Leeds United -- 19th, 18 GP, 5-6-7, -1 GD, 21 Points v. QPR -- 5th, 19 GP, 10-3-6, +6 GD, 33 Points ------ 20 November 2004 15:00 Elland Road ------ Rangers News: Marc Bircham is back from suspension. Early in the week, Cureton and Rose missed some training, but are expected to be ready to play. Santos and Padula missed training on Thursday and Santos' achilles could keep him out, although the official site says they are "reasonably confident" he'll play. If not, Simek would step in next to Shittu. Gnohere picked up an knee injury in the reserve team match this week and the extent of the injury won't be known until a scan is done. Rowlands, Thorpe, Culkin, and Edghill remain out. The Opponent: As is often the case after relegation, Leeds have taken some time to find their footing. Still, this club has a huge player budget and is stocked with more than enough talent to win any match. Danny Pugh leads Leeds with 6 goals (5 Championship, 1 League Cup). David Healy, who scored against the R's a few weeks back while with Preston, has scored 2 goals in just 4 games with Leeds. He scored 5 times for Preston this season and has 2 goals for Northern Ireland (v. Wales and Austria) in the current qualifying campaign. Former Ranger Clarke Carlisle has scored 1 goal in 14 Championship and 3 League Cup appearances. After starting the season with a spotless disciplinary record, he's received yellow cards in four of their last five games (including a League Cup match). Their last six (most recent first): A Ipswich L, 0-1 A Preston W, 4-2 H Burnley L, 1-2 H Wigan L, 0-2 A Portsmouth L, 1-2 (League Cup) A Brighton L, 0-1 The Series: The series is dead even, 15-10-15. QPR leads 14-10-12 in league play. The clubs last met in the 95/96 Premier League season with both teams winning away, QPR 3-1 at Elland Road and Leeds 2-1 at Loftus Road. The first meeting was in the 31/32 FA Cup, a 3-1 QPR win. The teams first played in a division together in 48/49, with the R's winning both meetings. The Referee: Colin Webster has been assigned. In 15 matches this season, he's issued 47 yellows and a rather high 6 red cards (1 each in 6 different matches). This season he's worked: 4 Championship, 4 League One, 3 League Two, 1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 LDV Vans Trophy. His most recent QPR match was a 1-1 away draw at Northampton in February '03. He worked two QPR away wins in 01/02 -- at Bury and Chesterfield.
Evening Standard: Ian backs Clarke -- quotes Olly about Carlisle and says, improbably, that "New signing Adam Miller could start in midfield after impressing in a midweek reserves game." Ainsworth, Gallen, Bircham, and Cook available in the midfield and Miller might start? Sporting Life match preview BBC match preview QPR Mad match preview
One change of note to the lineup -- Kevin McLeod starts in place of Lee Cook on the left wing. The R's starting XI: Day; Bignot, Shittu, Santos, Rose; Ainsworth, Gallen, Bircham, McLeod; Cureton, Furlong. Bench: Cook, Padula, Bean, Branco, Miller.
90 seconds in and Gareth Ainsworth scores what sounds like a goal-of-the-season candidate from 20+ yards! UUUUUUUURRRRRRRRRRRR's! Leeds 0-1 QPR
Rose is injured -- either hamstring or ankle, seems to be hamstring, he's going to have to come out. Rose was injured making a nice play to save a goal. Padula is warming up. While down to 10 men, Day is chipped by Healy for a goal. Leeds 1-1 QPR
Santos heads it right to an unmarked Healy instead of heading it away, Healy's shot saved by Day, but the rebound goes to Leeds, Day deflects the next, but not the third chance as Wright scores. Leeds 3-1 QPR
Ainsworth is playing well. He's everywhere both offensively and defensively. McLeod is hardly getting a touch. Cureton hasn't been too involved either. We're having a hard time holding our line in the back, so while we've caught them offside once or twice, we've let them through in good positions a couple of times, too. After a bit of a quiet time after the Leeds goals, our fans are definitely back into it. Game has gone relatively quiet over the last 5-10 minutes, with neither side looking too dangerous. Just as I say that... another goal for Deane. Santos and Bignot are looking at each other wondering who was supposed to be marking the scorer. Both of Deane's goal have come from just a couple of yards out. Not looking good for Rangers. Leeds 4-1 QPR Just after the goal, Leeds had a breakaway and Day had to save it -- out for a corner. Commentator said Bignot had gone missing then too (he also thought Bignot erred for the first goal). Sounds like the defense as a whole is having a bad one, but Santos and Bignot are having a particulary bad day. Before I finish that sentence... Leeds 5-1 QPR Hat-trick for Deane. Shittu "totally missed a header." Might as well spread the bad play around to all the defenders. You've got to be kidding me.
