Regular columnist Ashleigh Rose takes a look at the key figures at Loftus Road this Saturday as QPR get their league campaign underway with a match against Blackpool.

Normal service resumes this Saturday when finally the new Football League season kicks-off and Queens Park Rangers entertain Ian Holloway’s Blackpool. No more Saturdays wandering round Bluewater or at some random friends’ barbecue - ladies and gents football is back! A new season brings a new column to LFW, after seeing the memoires and connections feature get harder and harder last year, I’ve decided to give it a rest this campaign (although it may make a couple of cameos) and in its place is something fresh called ‘It’s a big weekend for…’ In this piece, every week I’ll be giving a quick run-down of the big talking points ahead the weekend’s fixture and the people involved. Hope you enjoy the read.

It’s going to be a big weekend for…

Jim Magilton
New season and another new manager, it’s unfortunately becoming the norm at Loftus Road under Flavio and co. No he wasn’t anyone’s first, second or possibly thirty-second choice to step into Paulo Sousa’s shoes but old Madge is here now and he’ll be desperate to get off to a good start. I’ve got used to the fact that he’s the manager now and I’ve been trying really hard to focus on what he did well at Ipswich rather than what he didn’t and hope that having learnt from his mistakes he can progress further as manager at QPR. Standing in his way of course though is an owner who very much has his own ideas on how he wants the club run and the team to play, and sections of supporters who will be quick to jump on his back when things aren’t going right – not sure how they’ll both feel if we are 1-0 down with ten minutes to go this weekend. If he’s still here by Christmas, Magilton and QPR would have done very well in this league, so three points will be the best way to kick the new regime off.

Angelo Balanta
Hands down the stand-out player during Rangers’ pre-season festivities, he’ll be hoping that it’s been enough to secure a starting berth tomorrow. It’s a big season for Angelo, easily the best prospect to come out of our youth system for a long time and with Cook and Faurlin missing from the get go it’s a great chance for the lad to make a great claim for the left wing spot – even if it isn’t his most natural position. Jim Magilton also seems to rate him, having picked him “agien and agien” over the summer, so here’s hoping the young Colombian gets off to a perfect start on Saturday.

Loftus Road
At times Loftus Road wasn’t a nice place last season. Fans were left with a bitter taste in their mouths with a club that was charging over the odds for season and match-day tickets had an owner who got rid of mangers with the speed of Usain Bolt and a team that failed to score in 23 matches. Yes it was frustrating but in times like these we as fans need to do all we can to help the club move forward. Rangers have a ground that could be a great weapon this season, provided the atmosphere is what we all know it can be. Let’s make Loftus Road a fortress, which teams are scared of coming to and if we do go a goal down or Gavin Mahon is having the worst game of his life, let’s get behind the R’s and not ridiculously boo them off the pitch. A great atmosphere on Saturday willing the players on to a winning start would be a great way to forget all of last year’s differences.

Ian Holloway
A question was raised by a member of the LFW this past week that asked, which manager will get the biggest reception this Saturday: Jim Magilton or the man in the opposite dug-out, one Ian Holloway? And although any suggestion that it won’t be Magilton was quickly shot down, the addition of Ollie to proceedings gives Saturday’s game an added spice. Ian Holloway will go down as a legend in these parts - forget the comments he made as Leicester boss, and the stupid quotes his famous for, Ollie saved this club when many didn’t want to or couldn’t. There have been few more emotional moments at Loftus Road in my lifetime then the ‘Thank you Ian Holloway’ chant on the last day back in the Championship after watching Forest go the other way. But as high as I hold Holloway and what he did for Rangers, he won’t be letting sentiment get in the way this weekend and neither should we. Back at this level finally with Blackpool he’ll also want three points on Saturday to get his team up and running. So give him a cheer and a thank you, maybe a small Ian Holloway chant during the game, but Ollie’s time has been gone and a win for Jim Magilton is far more important.

Inspired Substitutions
The 2009-10 season will be the first season that teams can name seven players on the subs bench, further evidence of what a squad game modern football has become. In years gone by Rangers would have struggled at times to even name seven subs but our bench on Saturday could well be as good as we’ve seen for a long time and one the best in the league. If things aren’t going right for the R’s on Saturday Jim Magilton will be able to call upon (if the team we all expect is picked) Buzacky, Helguson, Pellicori, Stewart, Taarabt, Ephraim and Brown. Not a bad bunch is it? The term super-sub may well be trotted out a few times this season.

Photo: Action Images via Reuters

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