Ahead of the weekend trip to Preston, LFW looks back on a bizarre game here from the recent past when Neil Warnock realised he had a maverick talent capable of winning him a league.

Recent Meetings:

QPR 0 Preston 0, Saturday November 7, 2015, Championship

The first meeting between these sides this season was something of a perfect storm. It fell into the brief period of Neil Warnock's caretaker charge, when Rangers had surrendered almost all of their attacking intent in order to tighten up a defence that had been shipping two goals a game on average for the first three months of the season. Preston meanwhile, with Jermaine Beckford injured and Joe Garner out of form, were also relying on a tight backline to establish them following promotion from League One. Absolutely nothing of any real note happened in the entire match.

QPR: Green 7; Henry 6, Onuoha 6, Hall 7, Konchesky 6; Phillips 5, Faurlin 6, Sandro 5 (Emmanuel-Thomas 64, 5), Hoilett 6 (Chery 74, 5); Fer 6, Austin 6

Subs not used: Luongo, Smithies, Angella, Tozser, Polter

Yellow Cards: Onuoha 69 (dissent), Austin 78 (foul)

Preston: Pickford 6; Vermijl 6, Woods 6, Wright 7, Huntington 6; Reach 6, Browne 6, Gallagher 6, Johnson 7 (Kilkenny 90+4, -), Doyle 5 (Keane 75, 6); Garner 5 (Hugill 88, -)

Subs not used: Davies, Brownhill, May, Kirkland

Preston 1 QPR 1, Saturday February 19, 2011, Championship

Although Neil Warnock's QPR were runaway Championship leaders in February 2011, the club still had the ability to struggle against the division's lesser lights as it always had done before. Preston would go on to be relegated that year, and had already been swept aside by Rangers 3-1 at Loftus Road, but had much the better of this encounter once Ishmael Miller's powerful run down the left had set up Heidar Helguson for an emphatic opener. Phil Brown's side equalised through Barry Nicholson and had numerous chances to win. Later, Rangers lost 4-1 at one of the other relegated teams Scunthorpe.

Preston: I Turner, B Jones, S St Ledger, L Cort, D Gray, B Nicholson, I Ashbee, K Treacy, A Barton (P Parry, 75), E Johnson (P Hayes, 55), N Ellington (J Proctor, 82)

Subs not used: A Lonergan, D Carter, C Morgan, D Russell

Goals: Nicholson 62

Bookings: Ashbee, Treacy, Gray

QPR: P Kenny, C Hill, B Orr, M Connolly, K Gorkss, W Routledge (A Buzsaky, 86), S Derry, A Taarabt, A Faurlin, I Miller (P Vaagen Moen, 61), H Helguson (R Hulse, 74)

Subs not used: F Hall, P Chimbonda, D Shittu, R Cerny

Goals: Helguson 16

Bookings: Gorkss, Routledge, Derry

QPR 3 Preston 1, Saturday November 20, 2010, Championship

Adel Taarabt did always seem to quite enjoy playing against Preston. After registering QPR’s goal of the season in a 4-0 win against the Lily Whites at Loftus Road the previous season, the Moroccan scored two more breathtaking goals against them in W12 here. Taarabt made it 2-0 and then 3-0 from long range at the Loft End after Rob Hulse had scored from close range in the opening ten minutes. A soft own goal from Matt Connolly in injury time ruined Paddy Kenny’s clean sheet and gave the scoreline a flattering look when the gulf between the two sides on the day was taken into account.

QPR: Kenny 6, Walker 8, Hall 7 (Rowlands 81, -), Gorkss 8, Hill 7, Connolly 6, Faurlin 7, Mackie 7 (Andrade 88, -), Taarabt 8, Clarke 6, Hulse 7 (Agyemang 80, -)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Leigertwood, Helguson, Ephraim

Goals: Hulse 4 (assisted Walker), Taarabt 56 (assisted Hulse), 84 (assisted Clarke)

Preston: Lonergan 3, Gray 5, Brown 5, St. Ledger 4, De Laet 5, Tonge 5, Barton 6, Russell 5, Pugh 4, Parkin 5, Hume 5

Subs Not Used: Arestidou, Morgan, James, Mayor, Parry, Jones, McLaughlin

Booked: St. Ledger (play acting/fighting)

Goals: Connolly 88 og (assisted Hume)

Preston 2 QPR 2, Saturday March 27, 2010, Championship

Adel Taarabt, promised an early substitution and trip home to France if he played well, was at his imperious best at Deepdale as Rangers battled back from two down to draw, and almost win. Static defending cost the R’s the opening goal before half time when Billy Jones had time for two touches and a finish in the area after Ross Wallace’s low free kick made it right through the box. Then after half time further defensive hesitancy allowed Jon Parkin in behind Kaspars Gorkss and when he was subsequently wrestled to the ground a penalty was the obvious result — Callum Davidson almost ripped the net off the back of the posts with the kick. So far so predictable, but then Taarabt started to play. He mesmerised the Preston defence time after time after time teeing up identical goals for first Peter Ramage and then Tamas Priskin before laying in Rowan Vine for what should have been a certain winner — Vine cleared the bar with his shot.

