Rangers Ready For Cautious Rams? - QPR vs Derby Preview
Posted On 23/03/2010 at at 10:42 by Alistair Kleebauer
QPR Team News
QPR can welcome Damion Stewart back into the fray after serving a one-match suspension on Saturday following his sending-off against Reading. Jay Simpson, who didn't feature against Swansea as well, is also a likely starter - Neil Warnock revealed after the game that Simpson was left out as a precautionary measure with a tight hamstring.
It could also be keeper Carl Ikeme's last game for the R's. The loanee from Wolves is contracted to stay in west London until April 6 but Warnock said he is considering one or even two further loan deals before the end of the season. As the Hoops already have an abundant supply of loan players to pick from, it would be necessary to cut Ikeme's stay short to make way for any new arrivals, particularly as only five loan players can be named in the match-day squad. The manager also bravely insisted that he is not the type to worry over having only one goalkeeper in his match-day 18, so there will be much impetus on Radek Cerny to remain fit until the end of the season.
Derby Team News
Sheffield Wednesday supporters were denied one of the chief joys of watching the Championship on Saturday i.e giving Robbie Savage a hard time, as the Welshman was rested for the first time this season. Savage has an uncanny ability to wind up home crowds and has even been berated at a darts tournament in the past, but QPR's supporters should have the opportunity to vent any frustration in his direction tonight when he returns to Derby's match squad.
They might be less pleased to see him back for his playing contribution though as his constant presence in the Derby side until Saturday demonstrates his importance. Any failings physically which he may now have are compensated by his work-rate and reading of the game, so the R's' midfield pairing of Alejandro Faurlin and Mikele Leigertwood are unlikely to be afforded much time on the ball.
Nigel Clough could also call on Gary Teale and Lee Croft in his midfield, after both return to match fitness, but another player who is now injury-free, Lee Hendrie, is likely to complete a loan move to Brighton and Hove Albion today.
Form
A glance at the table shows just one point separating these two sides though it would be fair to say they've enjoyed dissimilar seasons. When the two sides met at the end of October, with Rangers recording a 4-2 win at Pride Park, Derby were on the edge of the relegation area while QPR were in sixth and challenging for the play-offs. Not long after that game, everything started to go wrong for QPR whereas Derby's form took a slight turn for the better after the turn of the year, including an ill-tempered 1-0 win over rivals Nottingham Forest in front of 32,000 supporters at their own ground.
In short though, whereas QPR's season has been one of a peak and then a stomach-churning lurch to the bottom, Derby have been nestling in the bottom quarter of the table for most of this campaign. Does that give them an extra advantage in games like tonight's? Are they better primed to scrap their way clear of the bottom three?
Form over the last five games would suggest not and that if either of these two sides were to get caught up in the relegation battle again, the visitors would be the better bet. After beating Watford at the start of the month, they've lost at Reading and Doncaster and followed it up with draws against Middlesbrough and Sheffield Wednesday. They've not won on the road since beating bottom-side Peterborough on January 16, one of only two away league wins all season.
QPR on the other hand still have just one defeat under Neil Warnock and even that, a 1-0 loss at Reading, was a close-run affair. After banging three past West Brom though, the goals have slightly dried up with just two in their last three games. In that context, the return of Simpson tonight could be vital particularly considering Tamas Priskin's lack of popularity around Loftus Road which looks to be severely affecting his confidence or his ability or both.
Prediction
One of Nigel Clough's pre-match comments struck me as providing a good marker for tonight's game. Speaking about QPR, he said: "They are playing a different formation or have been doing. Whether they change or not, we don't know, so we might change to accommodate them a little bit." Despite the closeness of their league positions, it would seem that Derby are heading to west London with a plan to contain QPR in the back of their minds. That could be reading too much into Clough's intentions, but I would suggest that a point would satisfy the away side tonight.
The home team on the other hand will be keen to gain further benefit from the increased goodwill around their stadium following Warnock's impressive start. Even in the tough climate of their game against Swansea, they managed to produce some dangerous, spirited football which by the end, could easily have brought a victory. In terms of outlook, I see something of a gulf between QPR and Derby in this fixture and it's one I think the home side will exploit.
HOME WIN.
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