 Friday, 21st Oct 2011 20:51 by Clive Whittingham Nervous times for QPR fans who have waited 15 years for a home fixture against Chelsea – the odds are stacked against Rangers for this Sunday’s showdown at Loftus Road. QPR (11th) v Chelsea (3rd)Barclays Premier League >>> Sunday October 23, 2011 >>> Kick Off 4pm >>> Loftus Road, London, W12 >>> Live on Sky Sports 1 Neil Warnock's last spell in the Premiership as a manager was, to a large extent, a tale of missed opportunity. Then serving as Sheffield United manager Warnock rather foolishly said his team would be safe if they beat West Ham at home (they did, 3-0) but then spent the remaining games being overly cautious with a rigid 4-5-1 formation, including for the penultimate match away at a poor Aston Villa side with nothing to play for and then a final winner takes all home match with Wigan at Bramall Lane. They still only lost that Wigan game courtesy of an incredible handball in his own box from Phil Jagielka that enabled David Unsworth to step up and stroke home a crucial penalty against his former club. Penalties, for and against, became a running theme for the Blades that season. Earlier in the campaign they'd wasted two in one home match against Blackburn and had either been converted they would have stayed up. And just a few short weeks later they were awarded another one against champions Chelsea and Danny Webber missed that one as well – Chelsea went on to win 2-0 in a game that United had more than a fair share of and could well have won had they got their noses in front. With all that in mind it's no surprise that Warnock has hung around in the game longer than his own personal retirement date desperate for that one last shot at the big time. He has a chance to right the wrongs of his one brief spell in the Premier League at Sheffield United with Rangers and has rightly pointed out that QPR should be relishing their forthcoming fixture list from hell – after all what are you in the big league for if it's not to play the big teams? He does admit though that QPR are highly likely to be beaten by Chelsea this Sunday and over the next few games as well. That regret at how things turned out at Sheff Utd shone through in every interview he did after our promotion last season. The talk of going to enjoy the big time, playing to win every match, replicating the Blackpool spirit of last season was, I felt, a clear nod to the fact that over-caution cost him dear last time around. The problem is I wonder if the Fulham game has perhaps scared him back into his old ways slightly - the three man deep lying midfield we employed against Blackburn was wholly unnecessary against a limited team and yielded only a single point when three were there for the taking. Had QPR performed against Rovers in the same style and manner they did against Newcastle they'd have won comfortably. So to stick or twist against Chelsea this time? Return to the attacking philosophy we employed pre-Fulham, or adopt the more cautious approach we saw against Blackburn last week? Warnock has the added pressure of this being a derby match, one that QPR fans have waited a long time for, as well as contending with the quality of the opposition. Personally I’m not sure anything he does will really make much of a difference against a side a clearly superior to us as Chelsea are, although the absence of Torres through suspension just as he has started to find some form and Ramires through injury just as he has started to really influence games in this country, give us more hope. It’s usually at this point that I say I’m looking forward to finding out, but I’m not. I’ve never been a big one for derby games. That’s partly because my nomadic existence over the past 27 years has denied me access to the new breed of Chelsea fan that now sits in the Paddington Aberdeen Angus Steak House in a replica shirt while the team plays a game against West Ham five miles away that they could watch on TV in the pub next door, but also partly because I’ve never really got the idea in sport that you automatically hate the club nearest to you. Even in Rugby League, where I struggle to put into words just how much I hate Hull Kingston Rovers, my loathing comes not from their presence in the same city as my own team but from a succession of events and incidents over the course of my lifetime, each one plastering another layer of hatred on top of the previous coat. In football I’ve felt that more for Man Utd than I have for Chelsea although my move back to the capital six months ago has me hoisting a Man City flag higher with each passing day. Still, the thought of men old enough to know better hencing forth with bile and violence in the streets around Loftus Road amid a tense atmosphere, increased police presence and clamp down on the local pubs (again) fills me with dread – particularly as we’re almost certain to lose the match. I can’t wait for it to be over to be honest. Still, there’s always that chance that we might sneak something. One thing Warnock learnt last time was that when you get a chance, be it as good as a penalty or as meagre as a sniff in a goal mouth scramble, you have to take it when it comes along. If we defend well and do that on Sunday then who knows? It’s that faint hope that keeps us coming back. Links >>> Opposition Focus >>> History >>> Referee >>> Betting >>> Tube Closures This SundayTeam News: The QPR team is unlikely to be radically different from the one that drew with Blackburn with Neil Warnock’s hands tied to a certain extent by injuries in the areas where he’d probably like to make changes. It was pretty clear from his assessment of Chris Samba’s goal last week that he wasn’t overly thrilled with Fitz Hall’s marking but with Matthew Connolly recovering from an ankle knock, Danny Gabbidon nursing a knee injury and Clint Hill out on loan at Nottingham Forest his only other option is Bruno Perone who isn’t very good. Similarly in attack where one suspects he would have liked to select DJ Campbell from the start last week, a broken bone in the striker’s foot means it’s a straight choice between Helguson and Bothroyd for this game and the Icelandic target man did his cause no harm at all last week against Rovers. The main decision seems to be whether or not to recall Adel Taarabt – instead of Shaun Derry if he wants to be