Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

This fixture is unlikely to feature highly on tomorrow night's The Football League Show, even if both sides can serve up a goal-scoring thriller - not when there remain unfinished stories at both the top and bottom of the table.

Firstly, the final make-up of the play-offs is still to be decided; Nottingham Forest and Cardiff are already in the hat for a Wembley visit, but two of Leicester, Swansea and Blackpool will make up the final foursome with an eye on the Premiership. That is a race QPR will be disappointed to have played no part in and all their preparations this summer will be geared towards being in contention this time next year.

A battle they are more than pleased to be free of though is that at the bottom of the table; Watford, Crystal Palace and Sheffield Wednesday could all still succumb to the drop and join Peterborough United and Plymouth Argyle in League One next season.

All of which means few eyes will be focussed on Oakwell tomorrow afternoon for this game. Many players in the QPR squad won't be, or shouldn't be, viewing it as a meaningless fixture though. Just as the World Cup acts as a shop window during the close season, so QPR's remaining fixtures give some of the playing staff what could be a final chance to get in Neil Warnock's good books. On top of that, with just a point separating these two sides and with a troublesome final game against Newcastle, this could be the last chance to add a hint of respectability to the club's league finish.

Barnsley Team News

For their final home game, Barnsley could be without on-loan defender Carl Dickinson, who was signed on a three month emergency loan deal from Stoke City and who has made 26 league appearances so far for Mark Robins' side.

The R's chances also receive a boost due to the likely absence of striker Daniel Bogdanovic, who has a hamstring injury, and midfielder Anderson Da Silva, who has a thigh complaint. The latter player stood out from his team-mates for me when these two sides clashed at Loftus Road earlier in the season, despite the 5-2 score line in QPR's favour.


QPR Team News

It's a safe bet that Warnock will use this game to get a look at some of his younger players, most likely Antonio German and Joe Oastler, but also possibly Angelo Balanta. Those changes could be borne of necessity as well; three key players for QPR, at least over the last month, could all be unavailable.

Adel Taarabt jarred his ankle in the 1-0 defeat against Cardiff last weekend and as a result, left the pitch early on against Watford so we may have seen his last game for the Hoops, a fact likely to provoke a mixed reaction from supporters.

Akos Buzsaky took a whack to the ribs in the Watford fixture and having already broken a rib during the 3-1 home victory over West Brom, may also also be in too much pain to play against Barnsley.

Finally, Alejandro Faurlin, reportedly on the verge of signing a new deal with QPR to fend off interest from Celtic, suffered a dead leg during Tuesday night's game and will receive a late fitness check ahead of the game.

Form

Barnsley can count themselves lucky not to be more closely involved in the relegation scrap. They're only one point behind QPR, but whereas Rangers have pulled off a number of vital wins over the last two months, Barnsley haven't won in their last eight.

The identity of their most recent scalp shows how tricky an opponent they can be though. Midway through March they beat Nottingham Forest 2-1, thereby putting a serious dent in that team's hopes of automatic promotion. Over the course of the season, they've also beaten Cardiff, Blackpool twice, Middlesbrough, Leicester City and they twice came from behind to earn a memorable 2-2 home draw with Newcastle. Though they haven't pulled as far away from the bottom of the table as they once promised, under Robins they are a tough proposition to beat.

For QPR, the home defeat to Cardiff just a week ago was a knock to their confidence and was the first loss at Loftus Road under Warnock. I still believe home form will be key in potentially underscoring a successful season next time around; I'm yet to see a side play better than QPR at their home ground under the new manager and if he can iron out the complacency and immaturity which sometimes means they get less at home than they deserve, Loftus Road will be a happier place from now on.

They at least followed that up with a win over Watford which adds up to a record of four wins, five draws and two defeats since Warnock stepped into the dug-out. Those two losses were by a solitary goal as well and in a season in which they've shedded goals, the Hoops can at least point to two clean sheets in their last three.

Prediction

The degree of tinkering in the QPR line-up could be crucial because if the starting eleven is too unrecognisable, the home side's greater experience may prove decisive. However, the motivation to play for a place next season is, I believe, real with QPR and that edge should fire them to an away win.

AWAY WIN