QPR return to action after two weeks away on Saturday when Peterborough United visit Loftus Road. Ash is back to take his regular look at the key runners and riders in the first meeting between the sides since 2004.
A home win
Before the annoyance of the international break, QPR finally got the monkey off their back and recorded their first win of the season, thanks to a scrappy 1-0 win away to Scunthorpe . Now this weekend brings us a fresh opportunity to get our first home three points of the campaign when Peterborough visit Loftus Road. Darren Ferguson’s newly promoted side, are yet to win any league this season and on paper present a simple task for Rangers, but the same could have been said for Blackpool on the opening day and we struggled through that one. However with the first win under our belts and the recent loan arrivals there should have been a smidge of confidence in the air at Loftus Road this week, and that should help our talented team bag a victory in what really is a winnable game at HQ on Saturday.
QPR are best priced 11/13 to win with Expect.com but are otherwise widely available at either 5/6 or 4/5
Ben Watson
It seems we have finally got our man. After pursuing Watson for most of last summer and enquiring in January, the midfielder finally became a Ranger on deadline day this time around, signing from Wigan on loan until Christmas. Our refusal to pay what Crystal Palace wanted for him in 2008, led to the manager Iain Dowie missing out on his prime target and he eventually joined Wigan at the start of the year. After impressing in the Premier League under Steve Bruce at the back end of the last season, Watson has found himself out of the picture at the DW under Roberto Martinez, so has finally joined Rangers on a six month loan looking for first team action. Nowhere has seemed to mention if this loan is with a view to any permanent transfer in January, so it would seem the club and Watson are very much on trial with each other to see what happens when the loan expires in the new year. Now Watson’s here I would expect him to be in the first 11 on Saturday which isn’t great news for the other 137 midfielders at the club, but it will be interesting to see where everyone slots in once we have a fully fit quota to choose from. If Magilton does stick to 4-4-2, and Watson is somewhat automatic choice then that only leaves one place for one of Rowlands, Buzsaky, Faurlin, Legs and Mahon. Who he decides is an argument for another day, but well get to see just what Watsons about this weekend and whether he actually was worth the wait in the first place.
Watson is best priced 14/1 to score first with SkyBet
International form
As much as I am pleased that England have booked their place at the World Cup next summer, it’s not the only thing that has had me smiling on yet another weekend of international football. No it’s not the sight of Diego Maradona looking like a lost puppy, although that is amusing, but seeing Rangers players looking good and playing well for their national teams, like Kaspars Gorkss and Adel Taarabt did this week. Kaspars especially who has had a surprisingly dip in form at the start of this campaign but was the Latvian match winner against Israel on Saturday and helped his side to a 2-2 draw with group leaders Switzerland . While Taarabt scored one of the goals of the week after coming on as a second half sub in Morroco’s 1-1 draw with Togo. Now whether either of them start on Saturday is down to W12’s own tinkerman Jim Magilton but given they should both be on quite a high after a successful weekend playing for their countries, it may well to Rangers benefit for them to carry on that form into a first home win of the season.
Taarabt is best priced 7/2 with Paddy Power to score at any time
Jim Magilton
Yep it’s that man again, still hanging in there after finally landing his first QPR league win last time out at Glanford Park . Now he needs to do the same in front of Flavio and co this weekend and chalk up Rangers first home win at HQ. The transfer window has now shut, so baring the possibility of loans, this is the squad Magilton has to work with until January. Ben Watson will add to what is already an embarrassment of riches at this level in the QPR midfield, while Jay Simpson should give the feeble attack fresh impetus. No doubt both will start on Saturday, in yet more changes from the team put out against Scunthorpe but now he has his final squad Magilton needs to decide on his best and first choice XI, whatever anyone else thinks.
QPR are 13/2 to come from behind and draw with Paddy Power