The dawn of the £50 Championship match ticket brings Derby County to Loftus Road on Saturday to face an in form QPR side.

Queens Park Rangers (4th) v Derby County (20th)
Coca Cola Championship
Saturday September 27, Kick Off 3pm
Loftus Road, London

Well what a week it has been. On the back of the superb 4-1 win against Southampton nearly a fortnight ago everybody still seemed to be viewing our three successive away games with some trepidation. Midweek trips to Norwich and Aston Villa looked like forlorn causes while Coventry City are increasingly becoming a bogey for us. The Sky Blues maintained that trend of course with a 1-0 win they scarcely deserved but having said beforehand that I’d be happy if we could pinch one win somewhere from the three matches I was delighted to see us pick up two and deserve a clean sweep.

Iain Dowie says he ‘likes the smell of the dressing room’ and while it is easy to poke fun at that statement you can see what he means. Playing with ten men for so long at Carrow Road and still winning, then dominating at Coventry and then recovering from the disappointment of a defeat against the run of play to beat a top premiership side and keep them scoreless hints at attitude, application and ability the likes of which we haven’t seen at QPR for some time.

The trick now is to back that up with four, or preferably six, points from two home games over the next three days. We’re certainly well capable of doing it although it would be most un-QPR-like for us to show enough consistency to pull it off. Victories on Saturday and Tuesday would cement our position in the thick of the early pace setters and convince even the most pessimistic doubters that we could be the real deal this season.

On Saturday we face Derby County – a club where the dressing room has stunk for the wrong reasons for some time. Paul Jewell has certainly not been shy of lambasting his players’ attitude in his time at the club and still has only one league win to his name in almost 40 attempts. Despite seven new arrivals in January and another 11 during the summer transfer window Derby don’t seem to have shaken off the losing mentality just yet although they have been on an encouraging run of results just recently since the introduction of young Miles Addison to the team.

This promises to be a tough but winnable encounter for QPR, whose antics off the field in the last fortnight have ensured that the attention of the media this weekend will be on the scandalous ticket prices we’ve decided to charge all of a sudden rather than our bright, promising young side that is starting to make waves on the pitch.

Five minutes on Derby County
Derby County have endured a torrid time during the last 18 months and despite a bit of an upturn in form just lately there are few signs that they are out of the woods just yet. It all looked so promising three summers ago when Billy Davies, a man with a growing reputation at Championship level, was prised away from Preston to take charge at Pride Park. Derby had tried to lure Davies once before but settled for Phil Brown in the end with near disastrous consequences.

Davies came with an impressive record of taking Preston, essentially a middle of the road club, to the brink of the Premiership but never quite making it over the final hurdle. With two near misses in the play offs under his belt he immediately laid down a three year plan to take Derby into the Premiership and set about putting that into action.

Things started pretty slowly, just two wins from their first eight matches and a League Cup defeat at Doncaster Rovers. However Derby sprung forward with a terrific winter campaign that saw them win all six matches in November – a feat they repeated in January. An incredible run of 16 wins from 19 matches put the Rams top and seven points clear of West Brom in third coming out of the January transfer window. Davies was allowed to spend that January and strengthened his team with the like4s of David Jones, Craig Fagan, Gary Teale, Stephen Pearson and Jay McEvely all arriving at a cost of around £4m.

As our own Lee Camp found to his cost Davies is a manager who is very keen to get his own people around him and if you’re not a player he has signed you’ve pretty much had it. However Davies’ signings seemed to weaken Derby over the closing weeks – certainly when QPR went to Pride Park and were unlucky to only draw 1-1 the Rams were a shadow of the side that had played so well and won at Loftus Road earlier in the season. They collected just six further wins from the final 17 matches of the season surrendering their position in the top two in the process.

