 Friday, 10th Aug 2007 21:36 Rangers open their 2007/08 campaign amid wild speculation and rumour off the pitch, and a pretty tight injury situation on it. So much for a nice, calm, normal season! Bristol City v Queens Park Rangers New beginnings all round this weekend. You’ve probably noticed, if you’ve managed to find us, that we’re now on a new network with a new site – and very pleased to be here we are as well. All our material from the old site will be transferred across in due course and the site will be improved steadily over the coming weeks as more and more features are made available to us. That’s the big news of the week out of the way, now this takeover thing people keep going on about. Multi millionaire this and sizeable war chest for Gregory that – it’s an exciting time to be a QPR fan. Odds on the R’s getting promotion were being halved and halved again by bookmakers yesterday, panicked by the sight of well dressed Italian gentlemen dragging their wallets along the South Africa Road. I get the impression the club is heading for a decisive moment in its history. We’re either going to be taken over by some seriously rich people and be cured of so many ABC related worries, or it’s going to fall through and Paladini will have to go back to his plate spinning act which surely only has months to left before some crockery gets smashed. Important times off the pitch then, but a match on the field of play to focus on tomorrow and a visit to our old foes Bristol City. This is our first visit to Ashton gate since Brian Tinnion told us it was all over bar the shouting and our team was running scared, bless his heart, and it’s Bristol City’s first shot at this division since 1999. They’ve got a substantially better manager than last time and will be hoping for big things from £1m signing Lee Trundle. Rangers have their own exciting forward line this season and for most fans this will be the first opportunity to see young Ben Sahar in hooped shirt – if the Fulham game is anything to go by we’re in for a real treat until January. Five minutes on Bristol City Of course Rangers fans remember that Bristol City team best for outspoken captain Brian Tinnion who decided, with three months of the season still to play, to spout off in an interview about how City were “in the driving seat” and QPR and Plymouth were “running scared”. He believed the promotion race would be “all over bar the shouting” by the time Rangers and Plymouth visited Ashton Gate at the end of the season. In the end City beat QPR 1-0 that day, and it still wasn’t enough. Since then Tinnion has managed the side, almost taking it down to the fourth tier, but they got Gary Johnson in from Yeovil just in time and it’s been a steady ascent from there. He led them to automatic promotion last season in second place behind Scunthorpe United. Johnson, a former manager of the Latvian national team, likes his teams to play good football and it’s no surprise to see him purchasing good quality, technically gifted footballers like Sproule, McIndoe and Trundle this summer. Having said that the additions have been few and far between, With Sproule being hit with a four game ban after an eccentric disciplinary record in the SPL with Hibs last season and the whole spine of the side missing with injury going into August, it’s going to be difficult for them to make the fast start that often makes the difference between success and failure after a promotion. The defence kept 17 clean sheets last season and was a key force in their promotion and cup run but it’s a sterner test of a back line in the Championship and few alterations have been made to it so far. I think City will be alright this season – but a lot rests on the shoulders of new £1m striker Lee Trundle. We’ve all seen the flicks, tricks and showboating in the lower leagues with Swansea and Wrexham, now he’s got to do it in the Championship – a new level for him as he pushes towards 31 years of age. Last season City were promoted despite meagre goal returns from strikers Phil Jevons, Enoch Showumni and Steve Brooker and with only Trundle added to the arsenal this summer the heat is really on him. Sproule and McIndoe will certainly provide plenty of quality service for him. City continue to be linked with what I would call “trophy signings” – Andy Cole’s name has been mentioned frequently. They kept 17 clean sheets last season so you can see why Johnson’s concerns lay up front rather than at the back. If they can overcome the injury problems currently afflicting McCombe, Noble and Brooker, and find a regular source of goals I’m sure they’ll be fine. What happened the last time these sides met? Bristol C: Phillips, Carey, Butler, Coles, Hill, Murray, Doherty, Tinnion (Wilkshire 68), Bell, Peacock, Roberts (Miller 81) QPR: Camp, Bignot, Carlisle, Gnohere, Rose, Rowlands, Bean (Cureton 45) ,Johnson (Palmer 64) McLeod (Thorpe 74) Furlong, Gallen Attendance: 19041 Head to Head Past Bristol City v QPR meetings What's the team news? The defence is impossible to call. Bignot and Cullip have declared themselves fit but have very little match practise under their belts. Barker and Timoska are both suspended. Pick any four from Bignot, Cullip, Curtis, Mancienne, Rehman, Shimmin and Stewart. Pat Kanyuka is injured. Bristol City are missing three players right down the middle of their side. Centre half Jamie McCombe has shin splints, David Noble is also ruled, as is striker Steve Brooker. New signing van Sproule is suspended after being sent off three times I the SPL last season. That leaves Johnson with a bit of a selection headache, particularly in defence, and our spies tell us a back four of Orr, Carey, Keogh and McAllister is likely. New signings Marvin Elliott and Michael McIndoe are likely to play with Scott Murrary in midfield, Trundle and Showumni in attack. Lee Trundle has scored on every debut he’s ever made.
That leaves me with Bristol City's other two summer acquisitions Michael McIndoe and Lee Trundle. McIndoe has had more clubs in the last few years than I've had hot dinners - after leaving Yeovil he impressed in Doncaster's cup runs but couldn't make his loan move to Derby perm,anent and wound up at barnsley. Six months later he was at Wolves and six months later still he's now at Bristol City. He's had off the field problems in the past and alarm bells start to ring when you see his recent club hopping record - but gary Johnson had him at Yeovil and has bought him again so he must be confident. There's no doubting his quality when you do get him on the pitch. Lee Trundle has the expectations of the club weighing heavy on his shoulders. They've spent a £1m on him, and he's never played at this level before, will the Championship centre halves give him the time of day to perform is Soccer AM nonsence and more importantly can he bag them 20 goals this season because the forwards already at Ashton gate didn't exactly fire a blazing path to glory last season despite the promotion. It's a big ask for Trundle, time will tell if he is up to it.
Bristol City are just back from a tour of Latvia, where Gary Johnson managed the national team fo course. They recorded a 4-2 and a 3-0 success but also blew a three goal lead to draw against Skonto Riga so they've had some shooting practise if nothing else. A defeat at Forest Green and draw at Yeovil does little to boost confidence and the old line about it being "only a friendly" seems to have been trotted out a little too often for comfort. Prediction Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
You need to login in order to post your comments |
   Macclesfield Town Polls |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.