QPR are a year younger than us being formed in 1882 from the merger of Christchurch Rangers and St.Judes. As was common most footballing teams of the period have an ecclesiastical background. Their nickname might well be the Nomads given the number of stadiums that were called home prior to settling into Loftus Road in 1917 with two short lived excursions to the White City Stadium which hosted the 1908 Olympiad and is no longer extant. Alec Stock pictured below is akin to God in the view of the Hoop's faithful having taken them from the lower divisions to the top flight (and also having the noted achievement of winning a scudetto with AS Roma)and in the process playing attacking flair football with players like Rodney Marsh a chief exponent. Alec Stock 1917-2001 The success also entailed their only silverware a 1967 League Cup triumph over W.B.A which showcased Marsh to the footballing public at large a feat more remarkable in that the club was in the third tier at the time. Noted coach Dave Sexton took his supremes to a runners up spot in 1975-6 and the UEFA Cup. His exit led to a slide not alleviated despite the appearance of the first and rather unpopular plastic pitch in Britain in 1980 at Loftus Road. El Tel revived the club with the club again making a cup final in 1982 despite being in the second tier losing a replay 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur under one of our former assistant managers Keith Burkinshaw and later losing Terry Fenwick and Clive Allen to the victors. He too left for new pastures at the Camp Nou after taking the side back to the top flight. The club was a regular member of the elite and also featured in a League Cup final loss to underdogs Oxford in 1987. Former player Gerry Francis proved equally adept in his first spell as their manager guiding the club to the title of London's top club in the inaugural season of the Premier League. He too was lured away and the sale of Les Ferdinand and others heralded relegation in 1995-6 with administration in 2001. There was strife in the boardroom with unsavoury events off the pitch and tragedy with the deaths of youth players Kiyan Prince and Ray Jones. Ultimately the club was taken over by F1 magnates Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore in 2007 wiping out debts with the Mittal family coming on board later that same year. However the presence of some rather shady and odious characters was a recipe for clashes of ego's and the dreams that QPR might challenge their newly nouveau riche west London rivals Chelsea in a battle of the billionaires soon disappeared like a puff of smoke. However the slow revival led to a promotion under Neil Warnock in 2011 in which the club was top for nearly the entire season. After experiencing a 3-1 reverse at home the Hoop's clinched promotion at Vicarage Road 2-0 with former Hornet Tommy Smith applying the coup de grace. The promotion attracted the investment of West Ham supporting Tony Fernandes through his F1 contacts with Ecclestone but despite investment into playing staff the club was relegated comprehensively last season with Fernandes prepared to dance with the devil in appointing Harry Redknapp and his wheeling dealing antics which involved the arrival and departure of Christopher Samba in the space of five months. This season the club have been riding high the cornerstone of which has been a rather mean defence led by veteran Richard Dunne creating a fortress if rather dour in style at Loftus Road. Redknapp has sprinkled the club with past acquaintances from his time at Tottenham playing a rather obdurate and dull 4-4-2 or at times 4-3-3 which would have been an anathema to the philosophy of Alec Stock. Several of the players like Zamora and Johnson and Jenas could be said to be over the hill quite happy picking up obscene pay packets for doing rather little and others like Hoilett are a shadow of the players they were at their former clubs. Like the other relegated sides the Hoop's have found that life in this division is far from an easy ride with other clubs upping their game particularly when they are the visitors. However other signings like Tom Carroll have only flashed briefly in the rough and tumble of the division, Matt Phillips is also a pale imitation of the player he was at Blackpool. Charlie Austin is probably the only real success story of Redknapp's transfer deals while others like Javier Chevanton trumpeted as a key signing to solve the goal drought upfront have been released. Merry Christmas Javier..... Off the pitch perhaps in an attempt to trump Brentford's new stadium plans, Fernandes has announced plans for a new 40000 all seater stadium at Old Oak in New Queens Park as part of the general redevelopment of the area. Key to which would be a tenure in the Premier League. Turning to ourselves under the new Mourinho Giuseppe Sannino the things that should have been in place from the start of the season and oft mentioned in match previews are starting to evidence themselves. In order to make our quality show we need to work harder. The physical effort and fitness need to continue improve. The team is starting to defend like any good side as a unit from back to front and front to back. Sannino has settled upon a back three and moved Cassetti to wingback to deliver his pinpoint crosses with Anya probably the other first choice wingback while trying to offer Deeney more support upfront. He could favour 5-3-2 away from home and 3-5-2 at the Vic but it's still far too early to judge him but he does seem more tactically aware and certainly has plenty of enthusiasm for his role which seems to be rubbing off on the playing staff as well as a grittiness and fighting spirit. The Sannino triptych: passion, fight and enthusiam A few decent deliveries and attacks down the flank could well expose QPR as they were at Nottingham Forest. Deeney could play a role akin to that Halford played with success as a sole targetman with the midfield flooding past him. In terms of injuries Pudil is out with a hamstring and Faraoni with an ankle problem with Hoban, Belkalem and unfortunately Almen Abdi longer term absentees. QPR are likely to be without the services of their top scorer Charlie Austin and influential midfielder Alejandro Faurlin who is out with a second cruciate ligament injury that partly explains their lack of creativity as well as the loan of Adel Taarabt to Fulham on loan. However they will be boosted with the return from a one game suspension of love him or loathe him Joey Barton. Top scorers for each club both on 11 goals for the season Troy Deeney and Charlie Austin: The possible line up for QPR against us. With a busy schedule it is quite conceivable some players may be rested by both sides. QPR's last ten matches. Their away form has been patchy at best which should offer us incentive to get forward: Our historical record against the Hoops which is in our favour in recent encounters: http://www.11v11.com/teams/watford/tab/opposingTeams/opposition/Queens Park Rangers A key moment from our promotion season in 2005/6 at Loftus Road: [video=youtube;jtNmijJFiqE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtNmijJFiqE[/video] If there was to have been a GloboTV Comedy football compilation in 2005 this would have been in it......:sign15: QPR fan forums: http://www.qprdot.org/ http://www.wearetherangersboys.com http://www.qpr.vitalfootball.co.uk/
I remember most of the rangers fans were still celebrating Furlong's "goal" when Ash scored at the other end. Classic.
