hoops could potentially be in the play-off spots.

How much better their record would look if they had forced the issue a bit more strongly in some of those home games. The most relieved supporter of all could be Flavio Briatore though. Even his formidable PR skills couldn't have dreamed up this win to take away from his motor-racing blues (though his mood could change dramatically depending on the FIA's decision regarding Renault tomorrow).

I mentioned in my preview that a key task for Jim Magilton in future games is getting his midfield balance right, particularly as he now has so many midfielders to pick from. My greatest reservation was that he would play it safe in away games and play Gavin Mahon and Mikele Leigertwood in a defensive midfield partnership. Commendably, he chose to be far more adventurous against Cardiff, placing Ben Watson and Martin Rowlands in the middle of the park with Akos Buzsaky and Wayne Routledge occupying the positions on the flank. To fit in Leigertwood, Peter Ramage again had to sit this one out, with Gary Borrowdale, Damion Stewart and Kaspar Gorkss making up the rest of the defence. Jay Simpson and Rowan Vine headed up the team as Adel Taarabt missed out with the mumps.

By all accounts, it was the attack-minded midfield along with the performance of the prodigious Simpson which made the difference between the two sides, with Simpson afforded more chances then most QPR strikers are ever given on the road. Even before he snatched his coolly taken brace, Simpson had opportunities to open the scoring, with Buzsaky playing him through on goal after 10 minutes, with Simpson just letting the ball outrun him before he could get an effort on target.

He didn't have to wait too long to get his QPR career off the ground though. Borrowdale got the ball forward quickly to Vine, who held the ball up well before playing in Simpson to calmly place his shot past the keeper. Cardiff appealed unsuccessfully for offside but in truth, they were outdone by a striker showing an instinct in front of goal which is all too rarely seen with QPR.

By the end of the half, he had doubled the advantage to send the away fans into dream land. This time, Routledge illustrated just how valuable he has become, making a rapid break down the right before again playing Simpson through on goal. The youngster's emerging confidence was more than apparent in his clinical finish. In fact, he could even have claimed an unlikely hat-trick in the second half, latching onto a precision corner from Ben Watson, before his effort went askew amidst a flurry of legs.

Going into this match, QPR faced two of their biggest fixtures in quite some time, with the Carling Cup clash with Chelsea still to come. Victory in either would have been more than pleasing for the QPR faithful, but in all honesty, the more sensible amongst them would probably take this win over beating Chelsea (though perhaps I am underestimating their mutual antipathy here). The likelihood of beating the Chelse remains extremely slim but few would have predicted a victory over Cardiff either. When there has been so much doom and gloom around Loftus Road this season, it is maybe time to readjust the expectation of the team once again. Not to heap pressure onto them, especially with so many good footballing sides above them, but the talent in this side finally came to the fore yesterday. Repeating such an excellent team performance will now be critical.

In my preview for the match against Crystal Palace that never was, I made the bold and hard-to-defend statement that QPR will play better and pick up more points once they start to play some of this division's top teams (i.e the current top six - West Brom, Middlesbrough, Newcastle, Cardiff, Preston and Sheffield Utd, who will all hope to be at least in the top six and hopefully higher come May). The theory being that on too many occasions this season, the impetus was on QPR to take the game to their opponents, particularly at home, with quite a lot of pressure emanating from the terraces when they fail to beat 'easy' opposition. With the expectations greatly reduced when they face those top teams, my thinly-held belief is they might relax whilst at the same time raising their game.

Foolishly, I don't think I realised how soon this theory would be tested. They travel to the new stadium of Cardiff City tomorrow and if they still hold realistic promotion hopes, they will now get the chance to test them against a team with much better current credentials to move up the ladder. Until a late collapse in the league last season, Cardiff looked nailed-on to finish in the play-off spots and they started off even better this season, with only one goal currently conceded at home. But like a man facing Death Row, certain he is about to receive a last-minute reprieve, I am still going to go against all the evidence to the contrary and predict a QPR win.

In the team news, it is a case of as-you-were, with Fitz Hall, Angelo Balanta and Lee Cook all sidelined and of course, no Heidar Helguson since he returned on loan to Watford this week. His departure already put the pressure on Jay Simpson to begin to show the undoubted promise he has and his potential will be sorely tested when he most likely starts tomorrow's game.

