QPR -- 14th, 4 GP, 0 GD, 5 points v. Ipswich Town -- 22nd, 4 GP, -4 GD, 1 point ------ 25 August 2006 19:45 Loftus Road ------ TV in the US -- Setanta Sports USA (broadcast begins at 2:30 p.m. ET) ------ Rangers News: Nick Ward has recovered from a minor calf injury and should start. Gareth Ainsworth and Martin Rowlands will face fitness tests before the match. The Opponent: Ipswich has had a poor start, losing their first three (1-2 at home to Palace, 0-1 at Wolves, 1-3 at Leicester) before drawing 0-0 at home to Hull. Peterborough knocked them out of the Carling Cup this week in penalties after it was 2-2 after extra time. QPR supporter and striker Sam Parkin will sit out pending a possible transfer to Preston or Luton. Striker Nick Forster picked up a groin injury in the Carling Cup match and will also miss out. Ipswich's home and away kits clash with our blue-and-white hoops, so they'll be wearing a one-off black kit. The Series: It's an extremely close series with Ipswich leading the overall series by one game, 22-16-21. In league play, Ipswich also has a one-game lead, 20-15-19. Last season, QPR won 2-1 at home and earned a point away, 2-2. In 04/05, the away team won each match (QPR won 2-0 away, while Ipswich won 4-2 at Loftus Road).
Player updates from QPR World: -Ward will play. -Stewart came off very late against Northampton, but will start. -Czerkas is back in light training after illness. -Nygaard is still working his way back to fitness. -Rowlands faces a late fitness test (calf strain). -Ainsworth "is hoping to shake off" a hamstring injury. -Shimmin is out for about six weeks. After tonight, we don't play again until September 9th. I wonder if that impacts whether Rowlands and Ainsworth will try to start, knowing they've got a rest ahead.
I'm guessing we'll be unchanged from the Preston match. Paul Jones Stewart Rose Rehman Milanese Ainsworth Rowlands Ward Cook Blackstock Ray Jones Did Rose play right back or in the middle? Guessing that Gallen or Bircham could come into midfield if any of the three fail their fitness tests. Hopefully not.
I agree -- if everyone can go, he'll probably go with the same lineup as against Southend and Preston. Rose was at right back against Southend and Preston. Stewart and Rehman have been in the middle. I think if Rowlands can't go in the center of midfield, Lomas or Bircham would pair better (than Gallen) with Ward, since Ward is very attack minded.
A dissapointing night for the Rs, plain and simple. A good start, then a fortunate goal early in the 2nd half should have provided a base for 3 points, but it took a turn for the worse after a soft penalty was conceeded. That was followed by some sloppy defending and an attack that never really got moving. Here are some reports from the papers. Public opinion certainly has shifted after a poor showing in front of the Sky cameras... The Telegraph Ipswich break their duck By Tom Cary QPR (0) 1 Ipswich (0) 3 Ipswich Town shrugged off the lethargy that has consumed them over the past few weeks to inflict a first home defeat this term on QPR at Loftus Road last night. The Suffolk side came from a goal behind to earn their first win of the campaign in some style, though they needed the not inconsiderable fillip of a controversial penalty to do so. "It was definitely the turning point of the game," said QPR manager Gary Waddock. "It looked like the ref changed his mind. He wasn't going to give it but then he did. I don't think anyone in the ground thought it was a penalty." Full report - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?view=DETAILS&grid=&xml=/sport/2006/08/26/sfgqpr26.xml The Times New-look Ipswich finally find their form By Kaveh Solhekol Queens Park Rangers 1 Ipswich Town 3 IPSWICH TOWN supporters were rubbing their eyes in disbelief last night after watching their side win for the first time this season. Three points seemed unlikely when Kevin Gallen gave Queens Park Rangers the lead from close range soon after the interval but a controversial penalty converted by Simon Walton, a tap-in by Jason De Vos and a header by Dean Bowditch gave the visiting side the victory that they deserved. “We showed a lot of character and passed the ball in a manner that is befitting of this club,” Jim Magilton, the Ipswich manager, said. Full report - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,435-2329797,00.html Suffolk Evening Star Ipswich give chairman a reason to smile ELVIN KING DAVID Sheepshanks was allowed a smile as he left Loftus Road last night. The Ipswich Town chairman had just seen Jim Magilton's side crush Queens Park Rangers 3-1 to give the manager his first win in the Championship. It was a welcome relief after the concern of the opening three weeks of the season, and Sheepshanks said: “This comes as a result of hard work, belief and perseverance. “It is a turning point for us all, but most of all for Jim and his players. Full report - http://www.eveningstar.co.uk/conten...ry=zsport&itemid=IPED26 Aug 2006 09:12:54:720
Disappointing loss. It's going to be a long, tough season and we have to get points a) at home and b) against teams in poor form. We particularly need to get points when both are the case, as was the situation on Friday. The R's are in 20th. Sunderland and West Brom play today. The Coca-Cola Football League Championship Table Pos Team P GD PTS 1 Cardiff 5 5 13 2 Norwich 5 6 10 ------ 3 Crystal Palace 5 3 10 4 Birmingham 5 1 10 5 Wolverhampton 5 1 10 6 West Brom 4 3 8 ------ 7 Burnley 5 2 8 8 Plymouth 5 1 8 9 Southampton 5 2 7 10 Luton 5 1 7 11 Leicester 5 0 7 12 Leeds 5 0 7 13 Coventry 5 -1 7 14 Barnsley 5 -3 7 15 Stoke 5 1 6 16 Preston 5 0 6 17 Southend 5 -2 6 18 Sheff Wed 5 -1 5 19 Derby 5 -2 5 20 QPR 5 -2 5 21 Ipswich 5 -2 4 ------ 22 Colchester 5 -3 3 23 Hull 5 -5 1 24 Sunderland 4 -5 0