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[/center][center]QPR vs Manchester City
Loftus Road
Tuesday, 29th January Kick Off: 19:45
B**tard in Black: Phil Dowd[/center]
As reverse fixtures begin to appear it can prove difficult to discuss the opposition without getting a bit repetitive. Fortunately this week’s opposition are QPR, a team not far above Blackburn in the comedy stakes. From their ever tweeting chairmen to the revolving door of transfers being a QPR fan must be incredibly frustrating at the moment. Fortunately for this writer ‘Arry is ‘ere. Always quick with a quote Mr Redknapp’s recent advice for the owner of QPR went along the lines of “If they’re still at the bottom come January I’d tell him to save his money.” How times change, the first day of the transfer window rolled up and ‘Arrys car window was quickly rolled down as he drove into training. There appears to be a good working relationship between QPR and OM which saw ‘Arry steal Loic Remy from under the noses of Newcastle although you do wonder what a player has to gain from trading European football on the hot sunny coast of France for a relegation scrap in rainy London. The suspicious amongst you may think that ‘Arry has been handing out brown envelopes again but I assure you he was not guilty, it was Rosie the dog! Still expect more movement from them in the last hours of the transfer window.
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Without doubt the biggest profiteer in this relationship between the two clubs is the man everyone loves to hate Monsieur Joseph Barton, or agent Barton as he’s known at my house. Selflessly taking QPR down to ten men, Monsieur Barton endangered QPR’s PL survival prospects and got himself on the receiving end of a 12 game ban all to allow us to lift the title on that wonderful day in May. He’s definitely reaping the benefits of these actions now. After a longer than usual summer he soaks up the sun of Southern France and watches QPR hover perilously close to the drop again.
Unlike Loftus Road, it’s been an extremely quiet January at the Etihad this year. The purse strings are tightly closed and you wouldn’t bet the mortgage on a last minute deal and a world superstar being unveiled at 5 minutes past midnight on deadline day. Unless you believe the gossip inches in which case our execs have worked tirelessly to pull off a number of deals and been snubbed by everyone from Asmir Begovic to Pep Guardiola. So with the arrivals lounge at the Etihad arrival looks to be staying empty, can we expect anybody in departures? It seemed to many that Guidetti would be loaned out to gain some much needed football after 9 months out with his mystery virus, but it looks like another mystery virus may be more telling in the window; namely the one that kept Mario Balotelli off the bench at Stoke. I saw him on Friday in Manchester and he didn’t look like a man suffering from a virus. Putting my Red Top Rag Writing hat on, maybe Guidetti is being kept close at hand because the maverick Italian going to be departing. Again not something I’d put money on though.
[center]Last Week[/center]
A solid performance against Stoke brought a deserved win. It’s been a long time coming at the Britannia for City but the hoo doo had to be broken at some point and if I’d actually managed to produce a preview my money was firmly on a City win. Nothing to do with our improving performances but mainly because my better half was watching on TV with me and the last time that happened was Derby day at the swamp last season. (In all honesty I think she’s still coming to terms with the bizarre victory dance enacted by three generations of my family in my granddads living room.)
I though City performed very well at Stoke, adjusting solidly to the loss of Kompany early on and it looks like we may actually have begun to work out how to defend set pieces at long last. It’s not easy for a goalkeeper at Stoke, particularly one who hasn’t had a lot of football recently but Pantilimon looked assured between the sticks and coped well with the few long throws he had to deal with. Lescott was impressive at the back, as was Clichy when he came on. Having not seen the subs bench I was bewildered that Nastasic wasn’t thrown straight on and struggled to understand why Roberto and Platty were playing hangman on scraps of paper whilst we played with ten men. It was a bit of a worry to eventually realise he wasn’t on the bench. Mancini rightly thought that Stoke away was not the time and place to give Rekik another run and his changes worked yet again. Although the victory owes much to the brilliance of Pablo Zabaleta and seeing him pull on the captains’ armband softened the blow of losing Vinny so early. I don’t watch a lot of European football but I can’t believe there is a better right full back out there than this man.
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As usual Barry and Milner were solid and dependable. I’m going to cut and copy that sentence and use it every week because they never seem to deliver to anything other than a good performance. Javi Garica was also much improved and is definitely starting to show signs that he’ll be a useful addition to the squad. His ability in the air was much needed and he also equipped himself well in the battle in the centre of the park. Having seen him shy away from two fifty fifty’s at Wigan there was a worry that he didn’t have the guts for a tackle but he disproved that this week. He was strong when needed and distributed the ball well despite being on the end of an absolute horror of a tackle from Glenn Whelan. Still Howard Webb got the chance to show why he is our premier official, keeping all eleven men on the pitch for both sides and letting the game flow. Sadly keeping all eleven men on the pitch is not actually a good thing and I don’t understand why referees are continually praised for this. If a player deserves two yellow cards he should get them and leave the pitch (unless he’s Jeremy Helan, he should be allowed three or four at least.) It’s difficult to see how Webb missed the severity of that ‘tackle’ from Whelan; he was stood no more than five yards away and looked directly at the challenge. Even with an obscured view of Whelan landing on Garcia’s leg surely he saw him jump into the air with both feet off the ground. From my understanding of the rules the only way Whelan can face the punishment he deserves is if Webb states in his match report that he didn’t see the incident. If that’s the case then Webb should be swiftly removed from his duties and given a job where vision is not a necessity (a point to the best job suggestion in the comments!) Although Webb does have previous for not seeing major incidents, remember him look directly at Balotelli and Parker at the Etihad last year, acknowledge the incident with a hand gesture and then turn round afterwards no doubt at the behest of Taggart and claimed to have missed it.