Beyond that, it is never a great idea to try and predict the QPR line-up as Jim Magilton continues to search for his best XI. I'd expect Peter Ramage to return at right-back as the experiment of placing Mikele Leigertwood there last weekend didn't work to my mind. Damion Stewart and Matthew Connolly looks to be the tentative preferred centre-back pairing but again, Magilton has tried nearly every combination of players here. The club now has too many midfielders to even attempt a prediction but what is vital is striking the balance between safety against an undeniably dangerous team and still retaining enough attacking threat to try and get a result. Martin Rowlands will be pushing for his first inclusion in the starting line-up since the opening day.

As mentioned, Cardiff made a blistering start to the season, with two comfortable home wins (4-0 against Scunthorpe and 3-0 against Bristol City) either side of a draw at Blackpool and a win in Plymouth. Since then, the pace has slightly diminished following two successive defeats against Doncaster and Newcastle, but they returned to winning ways in midweek at Reading.

The star man for them so far has been Michael Chopra with seven goals already; another indication to QPR that sometimes you have to go for proven talent, particularly players who have previously shown excellent form in the Championship. As a self-confessed 'prawn-sandwicher', my previous memories of Chopra were mainly in his Premiership days and it would be safe to say, he was a far less deadly striker in the top flight. At this level though, few strikers have his confidence and unerring knack to find the net. In a Little and Large frontline, Cardiff can also call on the formidable presence of Jay Bothroyd - getting the measure of these two players will have a big impact on the Hoop's fortunes tomorrow. In terms of injuries, Cardiff will be without loanee Kelvin Etuhu who has a fairly serious ankle problem and forward Ross McCormack.

They already look a very formidable side at home with a miserly defensive record there and on top of that, QPR have been dire on their travels all year. I still think there is a glimmer of truth in my theory though - that they could play better when the pressure is off though. Even a draw tomorrow would be a good result and would keep the Hoops within touching distance of the top half of the table. A win though could change the whole complexion of their season and I still think they're capable of doing it. On paper, they have players who equal or even surpass the talent in the Cardiff squad. The problem has been a complete inability for this talent to gel together and that's only partly the fault of the manager. He's been let down frequently up until now.

In all likelihood, Cardiff will win and a draw is the best Rangers fans should hope for. But football would be really dull if the favourites won all the time. I'm going to stick with a very tight QPR win (a solitary goal off Damion Stewart's arse the most likely difference between the two teams).

PREDICTION

QPR AWAY WIN

QPR's wait for a home league win continues but fortunately for Jim Magilton, that is not the result of any points dropped against Crystal Palace. His side were not afforded the opportunity to seal a victory (or saved the shame of a defeat if you're a pessimist) against their London rivals because Tuesday night's game was postponed due to torrential rain in west London (never let it be said that this website isn't the first with breaking news). Said rain wasn't quite torrential enough to call off Chelsea's Champions League game against Porto just two miles away but then they do have a billionaire owner so... Sarcasm set aside, QPR's own posse of billionaire owners (and Flavio Briatore) may want to consider improvements to their pitch and general facilities before shelling out any more money on the much-criticized C Club (a private members section of QPR's hospitality which, along with the whole hospitality area, received a considerable revamp when Flavio took over).

The match will now be played on Tuesday November 3rd, just four days after the club's Friday night visit to Leicester City. Should the club progress any further in the Carling Cup over the next week, the fixtures will soon start piling up, though this will be greatly sweetened by the feat of having knocked out Chelsea. QPR will now have to wait for the arrival of Barnsley on September 26th to get those first three home points and in between they have two extremely tough games; the previously mentioned cup game with Chelsea next Wednesday plus a visit to Cardiff City in the league tomorrow. A win in either of those games would do wonders for manager Jim Magilton's reputation around Loftus Road (full match preview to follow).

It could also serve as a tonic for beleaguered club owner Flavio. Again, it will be old news to any QPR fan worth their salt, but Mr Briatore was forced out of his Renault Formula One team this week due to allegations made by his former driver, Nelson Piquet Jr, that Briatore, along with engineer Pat Symonds, convinced Piquet to deliberately crash out of 2008's Singapore Grand Prix. The crash, which led to the appearance of the safety car, greatly aided Piquet's teammate Fernando Alonso who went on to win the race.