I know Simek was brought in as cover for the center backs but he doesn't even make the bench. Any reason?
Leeds 5-1 QPR HALF TIME Wow -- I didn't think we could play worse than we did against Watford early in the season, but it seems it's possible.
As I understand it, Simek's one-month loan ended and he's back at Arsenal. Of course, the commentators have blamed today's 5-goal half on "suicidal defending by Bignot, Santos, and Shittu" who are our right back and two center backs, so maybe we should get on the phone with Arsenal and extend that loan!
A supposed Bean foul leads to a penalty call. Commenators say it's a blatant dive worthy of a yellow card. They say even the Leeds fans are laughing at how bad the call was. Chris Day saves the penalty out for a corner! Well done, Daysie.
A dreadful clearance by Shittu leads to another easy goal for Deane, his fourth. You don't get four goals much easier than he's had it today. Leeds 6-1 QPR
Bircham went into the book in the 71st, a minute or so before the fourth Deane goal. 29,739 at Elland Road. Leeds 6-1 QPR FULL TIME
Wow i had to work and couldnt listen and now im glad. poor maczebus, who went to that trouble to get a ticket for this game.
Well....ermmm.....quite. Christ that was depresssing. Hadn't seen my little brother since Christmas so thought I'd take him to watch the match with me as an honourary R's supporter. But thankfully he enjoyed the day and all was not lost. Christ if I'd gone there on my own I'd have been pissed off. It was the only time I've actually thought about leaving a game early. I alwaysd leave after the final whistle - but I actually had thoughts about leaving at half time. 5-1, I didn't think I could stand another half. Have to say that from my view point it looked like at least 3 of the goals were exactly the same. Earlyish cross in from the right then ultimately someone (Deane usually) on the end of it to tap it in (might be wrong though - I lost track). Awful defending that a Conference side would be ashamed of. Never seemed able to keep possession. Utterly abysmal. Didn't even stick around t oclap the boys afterwards - did they deserve it? Plus it was bloody freezing. Dunno what the next game for me is. Better be more fun than this. Oh and a small BTW: I was sitting next to a guy that was generally chatty and good fun to talk to - at the end of the first half he nudges me and says "that was Darren Peacock infront you know". I thought 'bollocks'- but lo and behold -it was. Hair isn't quite so bad now. But well - that, I guess was the highlight of the match really. Oh yes and Ainsworth's goal.
It couldn't have been that bad since you got a great view of Healy's goal. You at least can be happy about you did look a bit dangerous going forward. Honestly, after 2 minutes i thought it was all over and we were just going to roll over.
As if this weekend wasn't bad enough... Holloway was already sick, but wanted to show up at the game so that people wouldn't think he was about to leave for Wolves. Now, Olly has been admitted to the hospital since he was dehydrated and hadn't eaten in four days. Matthew Rose left the match injured and is now expected to be out for "up to six weeks" with his hamstring injury. If his scan turns up good news, he could be back by Christmas. Gino Padula, who naturally would replace him, is in doubt for this weekend after irritating a groin strain. And, poor Arthur Gnohere... he'd just come back from injury to participate in a reserve team match and now has injured his ACL and faces nine months on the sideline. So, the defense this week is a mess (and I'll get to see it in person). Coming off the worst defensive performance in ages, we're without Rose, Edghill, Gnohere, and possibly Padula, meaning we've got starters Bignot, Shittu, and Santos, along with... Lewis Hamilton, who hasn't played a minute since the pre-season, maybe Serge Branco (didn't I read that he played in defense as well as midfield when we signed him?), maybe an out-of-position Marcus Bean, or some loan pickup we make during the week (paging Frankie Simek!). I sure hope Gino can go. It'll be bad enough having no experienced defenders on the bench, but to have to start Hamilton/Branco/loan signing doesn't sound too appealing.