The play off victories against Southampton and West Brom were unexpected because of this drop off in form but Derby nevertheless took their place amongst the elite again at the start of last season after a five year absence. Davies took the opportunity of the media spotlight after the play off final to talk almost exclusively about his contract situation at the club and the need to get David Kelly in as assistant manager from Preston. The fiery little Scot has always struck me as an odd fellow but this was strange behaviour even by his standards and to be honest he was lucky not to be sacked there and then.

Derby added Premiership never quite has beens like Andy Todd and Robert Earnshaw to their squad for Davies’ first season of top flight football but they, and he, looked distinctly out of their depth in the top flight and although they beat Newcastle 1-0 early on in the campaign it soon started to turn into an unmitigated disaster. Six games without scoring through October and November brought Davies the sack and although Paul Jewell was highly sought after since his departure from Wigan at the end of the previous season he couldn’t turn them around and in fact made them a lot worse after taking over. In all Derby went through their final 32 league games without a win, conceding four goals or more on seven occasions, including an embarrassing thrashing at home to fellow relegatees Reading on the final day of the campaign.

Jewell, who worked wonders at Bradford and Wigan but failed miserably at Sheff Wed, started his reign by asking the fans for patience and telling them to judge him when he’d had a chance to sign his own players. When seven new arrivals in January, including Danny Mills and Robbie Savage on big money, actually made the Rams a lot worse he shifted his position to one where he spent all his time slagging his own team off and asking the fans to judge him on his summer signings. In amongst all this he managed to appear in a compromising situation in the News of the World.

I personally thought Jewell was lucky to survive in the summer and that a new broom would have done the club good but he has started the season in charge and Derby have pretty much picked up where they left off. Again Jewell has been allowed to bring in his own men – 12 signings were made during the summer – but again the results have been less than encouraging. Jewell tore strips off his side at half time in a 1-1 draw at Bristol City and they have already lost to Doncaster, Barnsley and Southampton this season which could easily be the bottom three come May.

Their first league win in almost an entire calendar year came against Sheff Utd in scrappy fashion a fortnight ago but that remains their only league win of the season so far after seven matches. To cap it all Jewell has already started offloading signings that he brought to the club – Robbie Savage is out of the team altogether and Liam Dickinson, signed for £750k only two months ago, is already out on loan at Huddersfield Town.

To an outsider looking in Derby look a right mess, a rudderless ship and a side capable of really struggling this season. They are currently two points off the bottom of the table and face a tough week with QPR on Saturday and Birmingham next Tuesday. If there was ever a time for Jewell, still lucky to be employed in my book, to turn this round and get them firing on all cylinders it is now.

Men to watch
In the quest to bring the good times back to Pride Park this season Paul Jewell turned in the summer to two strikers who, though proven at this level, have big question marks over their heads after recent set backs. Nathan Ellington was the star attraction in Jewell’s Wigan side that won promotion from this level in 2004/05 scoring 24 goals that season. He couldn’t really cut it in the Premiership though and miserable spells with West Brom and Watford have since followed. A hat trick against Lincoln in the League Cup hinted at bigger and better things to come but he is yet to open a league account with the Rams and at the moment it looks as if his career is on the wane.

Rob Hulse was the big money capture of the summer, signing from Sheff Utd for £1.75m. He’s another who has good pedigree at this level after impressive spells with Crewe, West Brom and Leeds but his time with Sheff Utd was decimated with serious injuries and he is now looking to re-ignite a stalled career at Pride Park. He bagged the winner against Sheff Utd a fortnight ago, though there seemed to be more than a hint of handball about it, and will pose the main threat to Rangers on Saturday. The hard working Emmanuel Villa started with Hulse against Cardiff but like all strikers with the words “hard” and “working” superseding their name he struggles to score regularly and is yet to net this campaign.

Supplying the service to them should be Kris Commons, a summer signing from Forest where QPR were regular visitors to watch the Scottish international without ever firming up their interest, and Giles Barnes a superb product of the Derby youth set up. Sadly for Rams fans both are injured this weekend and Barnes is yet to make an appearance of any note this season. Everybody knows about Robbie Savage but he is out of favour at the moment so the pressure is all on Paul Green and young Miles Addison.