Despite denying those allegations prior to last weekend's Italian Grand Prix (to the extent that he threatened to sue Piquet for blackmail), Briatore and Symonds both fell on their swords in midweek and quit Renault. Briatore has since said he only did this to save the team's future - the implication being that the FIA will be more lenient on Renault because they've been seen to take some action in-house.

If this strategy will work cannot be determined yet and Renault will go before the World Motor Sports Council in Paris on Monday. It may have saved them from being kicked out of the sport, but a massive fine and further censure is probable.

For Briatore, the future is even more murky. Much has been made of the potential of this scandal to cross over into his footballing life. Under the Football League's 'Fit and Proper Persons' Test' for club directors, anyone 'subject to a ban from a sports governing body relating to the administration of that sport' could be prohibited from involvement with a Football League club. But at the World Council meeting on Monday, they won't have the power to give Briatore a lifetime ban and he will not be in attendance. It looks like Flavio's pre-emptive action may have saved him from facing the FIA's wrath; in turn, that could mean that the Football League will not take any further action. The situation should be a little clearer after Monday.

Whether someone who is (allegedly) willing to have one of his employees deliberately crash is a 'fit and proper person' in general is another question? And is he someone QPR are so keen to be associated with from now on? So much of Briatore's reputation and success derived from his time in Formula One but who is to say his ruthless attitude to that sport will not carry over to football? The most worried person this week will also be Jim Magilton who will find his boss far more present around Loftus Road from now on. I hope to have some more on Flavio's future and what it could mean for QPR over the weekend though.

In comparison to QPR's disappointing 1-1 draw with Peterborough, their opponents tonight, Crystal Palace, were falling to a quite spectacular 4-0 home defeat against newly promoted Scunthorpe, which puts the R's current troubles in some perspective.

For neutrals, much of the entertainment from Palace rarely comes on the pitch but all too often from their manager Neil Warnock. It would be hard to say that he has chilled out in his older age, but he hasn't quite got into as many scrapes as in his Sheffield United days (where his feuds even encompassed 'celebrity supporter' Sean Bean). His reaction to 'the goal that never was' against Bristol City this season though showed that he has lost none of his anger when called upon. If anything, his histrionics can sometimes take away from the genuine failings of his teams.

Every home game so far for Rangers has ended 1-1. I won't go so far as to predict that again, but I'd say a score draw is on the cards. Oddly, I think this QPR team will only start playing once they face some of the bigger teams in the division (no disrespect to Palace) - this was often the case last season when they saw off both Wolves and Birmingham City at home. In front of what will be undoubtedly a low attendance, with the autumn weather well and truly here and with a hurting opposition looking to salvage some pride, the wait for the home win could continue.

PREDICTION

Score draw

What can you take from a 1-1 draw (the only result QPR have achieved at home in the league so far this season) with a newly promoted side that have yet to win? I spoke in previous posts about QPR being ready to put teams to the sword; that a big win was around the corner at any minute. The likelihood of this seems to be diminishing by the day.

You could look to the fact that QPR had two potentially important loan signings on their home turf for the first time - Wigan's Ben Watson and Arsenal's Jay Simpson (though neither had a blinding game) - as some kind of silver lining, but apart from that, this was a truly uninspiring display from QPR and that was reflected in a very disappointed reaction from Jim Magilton after the game.

Despite now being six games into the season, the R's lineup somehow still had a new feel to it, partly because of the loan additions, partly because of a need to change players because of injury but also because of Magilton's continual tinkering. I've defended this previously but moving midfielder Mikele Leigertwood to right-back and dropping Peter Ramage seemed an odd choice and unsurprisingly, Peterborough had a lot of joy down that flank in the first half. Leigertwood has previously performed well at right-back but it still smacked of an unnecessary move and brought an element of uncertainty to the defence, who were already missing one of this season's better performers Fitz Hall through injury (he suffered a groin muscle tear in training prior to this game and could be out for a few weeks).

Hogan Ephraim kept his place on the left wing and Adel Taarabt was again favoured in a striker's role, this time in support of Simpson. Martin Rowlands returned to the match-day squad for the first time since the opening day after recovering from his ankle injury, with Akos Buzsaky remaining on the bench.

In an even-matched opening spell, it was interesting to get a look at how the two new boys were coping in their adopted surroundings (though with only 11,814 present, both will have played in front of more nerve-jangling atmospheres previously). Simpson struggled at times in possession but he was called on to provide a lot of the link-up play throughout the game as QPR seemed capable of only hitting Peterborough on the counter-attack. The away side actually looked far more comfortable on the ball.