Preston: Lonergan 8, Jones 7, St. Ledger 6, Ward 5, Davidson 5, Wallace 6, James 7, Chaplow 6, Carter 6 (Sedgwick 59, 7), Mellor 6, Parkin 7 (Brown 71, 6)

Subs Not Used: Henderson, Hart, Mawene, Chilvers, Barton

Booked: Carter (foul), Chaplow (kicking ball away), St. Ledger (foul), Mellor (foul)

Goals: Jones 37 (assisted Wallace), Davidson 56 (penalty)

QPR: Ikeme 8, Ramage 7, Stewart 5, Gorkss 5, Hill 5, Faurlin 6, Leigertwood 7, Priskin 6, Ephraim 7, Taarabt 9 (Buzsaky 90), German 6 (Vine 46, 7)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Cook, Balanta, Tosic, Oastler

Booked: Hill (repetitive fouling), Taarabt (kicking ball away)

Goals: Ramage 57 (assisted Taarabt), Priskin 66 (assisted Taarabt)

Previous Results

Head to Head >>> Preston wins 11 >>> Draws 15 >>> QPR wins 10

2015/16 QPR 0 Preston 0

2010/11 Preston 1 QPR 1 (Helguson)

2010/11 QPR 3 Preston 1 (Taarabt 2, Hulse)

2009/10 Preston 2 QPR 2 (Priskin, Ramage)

2009/10 QPR 4 Preston 0 (Taarabt, Buzsaky, Simpson, Routledge)

2008/09 Preston 2 QPR 1 (Agyemang)

2008/09 QPR 3 Preston 2 (Helguson 2, Blackstock)

2007/08 QPR 2 Preston 2 (Blackstock, Ainsworth)

2007/08 Preston 0 QPR 0

2006/07 QPR 1 Preston 0 (Blackstock)

2006/07 Preston 1 QPR 1 (Ainsworth)

2005/06 QPR 0 Preston 2

2005/06 Preston 1 QPR 1 (Shittu)

2004/05 QPR 1 Preston 2 (Furlong)

2004/05 Preston 2 QPR 1 (Santos)

2000/01 Preston 5 QPR 0

2000/01 QPR 0 Preston 0

1980/81 QPR 1 Preston 1 (Stainrod)

1980/81 Preston 3 QPR 2 (Roeder, Neal)

1979/80 Preston 0 QPR 3 (Allen, Roeder, Goddard)

1979/80 QPR 1 Preston 1 (Goddard)

1978/79 Preston 1 QPR 3* (Eastoe 2, Baxter og)

1972/73 QPR 3 Preston 0 (Givens 2, Francis)

1972/73 Preston 1 QPR 1 (O’Rourke)

1971/72 Preston 1 QPR 1 (O’Rourke)

1971/72 QPR 2 Preston 1 (McCulloch, Saul)

1969/70 QPR 0 Preston 0

1969/70 Preston 0 QPR 0

1967/68 QPR 1 Preston 3** (Keen)

1967/68 QPR 2 Preston 0 (Marsh 2)

1967/68 Preston 0 QPR 2 (R Morgan, Leach)

1962/63 QPR 1 Preston 2* (Collins)

1950/51 Preston 1 QPR 0

1950/51 QPR 1 Preston 4 (Waugh)

1949/50 Preston 3 QPR 2 (Addinall, Robertson og)

1949/50 QPR 0 Preston 0

* - League Cup

** - FA Cup

Memorable Match

Preston North End 2 Queens Park Rangers 2, Saturday March 27, 2010, Championship

Neil Warnock says that when he enquired about the fat Moroccan with all the tricks during his first training session as QPR manager he was told “That’s Adel. He’ll get you the sack.”

Warnock’s immediate predecessors had agreed. Paul Hart, who Ale Faurlin describes as the worst manager he’s worked under in the UK, picked Patrick Agyemang in attack instead of Adel Taarabt. In fact, in one memorable second half against a relegation-threatened Bristol City team when QPR played for half an hour with two right backs, two left backs, three centre backs and two defensive central midfielders he picked only Patrick Agyemang in attack. Mick Harford who followed him recognised the stupidity of that, but responded by loaning in Marcus Bent and Tamas Priskin rather than turning to the mercurial talent within. Jim Magilton had tried, and in one glorious fortnight when Barnsley, Preston, Reading and Derby were all vanquished and seventeen goals were scored the potential shone brightly, but it all blew up in his face — or rather, on the end of his forehead.