Green was an outstanding performer in Doncaster’s promotion season last term but swapped the Keepmoat for life in the Midlands over the summer and already has two goals to his name, including one against Cardiff last time out. Addison is another youth team product and looks to be a terrific find on recent form. He made his debut against Preston in the League Cup earlier this season and has looked right at home at the heart of the Rams midfield – the form has improved immeasurably with him in the team as well, just one defeat from the five games he’s played in so far. Keep an eye out for Steve Davies as well, a summer signing via tribunal from Tranmere and a player I like a lot.

At the back Dean Leacock left for Derby from Fulham at the same time, and for the same money, as Zesh Rehman and I always thought we made a big mistake there. Leacock was classy in Derby’s promotion season but a bit like a rabbit caught in headlights when he played last season. He’s plenty good enough for this level though. Likewise Martin Albrechtson who looked a canny signing when he joined from West Brom in the summer. Big, mean Claude Davis, he of razor blade to Ade Akinbiyi infamy, has struggled with injury so far this season and hasn’t featured since the home defeat to Southampton.

Roy Carroll continues to flap around like a poorly pigeon between the sticks.

Previous Meetings
With Derby doing themselves proud in the Premiership last season it’s been two years since the sides last met at Loftus Road. That night, with Derby pushing for promotion and QPR fighting against relegation, the away side won far more comfortably than the 2-1 scoreline may suggest. An early goal from Bisgaard was quickly cancelled out by a master blaster from Jimmy Smith but Steve Howard had the visitors back in front by half time and it was only keeper Paul Jones, making five outstanding saves on the night, that kept QPR in touch. This was John Gregory’s fourth game as QPR manager and first defeat.

QPR: P Jones 9, Lomas 4 (Donnelly 81), Stewart 4, Rehman 3, Bignot 7, Rowlands 6, Bircham 7, Smith 7, Cook 7, Blackstock 6, R Jones 6 (Gallen 73, 6)
Subs not used: Royce, Ward, Mancienne
Scorers: Smith 6
Bookings: Cook 57, Rehman 80

Derby County: Grant 8, Edworthy 5, Camara 6, Bolder 6, Leacock 7 (Boertien 90, -), M Johnson 7, Bisgaard 8 (Moore 84, -), Howard 9, Lupoli 8 (Stead 61, 8), S Johnson 8, Oakley 7
Subs not used: Bywater, Smith
Scorers: Bisgaard 3, Howard 32
Bookings: Bolder 25, S Johnson 55, Edworthy 65
Attendance: 10, 882

Match Report

By the time the clubs met in the return fixture things had moved on apace. Derby were now pushing for the two automatic promotion spots while QPR were approaching do or die time at the bottom. Martin Rowlands gave the R’s a first half lead at Pride Park and Paul Furlong had a goal incorrectly chalked off for offside. A backs to the wall effort in the second half finally succumbed four minutes from time when Darren Moore went up from the back to head a scarcely deserved equaliser. With rangers winning 3-1 at Leicester three days later this turned out to be the result and the performance that sparked a run of season saving form for Rangers while Derby went on to beat West Brom in the play off final and haven’t been quite the same since.

Derby County: Bywater 7, Edworthy 6, McEveley 6, Leacock 7 Moore 7, Jones 7 (Peschisolido 76, 5), Howard 7, Lupoli 5, Oakley 5, Teale 5 (Fagan 65, 5), Barnes 5
Subs: Grant, Johnson, Mears
Goals: Moore 87
Bookings: Moore 5 (foul), Howard 46 (foul)