brave, instead of Jamie Mackie if he doesn’t. Keiron Dyer has apparently removed the protective boot from his foot injury this week and is five weeks ahead of schedule on his comeback. For Chelsea Fernando Torres is suspended after his sending off against Swansea – Anelka, Drogba and Sturridge will vie for the lone striking role in his absence. Sturridge, with four goals in four starts, will almost certainly start somewhere in the attack. Ramires has been ruled out for a month with a knee injury, expect Raul Meireles to play in midfield instead. Michael Essien is a long term absentee. Elsewhere: It's a big day for derby games on Sunday with Man Utd facing league leaders Man City at 1.30pm on Sky before we clash with Chelsea . City haven't finished above United in the league since 1991 but stand a great chance of doing so this season and if they manage it then they will more than likely be league champions. All the teams that played in Europe , and mostly suffered at the hands of diabolical refereeing, are also playing on Sunday. Expect more anti-Steve Kean protests at Blackburn v Spurs but don't rule the home side out of the game on the field, likewise Stoke going to Arsenal where their record is dreadful but circumstances seem right for a rare win. Fulham face Everton in the remaining fixture. Before all of that there are five mediocre Saturday fixtures with struggling Wolves v Swansea the lunchtime televised game, and the Midlands derby between Villa and West Brom the pick of the 3pm games. Villa are yet to concede a goal from a set piece of any sorts this season for your information. Bolton v Sunderland looks like a six pointer and another chance for that final nail to go into Steve Bruce's coffin, Newcastle v Wigan looks like a comfortable home win. Referee: Merseyside official Chris Foy is in the middle for this one, his first QQPR appointment since a 0-0 draw at Reading in 2008. Foy was due to referee another 0-0 draw, at Burnley last season, but was pulled from the game late on for reasons that were never quite explained. This season he had to wait a long time for a Premiership appointment, his first came at the end of September, but he has done three games since and his form must be seen as pretty decent for him to be awarded this big televised match. A full case file can be seen here. FormQPR: Rangers finished above Chelsea in three of their four previous Premiership seasons, but Kevin Gallen and his Magic Hat back in 1995 was the only QPR win against the Blues in 14 attempts in all competitions and Chelsea won twice on this ground in 1995/96 the last time we were in the top flight. Chelsea have allowed the fewest shots on target of any side in the top division and QPR have the worst shots to goals conversion ratio in the league which doesn’t bode well. Nor does our recent home form – the draw with Blackburn made it eight home games without a win dating back to the first weekend in April. Heidar Helguson did at least break our scoring duck but we have still managed just two goals in five home matches this season. Chelsea: QPR can perhaps take some heart from Chelsea’s poor recent record in away games against other London clubs – they’ve won just one of the last six. They have also failed to keep a clean sheet in any of their last seven Premiership fixtures which is their worst run since 2003. But let’s be honest here, they’re in good form – they have won four of their last five matches in all competitions, scoring 18 goals in the process and they have already beaten our fellow newly promoted sides Norwich and Swansea this season scoring seven goals into the bargain. Betting: They say you never see a bookie on a bike, and professional odds compiler Owen Goulding is certainly showing why. Since joining the LFW clan a month ago he has given us four odds against tips, and they’ve all come roaring home. He had more than 2.5 goals to be scored at Wolves at 11/10, a correct half time score in the Villa game at 7/4, Southend to beat Shrewsbury at 13/8 and then last week had Chris Samba to score anytime at 14/1. Let’s see what he thinks this week… I hate these games. In fact, I hate Chelsea. I hate everything they stand for. The only way it is in any way enjoyable watching these games, is if we don't lose. Which brings me back to my original point and why I am dreading this match. I want to be optimistic - I want to tell you that Rangers are due a massive performance and Chelsea are due a stinker and we will all be celebrating in Kevin Gallen magic hat style. But I have been doing this job long enough to see the signs. QPR are currently in a bit of a muddle and Warnock seems a little unsure of his best team and is still tinkering - whereas Mr Boas is quietly sorting his team into an efficient title challenging team. It is going to need a performance of great magnitude to get something from this game based on current form. Barton / Wright-Phillips etc need to step up to the plate and show the Loftus Road faithful why so much was paid for them - especially as the Chelsea midfield has opposing teams chasing shadows at present. But the problem for me is the defence that lies behind the midfield. And that's why most reluctantly, my bet of the weekend is… Chelsea to score in both halves at 6/5 with Ladbrokes. It could be a long day. Prediction: I keep getting an attack of the ‘what ifs’ this week. What if we did win. What if we scored really early and then valiantly hung on for the entire match, or better still snuck a late winner on the counter attack at the Loft End. They’d write songs about it. Sadly I cannot see it. The Premiership is a cruel and unforgiving place and as we didn’t really show too much to suggest we’re that great last week against one of the division’s worst teams I can’t see us suddenly turning that around enough to beat one of its best. My main prediction is I’ll be very annoyed at seeing QPR giving it 110% and flying into challenges all afternoon, which I’m sure they will do, when had they done so last week they’d have beaten Blackburn easily. With regret… Chelsea to win 2-0, 13/2 on Betfair Play Fitz Hall injury sweepstake every Friday on Twitter, @loftforwords. This week’s LFW Fitz Hall injury sweepstake guess is 17 minutes. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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