Hoop Dreams - QPR FC

I wrote recently about the regularity with which QPR managers and ex-managers can now be thrust together in the Championship. Hot on the heels of Paulo Sousa's return to Loftus Road, Neil Warnock squares up to Paul Hart (pictured above) on Saturday as QPR and Crystal Palace, both teetering on the brink of the relegation area, meet at Selhurst Park.

The pair missed each other by a month and a half through QPR's revolving door earlier this season. Hart took over the club in mid-December, but was on his way just five games later. Warnock picked up the slack after a protracted defection from Palace; after taking them to the edge of the play-offs this season he left them following a ten-point deduction (a punishment for the club going into administration) which has placed them in their current predicament.

Front of the queue at the Championship Job Office was Hart once again, joining Palace on March 2. He's already improved on his stint with Rangers, as this weekend will be his eleventh game with Palace and with seven points from their last nine, they are now within two points of QPR.

Neil Warnock was loathe to talk about this fixture last weekend, choosing to concentrate on Monday's game against Leicester City which didn't go too well for QPR, finding themselves on the end of a 4-0 thrashing. Other results, particularly Palace's 3-1 win over Preston then turned a poor day into a disastrous one for Rangers.

He certainly won't be expecting a warm atmosphere on Saturday though. He ranks as one of the league's least popular managers with supporters at the best of times, with every set of away fans singing some uncomplimentary songs about him since his arrival at Loftus Road. Where that is often in jest though, many at Selhurst Park are likely to have stronger views about his short journey to west London to take over QPR.

Rumours that he intends to raid Palace in the summer, who are still desperate to find cash to satisfy their administrators, won't do him any favours either, with keeper Julian Speroni and midfielder Darren Ambrose supposedly top of his wish-list.

Neither manager will be too keen to stoke this one up unnecessarily, with Hart simply admitting that it will be a nervous game, as reported on Eurosport. But you can be sure, that this latest instalment of Rangers' managers facing off is the most important yet. More to come on Saturday's six-pointer later this week...