Watson had a more assured start to the game, often finding space in the middle of the park and stroking passes to either wing for Routledge and Ephraim. In this sense, he looks to be similar in style to Alejandro Faurlin who sat beside him in the centre. Both are capable of getting into the area, though they rarely did that in this game, but they are not the paciest players in the world. I think Magilton could struggle to accomodate both in the side as to my mind, one would operate more effectively alongside a more defensive-minded midfielder (with Leigertwood the best option on QPR's books). Getting the midfield right will now be the biggest test of the manager with Rowlands returning and Buzsaky unlikely to be content with a place on the bench.

Watson's afternoon took a turn for the worse though when he gifted possession to the Posh deep in QPR's half. From the resulting attack, Tom Williams swung in a golden cross for Hammersmith-born (and Chelsea-supporting) Aaron Mclean to guide a smart header past a stretching Radek Cerny.

Peterborough continued to play the better football for much of the game with the Hoops never dominating in terms of possession or attacking chances, but they could at least offer some pacy breaks to threaten the opposition's goal, with Taarabt, Ephraim and Routledge all getting forward at regular intervals.

Taarabt most frequently posed the attacking threat but his poor reading of the game continues to hamper his value to this side. When Magilton talks about nervousness and poor decision-making, as he does after every home game, I can't help but think that Taarabt is often in his mind. He is undoubtedly a talented footballer with at times fantastic control and enough strength and pace to worry most defences. But whether out of a desire to win a game single-handedly or out of an innate inability to bring other players into the game, he rarely makes the difference for QPR and instead often cancels out their attacking play.

On 25 minutes with Ephraim in acres of space on the wing, he chose instead to continue his run towards the area and then blasted well over the goal. He was then the main architect of the QPR equaliser - again bombing forward and releasing the ball into the area for Jay Simpson, who laid it off to Wayne Routledge to duly pass the ball into the net. But even in this instance, he held the ball for as long as possible; on another day, I wouldn't have been surprised to see him easily dispossessed. Maybe I'm missing aspects to his game; maybe he's a smarter player than I give him credit for and he's waiting to drag defenders towards him, allowing his teammates free rein up front. But at the moment I doubt it; he's playing like the loan player he is, with too much to prove and not enough feeling for the rest of the side.

Customary Taarabt rant over, neither side could muster a clear goal-scoring opportunity before the break. Magilton quickly looked to mix things up as he often does, bringing on Rowlands and Vine for Faurlin and Taarabt respectively on 58 minutes (with the latter player looking decidedly pissed off). The habit of early substitutions in the second half doesn't speak wonders for the manager's current faith in this team though. Ten minutes later, Akos Buzsaky was also on in place of Ephraim, with Routledge moved onto the left wing where he was far less effective.

Despite the changes, I can't remember any clear-cut chances for the Hoops until Simpson drove well over the bar from inside the area with just six minutes remaining. Peterborough in fact could and should have won this one, with Craig Mackail-Smith's late tap-in ruled out as offside (it looked really tight but seeing it later on the Beeb still didn't clear up if it should have stood).

If anything, QPR's team performances have got progressively worse this season with the exception of the 1-0 win at Scunthorpe and that was still far from convincing. It's also getting harder and harder to work out why. The Accrington Stanley Carling Cup win was still the lowpoint for me. Though the team won, most of the players with the possible exception of Routledge and Ephraim looked absolutely clueless and their team spirit was almost non-existent.

Rest assured, it wasn't quite that bad on Saturday. But Flavio Briatore/Jim Magilton's QPR are currently a collection of quite talented footballers (a lot of the time loan signings) who play as though they have never met their teammates let alone trained with them. Passion and desire look to be almost completely lacking and the stated aim of Premiership football is looking laughable right now.

HIGHS: Improved performance from Watson after his early slip-up; Routledge continuing his claim to be best QPR player at the moment; erm, no injuries.

LOWS: Frequently outplayed by a team fresh out of League One; some shaky defending from players who all too often gifted the ball to the opposition; lowest home league attendance in over a year.

QPR - Cerny; Stewart, Connolly, Borrowdale, Leigertwood; Routledge, Watson, Faurlin (Rowlands 58), Ephraim (Buzsaky 69); Taarabt (Vine 58), Simpson.

