A home match against old rivals Cardiff on Saturday evening gives QPR a chance to get their first Championship win of the season at the second attempt as transfer rumours continue to surround key players.

Queens Park Rangers v Cardiff City

Transfer Deadline Day, much like the MLS and Elite League Speedway, is something Sky Sports tell us we love and should get tremendously excited about because they show it live. In actual fact, much like the MLS and Elite League Speedway, the whole thing is a total ball ache we could well do without.

QPR still don’t know what their team for the 2015/16 season is going to be. They could play this season with Charlie Austin, Matt Phillips, Leroy Fer and Rob Green in their team, or they could play without any of them. They may have the thick end of £25m to spend on new recruits, or they may have nothing. This is a problem, and a bit of a farce, because the 2015/16 season started last weekend and by the time Rangers know the answers to these questions they’ll have already played five league games and two in the League Cup.

It’s a ridiculous situation. Charlie Austin has certainly never given cause for concern over his work rate an application at QPR — this a man who played on with his shoulders held together with a length of rope during our promotion campaign two seasons ago. At Charlton a week ago he wasn’t much different from many away games last year where QPR slipped out of the contest and the service was limited, and yet he was booed and heckled by a section of the support who felt he was playing within himself to avoid injury. Maybe he was, just like maybe Matt Phillips is yet to break out of a jogging pace because he might still harbour hopes of a move, just like Leroy Fer may actually have nothing wrong with him. The uncertainty is hardly fair though, on supporters or players. If they leave with an hour of the window left, it’s not fair on Chris Ramsey who may have four quality players to pick from this season or may lose all of them with only minutes to replace them.

Under the terms of Financial Fair Play, which QPR ignored completely last time and are still negotiating the fine for, Rangers have to sell to buy. They’d like to buy goalkeeper Daniel Bentley from Southend but probably have to sell Rob Green to do it. Ramsey says Green is staying. The Standard says he’s going to West Ham. Mind you, if the Standard was ever right, Roberto Baggio would have played for QPR.

During this awkward stand off the more impatient, less understanding supporters lambast Rangers for leaving themselves short, and “risking another Loic Remy situation” as if it’s somehow QPR’s fault if that happens, as if QPR are actively choosing to take the risk of Austin leaving at 17.50 on September 2 without replacement. Worse still, we’re playing matches. Competitive games that matter.

Where QPR can be criticised is the fitness of the players. Last weekend’s game at Charlton went much as expected — Rangers started well but faded in the second half and having not scored when on top they were always vulnerable to conceding the first goal and not having the legs to get back into the contest. It’s nobody’s fault but QPR’s that the pre-season wasn’t good enough. It happens every year and it’s totally and utterly amateur. In fact, even most amateur sides can organise a pre-season tour abroad. Charlton are bedding in a dozen new players as well this summer, all from far flung corners of Europe. They too had games against Italian opposition cancelled during the summer because of this fly-by-night tour operator we blame but don’t name. Nevertheless they looked fitter and better organised after a nervous beginning. When the going is tough, and it’s certainly tough for QPR at the moment, the least you can ensure is that your players are as fit as everybody else’s.

Chris Ramsey talks about stability and platforms to build from in his sleep these days, even at one stage in today’s press conference saying that Rangers need “stable stability” as opposed to that treacherous unstable stability you’ve got to be so wary of. New CEO Lee Hoos helped set a “one club mentality” at Burnley which included a basic ethos of being sustainable off the field and competitive on it — Sean Dyche mentioned the words sustainable and competitive in every interview he did thereafter and Ramsey is following the same pattern.

You’re not going to get a lot of stability while half the first team, including the top scorer and the goalkeeper, could yet leave so it would be nice to think Ramsey might get a few months after the close of the window with entirely his own team and no transfer related distractions to see what he can really do. Judging by the reaction to last weekend’s defeat, he’ll need a couple of wins to tide people over even that long. Cardiff, themselves in something of a state of flux, represent an excellent chance to get the first one of those tomorrow.

Call in favours if you have to, a win here would be a huge boost to the club.

Links >>> Consequences of Tan’s mismanagement — opposition profile >>> Changing kits and declining ambition — interview >>> New boy Bowles slaughters Cardiff — History >>> Value in both teams to score — betting >>> Hooper returns to Championship — referee >>> No to red piping — Podcast >>> Bombastic predictions of glorious league title wins — presser

Adel Taarabt celebrates his stylish winning goal as QPR beat Cardiff 2-1 at Loftus Road the last time these sides met on this ground. Kaspars Gorkss headed in the equaliser after his mistake had let Craig Bellamy in for Cardiff’s first goal. Rangers went on to be promoted as champions. Cardiff manager Dave Jones still mentions the penalty they should have had near the end at least three times a day.

