QPR may be without a manager and team selection may be being influenced by the chairman but performances are improving and the results are impressive - can this unlikely set up continue to yield points at Portman Road on Saturday?

Ipswich Town (13th) v Queens Park Rangers (7th)
Coca Cola Championship
Saturday November 1, Kick Off 3pm
Portman Road, Ipswich

Football throws up strange coincidences sometimes. Twelve months ago, almost to the day, QPR were facing Ipswich Town at Loftus Road with all manner of things going on behind the scenes and caretaker manager Mick Harford in the dug out. Despite that the football had improved in the games leading up to the clash with the Tractor Boys and QPR had picked up their first win of the season the week before against Norwich. Optimism was probably a lot higher than it should have been among fans of a managerless team in the bottom three.

On Saturday we face Jim Magilton’s men again, at Portman Road this time. Once again there are rumours and counter rumours about just what on earth is going on in the QPR boardroom while down in the dugout another caretaker manager is doing his best to rally the troops. It says a lot for the stability at Rangers that in the 12 months since that clash at Loftus Road we have worked our way through two permanent managers and are now on the hunt for a third. However, just like a year ago, performances have improved in the run up to this match with a sound display and result at Reading followed up with a superb win against Birmingham with ten men on Tuesday night. For a team with an egotistical owner insisting on having a say in team selection and scaring off all managerial candidates but for those that reside at the very bottom of the barrel as a result optimism is ridiculously high.

That’s the Gareth Ainsworth factor of course – a committed, wholehearted and popular player who has already shown in two games that even with interference from upstairs he’s tactically astute way beyond his years. The decisions and substitutions he made in the Birmingham match were absolutely spot on, and the players are clearly willing to give their all for their former team mate. Ainsworth isn’t all blood and thunder though, he’s already got the team playing nice football and has shown a willingness to find a way to accommodate players that were regarded as a luxury by previous manager Iain Dowie.

On Saturday he comes face to face with his Ipswich equivalent – Jim Magilton was a popular and long serving midfielder with Ipswich when he was chosen, basically as a last resort, to replace Joe Royle two years ago. Magilton has rebuilt an ageing Ipswich team during his time in charge but they seem to have taken a backwards step this season and currently reside below half way in the table – with a relatively rich investor of their own and a decent young team they really should be doing better and Magilton has been criticised in some quarters already this season.

If QPR play as they have done in the last two games, with the same belief and commitment, then there are points here to be won.



Five minutes on Ipswich Town
Ipswich are in danger of becoming this decade’s Sheffield United. The Blades were the longest serving members of the Championship when promoted in 2006 having been there since 1994. They occasionally threatened the play offs, but also diced with death at the bottom of the table a few times as well. In the end Neil Warnock finally got them up at the twelfth time of asking, only to bring them straight back again.

Ipswich know that feeling, having been up to the top flight and back again during the time it took Sheffield United to get there at all, but they have now been in this division since 2002 and show no signs of being able to exit it in the right direction again any time soon. Only Burnley and Preston have currently been in this league longer than them.

With George Burley at the helm Ipswich were beaten in three consecutive play off semi finals before finally making the step up by winning the last ever final at the old Wembley – 4-2 against Barnsley in 2000. After waiting so long Town wasted no further time in making an impact on the top flight either, finishing fifth in their first season and qualifying for a European campaign that would take them to the San Siro to face Inter at one point.

However, Ipswich spent big money on foreign stars like Matteo Sereni and Finidi George to sustain a European and domestic campaign and it didn’t work out for them. They may indeed have made it through a couple of rounds of the UEFA Cup, and they actually beat Inter in the first leg at Portman Road, but it was all against the back drop of poor league form and once out of the cup competitions there was no recovery in that department. Ipswich were relegated at the second time of asking, one of the worst cases of second season syndrome ever seen.

George Burley, England’s ‘manager of the year’ just 12 months prior to the demotion, kept his job despite the set back but was fired during the following campaign after a 3-0 defeat on a typically cold Tuesday night at Grimsby. I was at that match and Ipswich just weren’t at the races – it’s never a positive sign when your team comes out to warm up in hats and gloves I don’t think. The signing of big name players on big name player like money also saw the team struggle to cope with the loss of income from Premiership football and, despite being regularly championed as a well run club, they went into administration after relegation as well.

Joe Royle was the man chosen to replace Burley, a man who brought the infamous dogs of war strategy to Everton in the mid-90s and seemingly a world away from the type of forward thinking manager who would encourage Ipswich to play the good passing football their fans had become used to over the years. The fans weren’t impressed at first, but Royle did a good job at Portman Road during his time there culminating in the 2004/05 season where how they missed out on promotion I’ll never know. Clearly the best team in the league by a country mile the Tractor Boys endured another play off failure, this time against West Ham, after a late run of dodgy form, including a home defeat by QPR, cost them their spot in the top two. It was rough justice for Royle and his team and they have never had a side as good as that since.