They aren't in the best of form lately but shouldn't be underestimated in any way. Horrible feeling it'll end 2-1 to them :rant:
Remember when we spanked them 3-1 at their place under malky. And they threw coins and bottles at Danny Graham. Then after the game outside that pub a whole gang of them threw bottles and things at us and the police horses quickly rode in and stopped it. Wannabe millwalls.
There are few teams I hate more than QPR. I don't want us just to beat them, I want us to pull their pants down and f**k their season up.
There are few more **** nicknames than the "Golden Boys" Spaghetti Hoops and Ahrse are two examples though. "Yay we are the hoops!"
Im going 2-1 to the Horns. Mcgugan, Deeney, Barton freekick. Barton gets sent off again, and Uncle Fester gets a 5 match ban for repeatedly running on the pitch
My FIFA Predicts... Watford 1 - 1 QPR Deeney - 45' - A one-two with Thorne takes the QPR defence out of the game and finishes with an excellent left footed shot Zamora - 86' - Header from a cross Man of the match: Troy Deeney Watford substitutions: 57' - Deeney off/Fabbrini on 60' - Thorne off/Iriney on 76' - Murray off/Battocchio on Odds: Troy Deeney FGS + Watford 1-1 QPR @45/1
In all honesty I would take a point tomorrow. QPR have lost two on the trot (IMO) because they didn't have Joey Barton and let's not forget they lost to two sides who are flying high atm in Leicester and Forest. We're not at that level and even though things are looking better for us atm with a nice win against Millwall and a decent draw away to Ipswich, the fact of the matter is they are a very good team who I think will punish us tomorrow and take the 3 points back to Shepherds Bush/White City. I also personally don't buy into the stuff that the QPR fans are spouting about their team looking a bit ****e atm- I just think it's a load of fickle fan nonsense.
The reason QPR fans are spouting is the lack of goals, and they have a point. Take Austin out the equation and the contribution from the rest of the squad is frankly awful. All competitions: Austin 11 Barton 2 Hoilet 2 Johnson 2 Phillips 2 Hill 1 Jenas 1 Kranjcar 1 Onuoha 1 Simpson 1 If they don't buy in Jan I think they might be in a spot of trouble, I've never seen a team 'draw' its way to promotion.
I would REALLY love an impressing performance and a very convincing and large victory. But even one point is OK, really, because certainly the opponent cannot be underestimated.
The opposition preview: http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/footba...test-english-italian-job-–-opposition-profile Think we will see a 1-1 draw.
QPR have lost their last two games but they do have the best squad in the division so for that reason alone I would be pleased with a draw. I think we will probably go with the same starting 11 that played against Millwall on boxing day. Forest got some joy down the Rangers wing the other day so I am confident that we can cause some problems for them utilizing Anya's pace and a rejuvinated Marco Cassetti.
Quite a decent summary if I'm honest, one or two flaws such as the Zola sacking but all in all not a bad piece of journalism. With regard to the game this afternoon, it will prove a good test to see what Beppe has spotted to exploit any weaknesses in Rangers set up. Hopefully his good start will continue and we'll get another confidence boosting win. I just hope they don't have an attacking aerial threat, as we struggled against Morrison on Boxing Day. A repeat of that scoreline would send us into the New Year with renewed hope.... COYH
I'm going for a gallant but ultimately disappointing 2-3 defeat. Winner from Barton in injury time after we've twice got ourselves back on terms....
But would you have said that if you knew that neither Anya or Forestieri would even be on the bench and that they would play such a snatch and grab side 0-1!
Baffled as to how McGugan played the full 90 minutes, should have been subbed off at HT for Battochio imo.
Unable to attend today, but caught the last 15 online. From what I saw the defence looks much improved. What I did notice is that the midfield were constantly looking for a pass forward but struggled to find anyone. As soon as Acuna came on he wasn't close enough to Deeney. Something to work on.