Saturday

Craig Noone stepped off the bench to score a spectacular late leveller for Cardiff against Tarquin and Rupert last Saturday and will push for a start here. Kenwyne Jones made his come back from a calf injury with a gentle jog around against Wimbledon in the cup and they’ll give him a ring and see if he fancies it Saturday morning. Bruno Manga (knee) and Ben Turner (can’t get a babysitter) are both missing from the defence so Matt Connolly will return to Loftus Road at centre half.

Elsewhere: So another four dozen games played all at once, several at the same time on the same pitch, as the Championship forces its clubs back into action little more than 20 minutes since they were last on the field. Topping the bill, a Sunday lunch time game between the Wolves and Tigers Tigers Rah Rah Rah which, according to Assem Allam’s Big Book of Sports Marketing, should attract an audience of some 690 million people in the Far East because both teams are named after scary animals.

Middlesbrough have abandoned their long-running pursuit of £12m rated Jordan Rhodes and spent £4m on 32 year old David Nugent from Leicester instead. Good news for Leicester, and for the Mad Chicken Farmers who keep Rhodes on their side for a trip to his former club Huddersfield. Nugent and Boro are home to Bolton.

Burnley v Birmingham and Bristol City v Brentford are two fixtures between four sides who all begin with the letter B taking place on the same day at the same time.

Tarquin and Rupert host Brighton in the Look At my Fucking Red Trousers derby.

Promotion favourites Derby, with dynamic midfield duo Will Hughes and Craig Bryson both injured already, host QPR’s day one conquerors Charlton and there’s some midtable stodge between Ipswich and Sheffield Wednesday to pass the time in Suffolk. The Franchise host Preston, Nottingham Trees are the latest to harden Steve Evans’ arteries and another pulsating weekend is brought to a close by yet another televised fixture for the Champions of Europe, this time away to Waitrose.

Referee: Fresh from a controversial decision to disallow a late Norwich City equaliser against Crystal Palace a week ago, Premier League new boy Simon Hooper is back in the Championship for this one. His last QPR game was a 1-0 home win against Wigan during the promotion season when Yossi Benayoun scored the only goal. For his full QPR case file and stats, please click here.

Form

Cardiff: Cardiff started their league season with a 1-1 home draw against Fulham, and followed that up with a midweek cup win against Wimbledon (1-0). That’s in keeping with the second half of last season when they didn’t lose too many (four of the last 18) but didn’t win enough to push on up the league either (seven draws). Away from home they won six, drew nine and lost eight overall — most of those victories came at the end of the season when Wigan, Rotherham, Brentford, Leeds and Forest were all beaten in a run of five wins and a draw from the final seven away games. Cardiff have only kept one clean sheet in their last eight league outings.

Betting: Professional odds compiler Owen Goulding tells us…

QPR welcome the Sky cameras for an early evening kick off at Loftus Road. The visitors Cardiff are unbeaten in their two competitive games so far and will be looking to build on that against a QPR side who barely got out of first gear in a comfortable stroll in the (Huish) Park on Tuesday evening.

Cardiff bring a side filled with experienced Championship players to London for this one. They played out a very entertaining 1-1 draw against Fulham on the opening day. Cardiff created a number of chances but also conceded a number too and this is a style of play the Bluebirds fans will be getting used to seeing this season. Full Backs Peltier and Malone love to get forward and with attacking midfielders Pilkington and Noone also looking to get forward at every opportunity, Cardiff will score plenty goals but concede them in numbers too.

It will be interesting to see Chris Ramsey’s starting line-up. Charlton didn’t have to work too hard to net against the Rangers defence and it’s impossible to believe the same defence could keep a clean sheet against the attacking Bluebirds. My bet for the match has to take this into consideration so I fancy both teams to score at a current price of 19/20 - a nice way to almost double your investment. I think the season will get better for QPR, but I don’t think it will be here. Therefore I also suggest a bet on Cardiff to win at a big price and a little interest on Anthony Pilkington to net at some point during the game.

Recommended Bets: Both teams to score @19/20 (Coral)

Anthony Pilkington to score at anytime @5/1 (general)

Cardiff to win @31/10 (Bet365)

Prediction: Reigning Prediction League champion ISawQPRAtWhiteCity tells us…

“The more phlegmatic amongst us were rewarded last weekend only to be surprised by a sledgehammer performance against walnut Yeovil, who were too hapless to even win a cup fixture with QPR. Our visitors had a shaky draw against Fulham and a win against the Wombles. Noone, who scored in both games, coincidentally has a similar name to the bloke who produced a match-winning performance for us at Charlton: no one. So, its two sides with uncertain form...I'm going to call a draw. I'm still backing Austin as our most likely first scorer barring him spending Saturday afternoon in an Uxbridge Rd shop window ("No Reasonable Offer Refused"), so check the team sheet. Otherwise I'd go for effort over elegance with Polter."

Jim’s Prediction: QPR 1-1 Cardiff - Scorer: Austin
LFW’s Prediction: QPR 1-1 Cardiff - Scorer: Chery

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Pictures — Action Images

Photo: Action Images

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