Subs not used: Heaton (GK), Mahon, Ramage, Pellicori.

Goal - Routledge (34)

Bookings - Connolly, Borrowdale.

Peterborough - Lewis; Martin, Williams, Morgan, Zakuani, Frecklington, Diagouraga, Whelpdale (Batt 70), Mclean, Boyd (Rowe 65), Mackail-Smith.

Subs not used - McKeown (GK), Pearce, Coutts, Keates, Day.

Goal - Mclean (16)

Bookings - Zakuani, Batt.

Referee - O Langford

Attendance - 11,814

Only about a month and a half late, please read on for my summary of QPR's strikers last season. With all but Dexter Blackstock and Samuel Di Carmine still at the club, most of what I've said should still have some relevance. Despite the recent addition of Jay Simpson as well, this is still the area of the team with the most deficencies and the problems of last season look to have extended into this campaign, with a less than impressive goals per game ratio so far. All (or most of the strikers) in the QPR squad have differing qualities that they bring to the side. Unfortunately, all too often, scoring goals is not one of them.

Dexter Blackstock, 39 appearances (36 league), 12 goals.

Perhaps fittingly at a club which you can never second-guess, the most prolific of them (if you can use that word), is no longer at QPR having been deemed surplus to requirements. The suspicion that Flavio Briatore was not Dexter Blackstock's greatest fan was quite widely held, with Samuel Di Carmine getting the nod on more occasions than his form justified. It should also be remembered that Blackstock scored close to a quarter of all QPR's league goals last season and was the only player to break double figures.

As a result, QPR needed to strengthen their strikers even whilst he was there. With him gone and initially only an untested player from the Italian lower divisions (Alessandro Pellicori) coming in to replace him, this was shaping up to be the team's problem area. The addition of Jay Simpson on loan may help to fill the hole left by Blackstock's departure but scoring goals is still the key problem at QPR.

His season got off to a good start, with goals in consecutive home games against Doncaster and Southampton and he saved the team's blushes against Blackpool in late September when they were 10 minutes away from a third successive league defeat. A relative barren spell followed until he found his scoring boots again over the Christmas period, scoring a vital late winner from the bench in a thrilling 3-2 victory over Preston North End and getting on the score sheet on Boxing Day in a 2-2 draw at Charlton Athletic. His final goal for QPR before his move came on 10^th January, again saving the club from an embarrassing home defeat to Coventry City to make it 1-1.

By going through most of his goals it will look that I am paying Blackstock undue deference, especially when he still only notched 12 before leaving, but with goals such a rare commodity, they were often vital. He demonstrated an ability to turn likely draws into victories or laughable defeats into face-saving draws. Without his strikes, QPR would been closer to the bottom of the table and nowhere near the play-off spots.

His all-round game was far from faultless and he could suffer from the same lack of confidence when through on goal that befell all the QPR strikers. He had a mixed relationship with the club's supporters as well. Some games there would be howls of derision as he missed another easy chance; conversely, when left on the bench, the crowd would spend much of the game chanting his name.

Following that final goal against Coventry he went another 10 games without finding the net, which probably contributed to the management's willingness to loan him out to Nottingham Forest, where he did grab two vital goals in their successful bid to stay up. In a up-and-down season for him, he was undoubtedly the most natural goalscorer at QPR and it's still not entirely certain if the club has properly replaced him.

Patrick Agyemang, 23 appearances (20 league), 2 goals.

Patrick Agyemang's season, his first full one at QPR following a January 2008 move from Preston North End, was one which was massively curtailed by a long-term injury halfway through. Following QPR's third round FA Cup game against Burnley, the player wasn't seen again until the final two matches of the season, so any judgement on his progress has to be tempered by this lengthy lay-off.

At the same time, in the first half of the season, whilst showing a lot of qualities, including his strength, pace and work-rate, Agyemang suffered from a worrying lack of composure in front of goal, often shooting too early or being so hesitant as to allow the chance to pass. A look back at his career stats shows that he has never been a prolific striker, despite an early vein of form for QPR when he first arrived and provided eight goals in his first six appearances. At Preston he managed 21 goals in four seasons, far from a spectacular amount.

