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Yes once again we are in West London and once again playing one of the richest clubs in England. But that's where the comparison ends. On Wednesday we were playing the current Premier League leaders and last season's Champions League Finalists, now we play a side just below us in the league.
It's been a hell of a week for us, a trip to the top of our own league Wolves, then Chelsea and now QPR. This time there won't be quite so many Burnley fans as there were at Stamford Bridge, but I think we all know that this game is just as important if not more so.
We need to get something after last week's defeat to keep inside that top six. Now we are there it is not a position we want to give up.
I think we all know that QPR financially could buy and sell every club in the Championship since the big takeover during last season, and that immediately placed them as one of the favourites to win promotion.
One thing they haven't managed as yet though is to appoint a manager for the long term. Since the beginning of last season no fewer than four managers have left the club and they are currently under caretaker Gareth Ainsworth since the sudden and premature departure of Iain Dowie.
We also know that despite all the money they are staging the most expensive football in the Championship. We have to pay £30 to see the Clarets tomorrow, by far the most we've ever been asked to pay, and it could have been even higher had Derby County not stuck their noses in and refused to allow their fans to pay the higher price when they went there recently.
They didn't spend as heavily as envisaged during the summer although there were plenty of new additions to an already sizeable squad. Of the new faces at Loftus Road five were permanent signings.
Peter Ramage signed from Newcastle and he was followed by goalkeeper Radek Cerny from Spurs. They also signed Blackpool defender and Burnley target Kaspars Gorkss and Damiano Tommasi from Levante.
But there were also four loan singings. The first was a familiar face in QPR fan Lee Cook who had left for Fulham just a year earlier when the club desperately needed the money from the transfer fee (how times change) and they've also got Samuel Di Carmine, Emmanuel Ledesma and Daniel Parejo on loan from Fiorentina, Genoa and Real Madrid respectively. Both Ledesma and Parejo are being tipped to become top players.
Their season has started well and they are currently just one point and two places below us and will be looking for our place in the top six. They are doing well at home and have won each of their last two home games 1-0.
QPR have money to spend and could well make some big changes to the squad in January. They are still expected to make a push for promotion and certainly have a very good chance of finishing in the top six.
One player definitely ruled out of the game tomorrow for QPR is midfielder Akos Buzsaky. The Hungarian suffered a cruciate ligament injury in their Carling Cup defeat to Manchester United on Tuesday and is ruled out for the season.
He was on the bench last Saturday for the win against Cardiff and caretaker boss Ainsworth is expected to name the same side as a week ago. If so they will line up as follows:
Radek Cerny, Matthew Connolly, Damion Stewart, Fitz Hall, Peter Ramage, Emmanuel Ledesma, Martin Rowlands, Damiano Tommasi, Lee Cook, Dexter Blackstock, Samuel Di Carmine. Subs from: Jake Cole, Damien Delaney, Kaspars Gorkss, Hogan Ephraim, Gavin Mahon, Patrick Agyemang, Daniel Parejo.
There's good and bad news for Owen Coyle in defence. Clarke Carlisle has completed his one match ban after being sent off at Wolves but captain Steven Caldwell must now sit out a game after suffering the same fate at Chelsea. It is almost certain that Carlisle will come straight back in for Caldwell.
Steven Thompson is available again after missing out in midweek cup tied and I think he'll return at the expense of Martin Paterson who will probably return to the bench.
Our likely team is: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Clarke Carlisle, Michael Duff, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, Joey Gudjonsson, Chris McCann, Chris Eagles, Robbie Blake, Steven Thompson. Subs from: Diego Penny, Kevin McDonald, Alan Mahon, Jay Rodriguez, Ade Akinbiyi, Jay Rodriguez.
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It was all beginning to look hugely forgettable when Gavin Mahon gave QPR the lead and that lead was doubled on the half hour through Patrick Agyemang. Down to London in midweek, two goals down in half an hour and little prospect of getting back into the game. It was already beginning to look as though it would be a long journey home, and Brian Jensen almost gifted them a third.
Four minutes from half time we were given some hope when we won a free kick 35 yards from goal. Joey Gudjonsson was probably our best player up to this point in the game and he took the kick. Andrew Cole made his move and deflected it past Lee Camp in goal and at least we went in at half time only one goal behind.
Ade Akinbiyi came on for Robbie Blake at half time after a first half tat QPR had dominated. But they didn't dominate it anything like we did the second half as we simply murdered them and the stars of the show were Cole and Akinbiyi.
The equaliser was the goal of the game. A superb move saw the ball played up to Cole and he released Ade down the right and moved into the box to get on the end of the cross to volley home.
Then Ade got the goal his performance so richly deserved to put us in front before Cole got on the end of a Graham Alexander free kick to complete his hat trick and give us a 4-2 win on a remarkable night.
The teams were;
QPR: Lee Camp, Matthew Connolly (Michael Mancienne 90), Damion Stewart, Zesh Rehman, Damien Delaney, Akos Buzsaky, Gavin Mahon, Martin Rowlands (Mikele Leigertwood 39), Hogan Ephraim (Dexter Blackstock 68), Patrick Agyemang, Rowan Vine. Subs not used: Matt Pickens, Kieran Lee.
Burnley: Brian Jensen, Graham Alexander, Stanislav Varga, Steven Caldwell, Jon Harley, Wade Elliott, Joey Gudjonsson, James O'Connor (John Spicer 90), Kyle Lafferty, Robbie Blake (Ade Akinbiyi 45), Andrew Cole (Mark Randall 89). Subs not used: Gabor Kiraly, Stephen Jordan.
Previous 20 Seasons | |||||
Season | Div | Ven | Result | Att | Scorers |
2000/01 | 1 | a | 1-0 | 11,427 | Mullin |
| . | . | h | 2-1 | 14,018 | Smith Taylor |
2004/05 | C | a | 0-3 | 15,638 | . |
. | . | h | 2-0 | 10,396 | Akinbiyi(2) |
2005/06 | C | a | 1-1 | 12,565 | McCann |
| . | . | h | 1-0 | 11,247 | Gray |
2006/07 | C | h | 2-0 | 12,190 | Jones(2) |
. | . | a | 1-3 | 10,811 | McCann |
2007/08 | C | h | 0-2 | 10,522 | . |
| . | . | a | 4-2 | 13,410 | Cole(3) Akinbiyi |