Injury hit QPR take their abysmal away record to Upton Park this weekend to face a West Ham team attracting plenty of praise for their performances. But the league table means this isn't a time for excuses.

West Ham v Queens Park Rangers

Everybody knows Harry Redknapp's modus operandi by now. Sign loads of players, spend loads of money, take all the credit if it goes right, abdicate responsibility for anything that goes wrong. Even the supporters of Tottenham, where he achieved consecutive top-four finishes, unmatched by anybody before him or since in the Premier League era, warned that QPR fans would grow tired of the excuses. That's 'Arry.

In this age where football journalists turn up once a week, address the QPR manager as "Aitch", and ask him about the Ryder Cup more than the struggles at Loftus Road, you can get away with that, literally no questions asked. Redknapp is able to go on TalkSport, for example, and point to a lack of options at full back, without anybody coming back at him and asking why, therefore, he sold Danny Simpson, one of his best players last season, to Leicester. Or why he was also willing to allow Armand Traore, the full back from the other flank, go to Crystal Palace. Because TalkSport employ people like Darren Gough as presenters purely to get more angry van drivers to ring in, not to ask Harry Redknapp anything difficult.

Redknapp is the perfect manager for the modern media era. Soundbites, funny stories, things people can Tweet, things people can do 30 second YouTube videos of, things that people can send viral. Has he told you the one about Sandro knackering his knees sliding to celebrate a goal in training? It's not true, of course, but who's checking? Watch those clicks and retweets roll in.

But for once, possibly quite by accident in a 'throw enough shit at the wall' case-prover, Harry Redknapp is actually right.

QPR needed an overhaul of their midfield in the summer following promotion, and got one. The signings made were intelligent buys, at good prices, of players with good fitness records (Sandro excepted) at young ages with very decent pedigree. Coming out of Wembley, grinning from ear to ear, flushed with the success of Bobby Zamora's last minute winner, few QPR fans had a mind on the summer transfer window and following season, but if somebody had offered them Leroy Fer, Jordon Mutch, Niko Kranjcar and Sandro that night, they'd have said 'thank you very much indeed, kiss my face.'

You cannot judge this QPR team, or its manager, while the majority of that midfield is injured. At the moment, only Leroy Fer is fit to play. You can debate the merits of rushing Jordon Mutch and Joey Barton back too soon against Stoke, or signing Sandro from Spurs with a medical record as long as his arm, but QPR needed good midfielders, they've bought good midfielders, and if they get those good midfielders out onto the field for any length of time they'll do a lot better than they are doing now.

There are several other issues where Redknapp is not quite so correct. For instance, QPR's strength last season was the defence — never better exemplified than in that wonderful day at the national stadium in May. It was Redknapp's decision to change the whole shape of that back-line, and sell a key component of it as a result, only to panic and abandon that plan. It was Redknapp's decision to bring in Rio Ferdinand, who has so far looked every-inch the ageing old-pro seeking a final pay cheque to top up the retirement fund while going around telling everybody else how they should be doing their job, and signing copies of his deliberately controversial book, rather than concentrating on improving his distinctly ordinary performances for Queens Park Rangers. Replacing somebody like Nedum Onuoha, who did more than most to get QPR promoted, with somebody who is currently performing and behaving like Rio Ferdinand is everything QPR said they wouldn't do this summer. There is absolutely no way in the world a back four of Simpson, Caulker, Onuoha and Suk-Young would have done any worse than the current shambles back there. No way. QPR remain guilty of grabbing at shiny trinkets as soon as the transfer window opens, rather than sticking with the people who’ve done well and actually achieved something for them previously.

But Redknapp is right about the midfield.

The task now is to make the best of a bad situation. The manager's farcical pre-match press conferences are fast turning into him handing out a list of reasons why QPR won't win at the weekend. What the team, the coaches and the management have to do, is find a way to gut-out points from fixtures like Southampton away — where, despite the hype, the hosts were nothing spectacular and open to attack — and this Sunday's game at West Ham. You can't simply drift through games like this, talking about how many injuries QPR have, how good West Ham are, how good Southampton are, how much better things will be when the injuries clear up, forever. Because in May, nobody stands there with a clipboard and hands out bonus points for that game you lost in October because of an incorrect refereeing decision, or that bad run of games you went on when three of your four defenders were injured. Few people care about Redknapp moaning about his injured midfielders now and nobody - least of all the club's bank manager, new stadium developers and board — will care in May if the R's are lining up trips to Rotherham and Brentford next season.