With Blackstock departed, QPR need someone else to supply 15-20 goals or perhaps more if they are to be promoted. Now supposedly back to full fitness, Agyemang should get far more first-team opportunities but I would be very surprised if he is the player to provide those goals. It would be unfair to write him off yet and this is a make-or-break season in his QPR career, but he needs to add goals to his game and quickly.

Samuel Di Carmine, 32 appearances (26 league), 3 goals.

Despite the mitigating factors of both his age and lack of experience in England, a quick look at Samuel Di Carmine's goal record tells you all you need to know about his time with QPR. A return of 3 goals was woeful and highlighted that the club trusted him for much longer than he merited, most likely under the instruction of Flavio Briatore. His ability to hold up the ball was questionable and most damagingly, his finishing was poor, his wonder-goal against Birmingham City notwithstanding.

The owner's faith in the player was demonstrated during that match, which Di Carmine started on the bench. Early in the second half, Briatore was seen remonstrating towards the bench demanding a change. Within minutes, Hogan Ephraim was off with the Italian taking his place and on this occasion, he repaid the favour with a blistering strike to beat a side now in the Premiership. That incident also laid bare, perhaps for the first time, the grey area which now exists over team selection at QPR, with no-one sure how much input the owners, chiefly Briatore, demand. In many ways, the whole episode was detrimental to the club's public image and the supporters' faith in those running the club.

Di Carmine is now back at Fiorentina but I'll be surprised if he gets a long run in their team. He is still only 20 so further development is not out of the question, but it looks like lower-division football could be his level. A poor acquisition and one which hampered the team's attack.

Heidar Helguson, 21 appearances (20 league), 5 goals.

Back to the other end of the spectrum for QPR signings; an ageing player no longer wanted by a top-flight club and struggling to find a move elsewhere. It would be wrong to expect QPR to challenge for big-name players just because the owners have a few million quid in the bank and Helguson was far from a bad signing, but the excitement levels will remain relatively low when such players do arrive.

The club definitely needed further options up front halfway through the season, with Dexter Blackstock in patchy form and very few other players willing to share the scoring duties, so in that respect, bringing in Helguson on a loan deal (which has now been made permanent) made sense. Again though, he has never been a prolific goalscorer, his best campaign being for Watford in 2004-5 when he produced 16 goals in 39 league appearances.

That type of form would be greatly welcomed at Loftus Road but taking into account his finishing last season, this is far from guaranteed. Out of all the QPR strikers, Helguson somehow managed to consistently miss the most glaring opportunities, a trait which he has seemingly carried into this season. Considering his experience in English football in this division and the Premiership, it makes sense to have him in the squad but as with Agyemang, he now needs to contribute more to the team's goal tally.

Rowan Vine, 7 appearances (2 league), 1 goal.

Though not quite spoken of in the tones reserved for Akos Buzsaky last season, Rowan Vine's absence for much of the league campaign meant that he held a dear place in the heart of many QPR supporters. As the club continually laboured through games without finding the net, a small consolation was the thought that Vine, a player who had shown some promise in his brief time with the club, could soon return and be the regular goalscorer that was so desperately craved.

He signed from Birmingham City in January 2008 for £1m after a successful loan period at Loftus Road. Before that he suffered through two less than stellar seasons with the Midlands club in which he struggled to get playing time. His price tag and track record prior to moving to west London are indicative of the current owners' attitude to front men (tending towards loan acquisitions or low-money buys of lower league players) but that is not to belittle Vine's potential for the club.

In previous spells at Luton Town, Colchester and Brentford, the player has never been prolific, with a similar scoring record to Agyemang. I'd be surprised if that suddenly changes with the Hoops, but as a squad player he could be valuable.

Angelo Balanta, 13 appearances, 10 league, 2 goals.

In his rare league starts for Rangers, his performances went sent on loan to Wycombe Wanderers and his pre-season form, Angelo Balanta has shown himself to be Loftus Road's most promising striker, barring the recent loan addition of Jay Simpson.

He came up through the youth ranks and broke into the first team in 2007-8 under Luigi De Canio going on to make six starts, bagging his first professional goal at Loftus Road in a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Utd. Halfway through that season he put his name to a two-year contract which will keep him with the club until the summer of 2010 and the club would be foolish to let him go in that time.

A goal in the Carling Cup at the start of last season wasn't enough to prevent a loan move to Wycombe though there is clearly no harm in a player as young as Balanta picking up any experience he can get. Reports back from Wycombe were largely complimentary with three goals in only nine starts and I wouldn't be surprised if other lower-division sides are knocking on Jim Magilton's door later in this season.