QPR: Royce 7, Bignot 7, Cullip 8, Stewart 7, Mancienne 7, Rowlands 8 (Ainsworth 27, 6), Lomas 7 (Smith 90, -), Idiakez 7, Cook 8, Furlong 7 (Jones 83, -), Nygaard 6
Subs not used: Cole, Kanyuka
Goals: Rowlands 13
Bookings: Furlong 26 (kicking the ball away), Ainsworth 37 (foul), Idiakez 73 (kicking the ball away), Bignot 78 (shoulder charge), Cook 84 (foul)

Attendance: 27, 567

Match Report

Head to Head:
QPR wins: 10
Draws: 15
Derby wins: 15

Previous QPR v Derby Results:
2006/07 Derby 1 QPR 1 (Rowlands)
2006/07 QPR 1 Derby 2 (Smith)
2005/06 QPR 1 Derby 1 (Nygaard)
2005/06 Derby 1 QPR 2 (Ainsworth, Gallen)
2004/05 Derby 0 QPR 0
2004/05 QPR 0 Derby 2

The last time QPR beat Derby at home was in the early 1980s and that is the featured match in the Connections and Memories section this week. Click here for more details.

Team News
Iain Dowie has an ever growing selection headache as players start returning to fitness. Matt Connolly is expected to stay at right back after deputising for the injured Peter Ramage on Wednesday night but Dexter Blackstock should return as the lone striker after a rest at Villa Park. Fitz Hall and Martin Rowlands both picked up late knocks at Villa but should start. Lee Cook is fit for selection but the best he can hope for is the bench with Buzsaky, Rowlands and Ledesma expected to carry on in the attacking midfield positions.

Paul Jewell is without one time QPR transfer target Kris Commons who is experiencing problems with his calf and hamstring. Goalkeeper Roy Carroll should start despite complaining of a stiff back during their last match against Cardiff City. Former QPR junior Ruben Zadkovic is yet to make his Derby debut after moving from the Aussie A-League during the summer – he has had groin surgery and will miss out again this weekend as will Robbie Savage who is out of favour with Jewell and has been linked with loan moves to Brighton and Crewe.
Injury List

Referee
The referee this Saturday is Anthony Taylor from Greater Manchester who was in charge of QPR’s 3-2 win at Southampton last season but is in only his third season on the league list and has never refereed Derby County before. So far in seven games this season, two in the Championship, he has shown 18 yellows and no reds.
Details

Elsewhere
We’re actually the main match on ITV’s The Championship this week but the live televised fair comes from Portman Road as Ipswich, leaking goals like a sieve, take on Crystal Palace who have also made a poor start to the season. Few other games catch the eye but Birmingham’s trip to Cardiff promises to be a test of their promotion credentials while Wolves against Bristol City is probably the game of the day at the top of the table. Plymouth v Forest already has the look of a relegation six pointer.
Tony’s Championship Round Up

Form
QPR come into this game in very tidy form. The 1-0 set back at Coventry last Saturday was only the second defeat of the season and came sandwiched in between two impressive single goal victories at Norwich and Aston Villa. So far at Loftus Road this season the R’s have won four out of four against Barnsley, Doncaster, Carlisle and Southampton scoring 12 goals in the process and conceding just two. It remains one of only three perfect home records in the division this season along with Wolves and Reading.

Derby by contrast are fifth bottom of the table with just one win, at home to Sheff Utd, from their seven league matches so far. Away from home they have been beaten by Barnsley and drawn at Bristol City and Swansea so far – in fact you have to go back to the play off semi final at Southampton the season before last to find their last away league win, although they have won at Sheff Wed (on penalties) and Preston North End in cup competitions since then.
Form Guide

Prediction
A team without an away league win for well over a year, struggling for form with only one win all season and a manager under pressure. In times gone by this would have been ripe for a QPR disaster but I cling to the hope that in this brave new world at Loftus Road the days of letting Swindon Town complete their only double of the season and handing first goals in several years to people like John Jensen and Dean Bowditch are long gone. QPR should really win this game if they play anything like they have been doing so I’ll back them by two clear goals and hope we don’t regress to our bad old ways.
QPR 2 Derby 0

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