Colchester United -- 20th, 8 GP, +1 GD, 8 points v. QPR -- 24th, 7 GP, -11 GD, 3 points ------ Layer Road 3 October 2007 19:45 ------ Rangers News: Mick Harford takes over the R's on a caretaker basis. Recent loan singings Vine and Jarrett are both available. Timoska has not yet shaken off his illness, so is a doubt. Nardiello (hamstring) and Nygaard (calf) may be available to take part this evening. Leigertwood returns from a one-match suspension. The Opponent: According to the BBC, "Colchester are hoping Teddy Sheringham (hamstring) and keeper Aidan Davison (groin) recover in time to play. Defender Bela Balogh is unlikely to be ready for his debut following a hamstring injury and Kevin Watson is still out with an Achilles problem." The Series: QPR leads 21-8-12, including a 16-7-11 lead in league play. Last season, the home team won both meetings. Colchester won 2-1 at home in September while the R's won 1-0 at home on New Year's Day on a goal by Ray Jones. The Championship: In addition to our game, West Brom hosts Stoke tonight. The rest of the division player yesterday. Barnsley 3-0 Bristol C Burnley 2-2 Ipswich Coventry 3-1 Blackpool Hull City 1-2 Charlton Leicester 0-0 Wolves Norwich 0-0 Scunthorpe Plymouth 1-0 C Palace Preston 5-1 Southampton Sheff Utd 3-3 Cardiff Watford 2-1 Sheff Wed So, entering today's games, here's the Championship table: Pos Team P GD PTS 1 Watford 9 4 20 2 Charlton 9 6 18 ------ 3 West Brom 8 11 16 4 Barnsley 9 2 15 5 Coventry 9 1 15 6 Bristol City 9 2 14 ------ 7 Scunthorpe 9 1 14 8 Burnley 8 2 13 9 Plymouth 9 2 13 10 Stoke 8 2 13 11 Wolverhampton 9 1 12 12 Hull 9 0 11 13 Blackpool 9 -1 11 14 Ipswich 8 -1 11 15 Cardiff 9 0 10 16 Southampton 9 -5 10 17 Crystal Palace 9 0 9 18 Sheff Utd 9 -1 9 19 Preston 9 -2 9 20 Colchester 8 1 8 21 Leicester 8 0 8 ------ 22 Norwich 9 -5 8 23 Sheff Wed 9 -9 6 24 QPR 7 -11 3
BBC London's sports show should be getting around to the Rs preview and discussion of the manager situation in the next few minutes - after the Ch**sea preview. http://www.bbc.co.uk/london/sport/
Team sheets are out... Colchester vs QPR Colchester: Gerken, Duguid, Baldwin, Virgo, Elokobi, Yeates, Izzet, Jackson, Granville, Lisbie, Platt Subs: Cousins, Guy, Guttridge, Connolly, Elito QPR: Camp, Rowlands, Leigertwood, Cullip, Barker, Ainsworth, Jarrett, Bolder, Ephraim, Blackstock, Vine Subs: Cole, Sahar, Bignot, Moore, Stewart
Leigertwood in defense... interesting (that's from the commo on BBC London at the match). I guess we're looking at 3-5-2 with a midfielder in central defense (!?!): Camp Barker-Leigertwood-Cullip Ainsworth-Jarrett-Bolder-Rowlands-Ephraim Blackstock-Vine
I wish Mancienne's back would get better! So, Vine and Jarrett both go straight into the starting 11 with one day of training. Leigertwood has only been with the club a few weeks. That's a group that won't be too familiar with one another, that's for sure. Umm... are there enough defenders there? Has Rowlands been moved to right back and Leigertwood to center back? Looks like it, with an Ainsworth/Jarrett/Bolder/Ephraim midfield. Wow. Interesting.
Seeing that XI, I'd have figured a 4-4-2 with Rowlands at right back, but I guess we'll see in a few minutes!
Ahh! That makes a lot more sense Haven't seen that in a few years ---------------Camp----------------- Rowlands--Cullip--Leigertwood--Barker Ainsworth--Jarrett--Bolder---Ephraim ----------Blackstock--Vine-----------
When we signed Leigertwood, they said he played both midfield and defense. Isn't he 6'2 or 6'3? Shouldn't be out of place as a central defender, from what I've seen of him.
It's been awhile, but he's solid there. If we're really going with Leigertwood and Rowlands in defense, that should be a team that can attack out of the back pretty well. I don't know if we're likely to be any more exposed with them back there than Bignot/Curtis/Rehman at right back and Stewart at center back and we should be better going forward. With all these wide midfield options (Ephraim, Jarrett, Ainsworth, Rowlands), it makes sense that one gets pushed to right back to keep the talent on the field.
He's been hot and cold with more cold than hot lately, so I don't mind the change. I wonder what happens when Mancienne gets back. Rowlands is too good to sit, Ainsworth brings a spark, but I doubt both Jarrett and Ephraim go to the bench. We're just too good to have 3 points from 7. The defense is a weakness and this sounds like an interesting thing to try to get more of our best XI football players on the field at once.
From the Colchester Evening star, courtesy of QPR Report's blog: "'This match will come too soon for Teddy (Sheringham), and Kevin (McLeod) is also struggling with flu,' revealed manager Williams last night."
Sounds like Vine "scuffed" the chance which fell perfectly to his left foot. Damn - chance missed - but at least we created it!
[R] for Chelsea game in this thread (and any other today, too -- West Brom v. Stoke is likely to be mentioned) Chelsea trails, 0-1!
The play-by-play guy says we may have created as many chances as in some whole games this year. The color commentator (is it Bradley Allen?) said the players seem more relaxed than they have been.