If you throw in a blistering pre-season in which he was by far the Hoop's most improved player, the question is surely when not if he will become a first-team regular. A slight injury has reduced him to only one appearance so far this season when he was placed on the left wing on the opening day. The addition of Simpson and even Pellicori could again limit his time on the pitch but QPR will have to find a way to utilise this player sooner rather than later, because if his ambition matches his ability, he can only wait on the bench for so long.

Scunthorpe Utd 0 QPR 1

This time last week, QPR were nursing a hangover after a dismal 2-1 victory over Accrington Stanley (yes, wins can give you a hangover as well, especially when they are as weakly achieved as that pitifiul performance). Just seven days later, the club have their first league win of the season, have added two very promising young English players to their squad and have also drawn their west London rivals in the Carling Cup. All will be discussed below (and hopefully without too much hyperbole).

First to QPR's dispatch of Scunthorpe United and their first three point haul of the season, which it only took five games to achieve. To bring a touch of reality to proceedings, a 1-0 win over a team clearly struggling in a new division will not quicken the pulse of the rest of the Championship just yet. But QPR needed to win and quick with their manager, Jim Magilton indicating that he would take a victory at all costs.

He tinkered with the team before the game as is his want but I don't see that to be the sticking point that many observers of QPR seem to. Any new manager needs a grace period to learn about his players and how best to put them together and Jim Magilton should soon be fully versed with the players at his disposal.

The centre-back pairing was switched around as it always is with Fitz Hall and Matthew Connolly tried on this occaision (and seeing as a clean sheet ensued, the experiment can be deemed an initial success). Hogan Ephraim retained his place on the left wing following a decent performance against Stanley with Wayne Routledge brought back in on the right. As predicted, Jay Simpson was drafted straight into the team up front, a potential indication that Magilton has lost patience with his other striking options, with Adel Taarabt as his partner. Akos Buzsaky not only suffered the ignominy of being singled out for criticism following the Stanley match but also was placed on the bench, where he would stay for the duration of the match.

Judging by the opening salvo on the Scunthorpe goal, the Hoops' players were certainly hungry to finally earn those three points. Within three minutes, they were off the mark with Taarabt embarking on a trademark run into the area and capping it off with a far less customary finish. It is still debatable whether he should continually operate as a striker but this was the first indication this season that he could add some finishing skills to his less impressive bag of half-tricks, flicks and nowhere runs (even when he scores the winning goal, I can't lay off Taarabt just yet).

Rangers continued to batter away at Scunthorpe, Simpson failing to convert a 10-yard header following some decent interlocking play between Ramage and Routledge on the right. Before the half was out, Faurlin, who looked much improved following his less than stellar opening games, went close with a rasping drive and Simpson turned another chance just wide of the post.

In the second half, customary failings began to creep back into the Hoops' performance, as they collectively began to take their foot off the pedal. Magilton tried his best to rouse their concentration by switching things from the bench, with Taarabt unable to finish another game (see, another sly dig) as he made way for Rowan Vine on 56 minutes.

Cerny soon showed his dependable nature, holding well after a good effort from Garry Thompson which hinted that Scunthorpe could send Rangers home in despair. Heidar Helguson and Gavin Mahon also came off the bench for Simpson and Faurlin respectively but neither could kill off the game for QPR.

The Hoops did have a late penalty shout with Routledge felled in the box. In our post-Eduardo world though, penalties shall only be awarded when blood is shed or bone exposed, unless at Old Trafford and Routledge was instead harshly booked. This fad of booking players for diving will last about a week until referees get back to other less blatant ways of ruining football supporters' weekends.

Despite that, Scunthorpe failed to muster a late barrage on the QPR goal as was experienced against Plymouth and the away side finally breathed the relief of their first away win since January. What that says about their season is far from clear though. This was the game they needed at the right time and a better standard of opposition would not have let them off so gently.

However and in a foolish manner, after worrying about Magilton's future a week ago, I can't help but start to consider a QPR promotion challenge (especially when the two recent squad additions are added into the mix) despite this being far from a masterful win. The R's have still only lost one game and they remain relatively solid at the back with Matt Connolly surely close to securing a regular first-team place with his two astute performances against Stanley and Scunthorpe.