Royle left the club 12 months later after finishing 15th in the table and was replaced by Jim Magilton. Now at the time Magilton was hardly mentioned as a potential candidate, and Ipswich sounded out the likes of Billy Davies and Mike Newell before drawing a blank. Maybe I’m being harsh but Magilton looked like a cheap and easy solution to a lengthening search and he has had to cut his teeth at Portman Road while rebuilding an Ipswich side that had lost its top stars and gone a little stale in Royle’s last year in charge.

He has done that reasonably well although only finished one place higher than Royle managed in his first season in charge and missed the play offs again last season. While he has had little to spend on players that steady progress has been accepted by most supporters but last season local businessman Marcus Evans completed a takeover of the club, paying off the debts and making money available for players. We know only too well what that means – raised expectations. Magilton’s learning curve has to turn into some tangible results this season or he will be under pressure, and 13th in the league does not bode well. To an outsider looking in his inexperience shows through most in his transfer dealings where he regularly names specific targets to the press, he’s been talking about David Nugent for the best part of a year now, and then rarely seems to actually nail down a signing.

Jonathan Walters signing a contract extension this week is a boost to them after a summer where he seemed destined to sign for Stoke but their league position is well below what it should be at this stage and they don’t look as good as they did even last season just at the moment. The loss of Jason De Vos from the defence was a big blow, particularly when the club replaced him with Gareth McAuley who is not too bad a defender at this level but nothing more than that. Promising youngsters like Jordan Rhodes, Billy Clarke and Shane Supple are stuck out on loan, out altogether or in the reserves and at the moment Town are just not delivering as they should – two wins from their last ten games.

After dropping two more points against Charlton on Tuesday they will be desperate for a maximum haul against QPR this weekend.

Men to watch
The top man at Ipswich last season was Jonathan Walters, who ended a career of journeying around Championship reserve teams and lower league starting elevens, to join the Tractor Boys from Chester City. He has become a big hit at Portman Road but always looked a little bit ‘square arsed’ as my Grandad used to say. I certainly wasn’t his biggest fan up until last season but with 13 goals to his name and countless eye catching performances I was forced to admit defeat and he spent the summer seemingly destined to join premiership new boys Stoke City. That ‘will he, won’t he’ saga dragged on almost as long as our pursuit of Kaspars Gorkss with the only difference being Walters ended up staying put. Whether it’s Ipswich’s below par performances or thoughts of what might have been playing on his mind Waters doesn’t seem to be having the same impact this season but is still worth looking out for. He has just one league goal to his name so far but signed a new contract with Ipswich this week.

Walters is charged with supplying ammunition for Ipswich’s forward line which has lost Alan Lee to Crystal Palace this season but gained Jon Stead from Sheff Utd. Stead shot to fame when he bagged eight Premier League goals for Blackburn Rovers after signing from Huddersfield however he has never reproduced that form again since. Mark Hughes didn’t fancy him at Ewood Park, two goals in more than 40 appearances for Sunderland was embarrassing and although he looked lively cutting in from the right wing on loan at Derby he continued in the mould of a ‘striker that doesn’t score’ during a mediocre spell with Sheffield United. Stead really needs to decide what he’s going to be in this game – he’s too slight to play a target man but doesn’t score enough to play as a goal poaching striker. Personally I think he’s more effective cutting in from wide areas. A very similar player to our own Rowan Vine. He has three Ipswich goals in ten appearances so far but hasn’t scored for five matches now.

Stead was joined in attack on Tuesday by Kevin Lisbie who finally broke away from a decade of reserve team football and loan spells, including a brief one at QPR, at Charlton to play regular first team football at Colchester last season. Replacing Jamie Cureton in a team destined for relegation was a tough ask, but Lisbie was one of the division’s top scorer with 17 goals from 39 starts and that earned him a reprieve in this division despite the U’s dropping to League One. Ipswich gambled on him being more than a one season wonder, and he has three league goals and one in the cup to his name already.

Coming off the bench in the draw with Charlton midweek were Spanish forward Pablo Counago, another one who doesn’t score enough, who is enjoying his second spell at the club and Danny Haynes, who is another regularly linked with moves elsewhere. Haynes always looks quick and useful when I see him but he seems to be wildly inconsistent and hasn’t scored a league goal yet this season. He’s very quick, but only occasionally is he anything more than that – usually against Norwich. Still, his pace makes him a threat if he plays.