Neil Warnock is not a noted lover of temperamental, flair players. Warnock is the former Sheffield United manager who used to make Phil Jagielka stand up in the dressing room so everybody could look at their role model during his team talk. He’s the man who, needing a win from the final two matches of the Premier League season to stay up, went to Aston Villa who had nothing to play for and played with a single striker and lost. Ronnie Jepson, who Warnock had at Bury and Huddersfield, is Neil Warnock’s sort of striker — one headed goal, three elbows into the gob of the nearest centre back, five cigs in the changing room after the game and back on the bus home. Warnock made Jepson his reserve team manager at QPR.

But Neil Warnock is a man who knows how to win promotions — QPR’s fabulous, tear-jerking 2010/11 season would be his seventh. In Adel Taarabt, one afternoon at Deepdale, Warnock saw a man who could win him that title, and how he could get him to do it.

QPR were just about safe by the time they journeyed north to face Preston North End, and given the money they’d spent and the quality of player available to them it was ridiculous that this was the sum total of their ambition. Only the arrival of Warnock, the upturn in results he brought, and the meltdown occurring back at the club he’d left behind in South London made it so. The QPR fans, who’d seen megalomaniac Italian owner Flavio Briatore rattle through seven managers in two and a half seasons prior to Warnock’s arrival, were grateful for small mercies.

Preston were 2-0 up just before the hour. David Jones before the break, a typically emphatic Callum Davidson penalty after it. Pretty standard stuff. But QPR, with Taarabt playing a withdrawn role behind a central striker, came roaring back in the second half.

The game finished 2-2 and QPR should have won it. Taarabt assisted both goals and the names of the scorers highlighted the quality of the balls played — Peter Ramage and Tamas Priskin. Taarabt had been so good, even they couldn’t miss. Mind you, saying that, he repeated the trick a third time at the death and Rowan Vine skewed the resulting sitter wide.

Preston couldn’t cope with him, it was a total one man show and they had no answers to it. Such a single-handed demolition job was a spectacle even the most loyal fan of either team would struggle to recall happening before. It was something the Championship would quickly become used to.

With a minute to go, Warnock took Taarabt off even though the game, locked at 2-2, was still there to be won. The Moroccan didn’t stick around for the stoppage time — instead he walked straight down the sideline, into the dressing room, quickly showered, and left.

The QPR fans who scooted out on full time and took taxis back to the railway station were surprised to see their man of the match for the day had beaten them there and was racing down the platform to catch the next train to the airport, leaving his team mates behind to head off to sunnier climes for a few days. He'd asked his manager's permission, and had it granted on the condition of a decent display. Warnock would even substitute him early so he could make his train, if he played to his full potential.

Warnock had hit upon a formula — build a team around Taarabt on the field, and indulge him more than he ever had any other player before off it. Within 18 months, QPR were champions and Taarabt was the Championship's Player of the Year,

Preston: Lonergan 8, Jones 7, St. Ledger 6, Ward 5, Davidson 5, Wallace 6, James 7, Chaplow 6, Carter 6 (Sedgwick 59, 7), Mellor 6, Parkin 7 (Brown 71, 6)

Subs Not Used: Henderson, Hart, Mawene, Chilvers, Barton

Booked: Carter (foul), Chaplow (kicking ball away), St. Ledger (foul), Mellor (foul)

Goals: Jones 37 (assisted Wallace), Davidson 56 (penalty)

QPR: Ikeme 8, Ramage 7, Stewart 5, Gorkss 5, Hill 5, Faurlin 6, Leigertwood 7, Priskin 6, Ephraim 7, Taarabt 9 (Buzsaky 90), German 6 (Vine 46, 7)

Subs Not Used: Cerny, Cook, Balanta, Tosic, Oastler

Booked: Hill (repetitive fouling), Taarabt (kicking ball away)

Goals: Ramage 57 (assisted Taarabt), Priskin 66 (assisted Taarabt)

The Twitter @loftforwords

Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images

TacticalR added 23:21 - Mar 18 Great stuff. For a man with long experience of the lower leagues, and a man with a reputation for playing direct physical football, Warnock showed himself to be surprisingly flexible over using Taarabt. You might say that he transformed himself as well as transforming Taarabt.
0

Queens Park Rangers Polls