But rising up the table could be a slow process and will take consistency that QPR have failed to show since returning to the Championship. At the top, there is a whole host of clubs who match QPR in terms of their set-up, their resources (whatever you read about Flavio, he isn't willing or capable to start a Man City splurge just yet) and ambition. Newcastle, Middlesbrough, Cardiff, Sheffield Utd, WBA... QPR will do well to finish above any of these teams this season. But if you knock a team when they fail, you also need to praise them when they succeed and with this win and his two recent loan additions (scroll down to read about Ben Watson and the Carling Cup draw as well), Magilton has brought hope back to Loftus Road for the first time this season.

HIGHS: Adel Taarabt demonstrating that his early promise could become something more; Alejandro Faurlin settling into the team and producing some pinpoint cross-field passes; Matthew Connolly and Fitz Hall staking a claim to be the centre-back pairing of choice.

LOWS: Same old QPR tendency to sit back on a 1-0 lead; more poor finishing in front of goal; the fact that the club now has to wait 2 weeks to try and build on this success.

Scunthorpe - Murphy, Williams, Byrne, Mirfin, Spence, Togwell (McCann 61), Sparrow (Thompson 70), Woolford, O'Connor (Wright 61), Hayes, Hooper

Subs not used - Lillis (GK), Crosby, Morris, Forte

Bookings - Murphy

QPR - Cerny, Ramage, Hall, Connolly, Borrowdale, Leigertwood, Routledge, Faurlin (Mahon 81), Ephraim, Taarabt (Vine 56), Simpson (Helguson 70)

Subs not used - Heaton (GK), Stewart, Buzsaky, Pellicori

Goal - Taarabt (3)

Bookings - Routledge

Referee - Mr G Salisbury

Attendance - 5866 (682 QPR)

QPR FINALLY GET THEIR MAN

Just three days after their opening win and whilst most of football seemed to be enjoying an extended bank holiday, QPR were able to secure the loan signing of Ben Watson from Wigan Athletic in a 4-month deal (with the option of an extension when the next transfer window opens in January). On a particularly quiet final transfer day (which wrecked havoc with the automatic hype machine at Sky Sports News) this was one of the more significant deals and brought to an end a fairly lengthy flirtation between the two parties.

Even prior to his move to Wigan Athletic, Watson was a target for the Hoops during his time at Crystal Palace, to the extent that QPR supporters sang his name as though he was one of their own when the two clubs met last season. Rather than pay good money to actually buy a player, Briatore did the long-sighted/horribly tight/panicky (delete where applicable) thing of waiting to sign the player on a short-term loan deal.

He now becomes the 365th central midfielder at the club but his addition should permanently bring to an end the era of Leigertwood-Mahon bore football in the centre of the QPR field. In his performances for both Palace and Wigan, Watson always showed a desire to get forward as often as possible. In fact, Magilton lauded his abilities as a 'box-to-box midfielder' - the same terms Paulo Sousa used to describe Liam Miller though I think this time the manager is right. With Martin Rowlands and Lee Cook still to return, no natural home yet found for Akos Buzsaky and Alejandro Faurlin showing his first signs of promise, Magilton will be spoiled for choice until Christmas and possibly beyond.

Watson started his career with Palace in 2002/3 and went onto make 150 appearances for the club by the time of his 23rd birthday, notching 161 in total before moving to Wigan Athletic for £2.5 million last January, where he went on to score twice despite limited opportunities. He undoubtedly has experience in this division which so few QPR loan signings do and as a result, it may prove to be a very smart late bit of business.

CELERY, CELERY...

That's one song that QPR supporters hope their Chelsea rivals aren't singing on 23rd September after the two richest clubs in London (or at least west London) drew each other in the third round of the Carling Cup. It's hard to know how QPR are supposed to feel about this draw. Do they still get excited about big pay-days against Premiership opposition even though their owners have a combined wealth way in excess of Roman Abramovich's? Is the club frightened at the prospect of a West Ham-Millwall style duff-up? Either way, if the club's goal is to play against such teams on a regular basis, this will be an infrequent test of their ability to cut it against one of England's top teams. If Chelsea put out even a half-strength team then they shouldn't struggle but we don't yet know if Carlo Ancelotti shares Jose Mourinho's reverence for the League Cup. The potential for embarrassment is firmly in Chelsea's half and there's even an outside chance that it's the Hoops supporters singing at full-time.