In the centre of midfield Irishman Owen Garvan is the club’s top scorer, and is one of the form players in the division with two goals in a 3-1 win at Plymouth last week and one against Charlton on Tuesday. He’s a tidy, all rounder type of midfielder – consistent and good to watch. A very promising talent. Macedonian international Velice Sumulikoski joins him in the middle of midfield with Alan Quinn, signed last year from Sheff Utd for reasons known only to Magilton, making up the four. When fit watch out for the bushy barnet of former Real Madrid man Ivan Campo who signed from Bolton earlier this season and brings his own brand of classy passing and mad cap antics to the Championship for the first time. Former Plymouth man David Norris provides the chief goal threat from the centre of the park, or at least he did until Garvan hit form.

As well as Campo there is a Premiership feel to the back five as well with former Fulham full back Moritz Volz anchoring the right side in front of goalkeeper Richard Wright. Both players should be more than good enough for this level and Volz is doing ok by all accounts, however Wright is still seemingly in a decline that started when he left Ipswich originally for Arsenal. He seems particularly susceptible to letting goals in at his near post this season and is a definite weak link in the Ipswich side. The centre half partnership of Richard Naylor and Gareth McAuley isn’t terribly impressive – although both are far better than the other option which is Alex Bruce and he always look like a disaster waiting to happen whenever I see him. Former Crewe man David Wright makes up the team – a very tidy left back.

Previous Meetings
At Portman Road last season QPR were indebted to the poor eyesight of the officials as they scrapped out a 0-0 draw. With only eight minutes left for play Matt Connolly punched a header from Jordan Rhodes out from behind the line – referee Paul Armstrong and his assistant gave neither the goal nor the penalty. The game followed directly on from the 3-3 draw at Wolves where QPR had led three times and collapsed on three occasions so the clean sheet was welcome, but only the width of the goal post denied Danny Haynes in the first half and goalkeeper Lee Camp was in fine form to keep the score deadlocked.

Ipswich: Bywater 6, Simpson 7, Bruce 6, De Vos 7, Sito 7, Williams 5 (Roberts 77, 6), Sumulikoski 8, Garvan 7, Quinn 8 (Rhodes 84, -),Lee 6, Haynes 7
Subs Not Used: Colgan, Wright, Trotter
Booked: Simpson (foul), Haynes (kicking the ball away)

QPR: Camp 8, Mancienne 8, Connolly 6, Hall 5, Stewart 7, Ephraim 6 (Balanta 90, -), Mahon 6, Leigertwood 5 (Rowlands 57, 8),Vine 5 (Lee 65, 7), Blackstock 6, Agyemang 7
Subs Not Used: Pickens, Barker
Booked: Mancienne (foul), Balanta (foul)

Match Report

As already mentioned Rangers took on Town at Loftus Road in October 2007 with Mick Harford in caretaker charge. Ipswich struggled to pick up points on the road throughout last season but took the lead just after half time with a quite sublime 25 yard volley from French midfielder Sylvain Legwinski. QPR fought their way back into the game though and a crisp finish from Marc Nygaard at the Loft End levelled things up with 20 minutes left to play – this turned out to be the Big Dane’s last goal for QPR.

QPR: Camp 7, Mancienne 6 (Nygaard 55, 7), Stewart 7, Cranie 8, Barker 5, Ainsworth 6 (Moore 67, N/A), Bolder 6, Leigertwood 8, Rowlands 6, Ephraim 6, Vine 7
Subs Not Used: Cole, Bignot, Jarrett
Booked: Vine (foul)
Goals: Nygaard 73 (assisted Vine)

Ipswich: Alexander 7, Wright 7, Wilnis 8, De Vos 7, Harding 6, Walters 5, Garvan 6, Legwinski 8, Miller 7 (Roberts 32, 7), Clarke 7 (Haynes 80, 7) Lee 7 (Counago 85, -)
Subs Not Used: Supple, Bruce
Goals: Legwinski 53 (assisted Garvan)

