Clarets looking for capital win

QPR were relegated at the end of that season along with Tranmere and Huddersfield at the end of that season with current manager Ian Holloway having replaced Gerry Francis in the February.

Holloway, now the 13th longest serving manager in England, brought them back up at the 3rd attempt. They just missed the play offs in the first season, got into them a year later but last season came straight up after finishing second behind Plymouth.

He was able to strengthen his squad during the summer and brought in three new players. The first of these was QPR fan Lee Cook who made the move from Watford for £150,000. He had previously spent time at Loftus Road on loan during the 2002/03 season.

Long Ball Joe, suddenly deciding to show an interest in summer transfers out of Portman Road, announced that we were set for talks with Georges Santos but the big French defender felt that travelling from his home in Ipswich would be easier if he signed for QPR and he duly signed.

Cameroon international Serge Branco was next, arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt but the 24-year-old midfielder has been used mainly as a substitute but got his first start last week at Wolves.

The only other signing came just over a week ago when they snapped up Arsenal’s American defender Frankie Simek on loan. Simek has gone straight into the team.

The season got off to something of a poor start and they won just one of their opening six league games. Incredibly, despite the promotion, Holloway’s job was under threat and they needed to pick up some points to ensure he stayed.

They did just that by winning each of the next seven league games, their only blemish in that time being a Carling Cup defeat against Aston Villa. The run lifted them from 20th in the league table to 3rd and they sat just one point behind leaders Wigan just a couple of weeks ago.

The run came to an end at Deepdale a week last Tuesday when they were beaten 2-1 and four days later they went down again by the same scoreline at Molineux against Wolves. Carl Cort scored twice for Wolves with Kevin Gallen pulling one back for QPR in stoppage time.

The last two results have seen them drop a couple of places but they remain in fifth place and no matter what the result tomorrow they will remain in the play off positions.

Click HERE to see all QPR’s results this season.

It’s a tale of strikers when it comes to the QPR team for this weekend with one returning, one ruled out, one just about fit and one not joining the club.

Leading scorer Paul Furlong is back after missing the Wolves defeat with a groin strain but Jamie Cureton is ruled out with a hamstring injury after he initially looked set to be fit.

They are also boosted by the return to fitness of former Luton, Fulham and Bristol City striker Tony Thorpe. He came through a reserve game last night but is more likely to take a place on the bench.

One forward who won’t be playing is Les Ferdinand yet he could have been on either side tomorrow with both Holloway and Steve Cotterill trying to take him on loan. Nothing has happened, Rangers would apparently be favourites, and it looks as though Sam Allardyce wouldn’t allow him to leave in any case.

A familiar face won’t be there tomorrow – King Arthur Gnohere is out injured but in any case he hasn’t featured in the first team at Loftus Road since August.

Rangers are expected to line up: Chris Day, Marcus Bignot, Frankie Simek, Georges Santos, Matthew Rose, Serge Branco, Marc Bircham, Lee Cook, Martin Rowlands, Paul Furlong, Kevin Gallen. Subs from: Jake Cole, Richard Edghill, Gino Padula, Marcus Bean, Scott Donnelly, Tony Thorpe.

Trying to guess the Burnley team was an easy task earlier in the season, it was the same as in the previous match. But that is no longer the case and there is almost certainly going to be one change from the side that beat Aston Villa that will see the return of Frank Sinclair from suspension.

That will signal a return to right back for Michael Duff and that will mean either Lee Roche or Richard Duffy standing down.

Both could be on the bench too but much will depend on whether Richard Chaplow is fit and whether new signing James O’Connor gets a start or kicks off his Burnley career from the subs bench. Chappy is still a doubt and I would think that he might not be risked and will be on the bench if passed fit enough.

Jean-Louis Valois was on the bench last time out away from home and that could be the case again as we look to contain the home side.

Second guessing Steve Cotterill is not easy but maybe we will line up something like:

Danny Coyne, Michael Duff, Frank Sinclair, John McGreal, Mo Camara, Jean-Louis Valois, James O’Connor, Tony Grant, Micah Hyde, Graham Branch, Robbie Blake. Subs: Brian Jensen, Lee Roche, Richard Duffy, Richard Chaplow, Matt O’Neill.

That last visit to Loftus Road to take on QPR came just over four years ago on 21st October 2000 and ended in a 1-0 victory for the Clarets with substitute John Mullin scoring the only goal of the game.

It was a fourth successive league win for the Clarets but we were just days away from a 5-0 defeat at the City Ground against Nottingham Forest.

The teams that day were:

QPR: Lee Harper, Jermaine Darlington, Christer Warren, Matthew Rose, Mark Perry (Paul Murray 74), Clarke Carlisle, Richard Langley (Sammy Koejoe 73), Gavin Peacock, Peter Crouch, Stuart Wardley, Karl Connolly. Subs not used: Ludek Miklosko, Iain Dowie, Antti Heinola.

Burnley: Nik Michopoulos, Paul Weller, Mitchell Thomas, Steve Davis, Ian Cox, Lee Briscoe, Micky Mellon, Kevin Ball, Paul Cook (Lenny Johnrose 79), Andy Payton (Paul Armstrong 81), Graham Branch (John Mullin 66). Subs not used: Paul Crichton, Gordon Armstrong.