[center]Connections[/center]
There are a host of connections between us and QPR down the years. Rodney Marsh instantly springs to mind as being amongst the most well known. Tricky Trevor Sinclair, scorer of a non too shabby goal against Barcelona at our first game at the City of Manchester Stadium and tormentor of Patricia Evra on his woeful debut at ours spent a good number of years in the blue and white hoops. Who can forget his outrageous overhead kick?!
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Most recently Academy Graduates Onouha, Barton and Wright-Phillips have found themselves at Loftus road causing me personally and I’m sure many fellow blues to something of a quandary. See I was desperate to watch Mark Hughes get relegated with QPR and I’d find it even better of ‘Arry took them down but it pains me to see Onouha and Shauny Wright struggle week in week out with United cast offs like Park and Fabio.
[center]City[/center]
Not expecting Mancini to make too many changes to the side, chiefly because there just aren’t the personnel available to. Costel Pantilimon looked solid enough at Stoke but Mancini will just have being giving him a bit of game time and expect Joe to slot back into goal. The first selection problem comes at centre half. With Kompany missing the majority of us would see Nastasic as the perfect replacement, however Mancini has somewhere developed an aversion to playing two same footed centre backs and could opt to retain the back three that took over when Kompany went off at Stoke. Whisperings persist that Nastasic may be unavailable, perhaps Mancini will sping another surprise and bring Dedryck Boyata back in from the cold. Tipped for a big things after a strong start to his City career with assured displays against the rags and Chelsea a string of unsuccessful loan spells have seen Boyata’s progress slowed. Perhaps now he’ll get another chance to make an impression. Whatever happens you can be certain Zabaleta will be playing. Whilst a lot has been made of us missing Yaya, the midfield has performed well without him, as we did last year and Mancini should resist making any changes. Barry continues to perform to a high standard week in week out and Javi Garcia is showing signs of improvement, he did well at Stoke and should get the chance to continue.
Whatever Mancini does with the back four expect Milner to retain his place ahead of Nasri, he’s been terrific since getting his opportunity and in my eyes has left Mancini unable to drop him. There’s talk that Nasri deserves another opportunity as he was starting to show a bit of form when he got that ridiculous suspension but I’m a firm advocate of “if it ain’t broke don’t fix it” Especially while Toure is away I’d prefer to keep Milner in the side for his physicality and work rate. QPR will put up a tough battle and that’s not Nasri’s game so he should be made to wait his turn again. David Silva is a shoe-in and there is no explanation needed for his inclusion. There will be a big temptation to bring in Aguero, particularly with Dzeko and Tevez struggling for goals but I expect Mancini to Dzeko and Tevez one last chance to lead the line together at QPR.
[center]QPR[/center]
Predicting the starting XI of a team managed by old ‘Arry in the transfer window is never going to be easy, he already seems to have plenty of players to choose from but with the possibility that he’ll smuggle a whole new side through customers is always a possibility. As ‘Arry generally signs the same players wherever he goes (Tal Ben-Haim is already on board at QPR and you dread to think what he might be earning there) you wouldn’t be surprised to see Defoe and Crouch line up against us this Tuesday.
Julio Cesar should start in goal and Ryan Nelsen and Clint Hill appear to be his favoured centre backs partnership. Nedum Onouha appears to be his getting a reasonable amount of game time at right back and at left back is Fabio, the worse of two bad footballing twins. It genuinely pains me that Rafael and Fabio can con a living as footballers but so long as we don’t have to pay them give me Zaba any day thanks. Shaun Derry seems to play a remarkable amount of football for a man of his advancing years (…checks Wikipedia) at 35 years old. Clearly visits the same passport shop as Yakubu (and Kanu). He seems to be an ever present for QPR and it appears ‘Arry favours a two man holding midfield with M’bia the most likely second man. Other options include Park, Faurlin and Granero but M’bia should get the nod for his physicality. Ahead of them would be three attacking midfielders and a lone front man. As the new signing and with Zamora coming back to fitness Loic Remy would be the most likely starter up top ahead of Cisse, with the three behind him currently in favour Taarabt, Mackie, and Shauny Wright Wright Wright.
[center]Prediction[/center]
On paper it’s a no-brainer, and should be a simple away win. Against that, Loftus Road is a small pitch and it can be difficult to find space as we found out there last year. On the back of an embarrassing defeat to MK Dons you can expect the squad to be on the end of a tough couple of days at training and will be fired up to prove a point and maybe nick one from us. On balance I see us having too much for them and am looking at another clean sheet as well. QPR 0 – 2 City.
[center]One last Thing[/center]
Having just finished this preview it appears Whelan will not be charged by the FA. To my knowledge this means Howard Webb must have said that he clearly saw the incident and felt that he dealt with it appropriately. If that’s the case then fine by me, I’d hate to question the integrity of our leagues finest referees. However it does pose the question how on earth he has risen to such acclaim if that’s his understanding of the laws of the game.