Match Report

Head to Head:
Ipswich wins – 24
Draws – 18
QPR wins – 21

Past Ipswich v QPR results:
2007/08 Ipswich 0 QPR 0
2007/08 QPR 1 Ipswich 1 (Nygaard)
2006/07 Ipswich 2 QPR 1 (Furlong)
2006/07 QPR 1 Ipswich 3 (Gallen)
2005/06 Ipswich 2 QPR 2 (Moore, Furlong)
2005/06 QPR 2 Ipswich 1 (Rowlands, Gallen)
2004/05 Ipswich 0 QPR 2 (Furlong, Shittu)
2004/05 QPR 2 Ipswich 4 (Furlong 2)
1999/00 QPR 3 Ipswich 1 (Peacock, Koejoe, Kiwomya)
1999/00 Ipswich 1 QPR 4 (Steiner 2, Peacock, Wardley)
1998/99 Ipswich 3 QPR 1 (Kiwomya)
1998/99 QPR 1 Ipswich 1 (Gallen)
1997/98 QPR 0 Ipswich 0
1997/98 Ipswich 0 QPR 0
1996/97 Ipswich 2 QPR 0
1996/97 QPR 0 Ipswich 1
1994/95 Ipswich 0 QPR 1 (Ferdinand)
1994/95 QPR 1 Ipswich 2 (Ferdinand)
1993/94 Ipswich 1 QPR 3 (Impey 2, Ferdinand)
1993/94 QPR 3 Ipswich 0 (White 2, Barker)
1992/93 Ipswich 1 QPR 1 (White)
1992/93 QPR 0 Ipswich 0



Team News
Rowan Vine is still the only injury in the QPR squad – one thing you have to say for Iain Dowie is he got the team fit. Damien Delaney returns from his ban but after the scandalous sending off of Mikele Leigertwood on Tuesday night, and subsequent farcical appeal that saw the ban extended, it’s a case of one full back in and one out with Legs now banned for four matches. This includes the fourth round cup match at Old Trafford, as if the whole situation wasn’t harsh enough on a player who fell victim to a referee’s ego and a poor system. The obvious change would be to put Delaney into left back and Connolly covering for Leigertwood at right back but I believe Delaney is one of those players not really in favour with Flavio Briatore and therefore other options may be considered – Martin Rowlands to right back maybe, or a full back role for Kaspars Gorkss.

Ipswich are likely to still be without everybody’s favourite full back Ben Thatcher who tore a thigh muscle five weeks ago and hasn’t played since. He played in a practise match in the week and is back in full training but this game is likely to come too soon. Speedy striker Danny Haynes only played for four minutes against Charlton and is rated as doubtful for this one with an abdominal injury. Diminutive winger Jamie Peters, who has caused QPR all sorts of problems in the past, is out with a knee injury.
Injury List

Referee
It certainly doesn’t get any better for QPR in regard to referees – after Mr Attwell’s eccentric performance on Tuesday night it would be nice to have a reasonably sensible official in charge for this one. Alas the Football League has decreed that now is an appropriate time for us to have our first meeting with old nemesis Trevor Kettle this season. It’s always eventful, infuriating and littered with cards whenever this bloke comes near QPR so it’s quite possible that another frustrating 90 minutes lies in wait.
Details

Elsewhere
Despite starting the season in reasonable form, sitting in mid table and beating Sheffield United again Sheffield Wednesday manager Brain Laws is suddenly under pressure and will have his future discussed at the next board meeting. They go to Palace this weekend who have a mean defence, something you certainly can’t say for Wednesday on the road – they have shipped 21 goals in seven matches. Cardiff, in third, at home to table topping Wolves is clearly the game of the day but Bristol City v Reading isn’t far behind it in those stakes. At the bottom Doncaster sunk to the foot of the table in the week and I personally can’t see them moving too far from that position for the rest of the season – they play Swansea. The Cardiff game is live on Sky on Saturday night, the other televised games are both derbies – Forest v Derby on Sunday, and Birmingham v Coventry on Monday night.
Details

Form
QPR haven’t conceded a goal for three matches now and are unbeaten in four games including two home wins and two goalless draws on the road. By the same token Rangers are without a goal of their own away from home in the best part of three and a half games since Damion Stewart headed home the winner at Aston Villa in the League Cup. The last goal scored by QPR in an away league game was Martin Rowlands’ free kick at Norwich – some four and a half matches ago. Rangers have only scored more than one in a game once in the last eight attempts, and only have one goal to their name in three matches coming into this one. Still at least with Sam Di Carmine’s blockbusting strike against Birmingham we have scored in open play against eleven men for the first time in the league since the Bristol City game in August. Overall QPR have three draws and a win from seven away league matches this season but have also won at Swindon and Villa in the cup to give them a three, three and three record overall.

Ipswich have only won two of their seven home league games this season, drawing a further three and losing to Preston and Wolves. They have won just two of their last ten games, at Plymouth and against Barnsley at Portman Road, but have drawn six of those. They have only kept one clean sheet in their last eight matches and currently sit thirteenth in the Championship, four points off the play off places and five off the bottom three.
Form Guide

Prediction
With QPR’s new found resilience and passing style yet to yield a flood of goals and Ipswich struggling to turn draws into wins I’m going for another stalemate here I’m afraid – but I really do think QPR could win if they keep the spirit and performance levels where they were on Tuesday night. Ipswich are not the force they once were at this level.
Ipswich 1 QPR 1


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