Last year West Ham did the football equivalent of 'all on red'. They spent £20m on Andy Carroll and covered him with Carlton Cole and Mobido Maiga. They subsequently lost their whole back four for the busy Christmas period. An injury to Carroll, knackering their attack, was their own fault. The bizarre spate of bad luck at the back couldn't be legislated for shy of carrying a 50 man squad and bankrupting the club. Sam Allardyce moaned about it every week, just as Harry Redknapp is doing now.

But West Ham mucked in and ground out what they needed to. A bus parking exercise at Stamford Bridge yielded a point. A home win against ten-man Hull City was so dreadful even the West Ham fans booed them off. But, as my old granddad used to say while serving food, it all goes to make a turd. West Ham, despite having no centre forward for most of the campaign, despite missing their whole defence all winter, found a way. They dug in and stayed up.

That's what QPR, and their manager need to do. Take responsibility, dig in, grind it out, stay in touch so that when the injured players are back you go soaring off up the table, rather than playing catch-up. Rangers spoke a lot at the end of last season about "finding a way". Relatively easy to "find a way" in a league where you're spending ten times as much as most of the other teams, a cynic might suggest. Let's start finding a way now.

Book signings, Twitter digs at Manchester City, Newsnight appearances, Question Time appearances, headline grabbing book serialisations — this can all wait. Dig in now, find a way now, succeed against the odds now. Then you can tell everybody else how to do their job. And then Harry Redknapp can sit there and say "look how well we did with all those players out" rather than "look how badly we're going to do with all these players out."

Come on you R's.

Links >>> Fixture History >>> Opposition Focus >>> Opposition Interview >>> Betting >>> Podcast >>> Referee >>> Getting the excuses in early…

Loic Remy celebrates his first ever QPR goal on Rangers' last visit to this ground in January 2013. The Frenchman's crisp finish, on the end of a fine pass from Adel Taarabt, gave the R's a 1-0 lead. A super-human goalkeeping display from Julio Cesar threatened to turn that into a win before a second half equaliser from Joe Cole.

Sunday

QPR should have Sandro back for a third attempt at a proper QPR debut after he was forced off with cramp at Man Utd, and a head injury at Southampton, although he is still troubled with a knee injury. Jordon Mutch had a hamstring injury, then suffered a knock to his groin against Stoke and will be checked late. Joey Barton has struggled all season with a hamstring complaint.

West Ham's best player this season has been Cheikhou Kouyate but he, and central midfield partner Mark Noble, both face late fitness checks. Alex Song not a bad replacement to come in for either. Matt Jarvis may be fit enough for his first appearance of the season from the bench and Carl Jenkinson is likely to replace Guy Demel at right back after he picked up a knock in training

Elsewhere: After last weekend's totally-at-random coincidence that two of the Premier League's biggest derbies of the season should fall together on the same weekend, both live on pay TV of course, we're back to just about the most run of the mill fixture list you could ever imagine this weekend.

Pick what Sky would call "the games that matter" from this little lot… Arsenal travelling to Big Racist John and the Gang on Sunday is an obvious pick. After that, make your own fun, and spread it among many weird and wonderful kick off times across three days.

Why, for instance, is Louis Van Gaal v Everton kicking off at midday on Sunday? Why, with Big Racist John and the Gang on Sky, does Tottenham v Southampton need to start at the obscure 14.05 kick off time? Who decided West Ham v QPR was worth showing to anybody? It's going to be done with the shame of a flasher in a dimly lit wood surely?

Let's whip through the Saturday nonsense quickly shall we? Hull v Crystal Palace, bring a good book. Leicester v Burnley. Liverpool making out like everything is ok after all by pummelling West Brom into the ground. Sunderland at home to Stoke. Aston Villa losing at home to Aston Villa in the evening game.

Potentially the most interesting match is at Swansea, where the home team are flying and making a mockery of their pre-season expectations, while Newcastle are imploding in typically spectacular fashion. That's probably where you're going to find your fun this weekend.

Or, you know, do something else with your life?

Referee: For the second time this season already, QPR have Anthony Taylor from Cheshire in charge of a London-based away game, and both teams here will be hoping for no repeats of the last time he refereed them. For QPR,l that was a 4-0 set back at Spurs in the second week of the season. You have to scan a little further back for his last West Ham appointment, but the two controversial penalties he awarded to title-chasing Liverpool on this ground in April will ensure him a frosty reception at Upton Park this weekend. For all Taylor's stats, and his full QPR case history, please click here.

Form

QPR: Three away games in the league and one in the League Cup have brought four defeats, 11 goals conceded and just two scored for Rangers. At the risk of regurgitating old stats, since the turn of the year they’ve lost ten of 16 away games and failed to score in 11 of them. The R's are the only side in the division without a point on their travels so far. Since a Les Ferdinand-inspired 4-0 win on this ground against newly promoted West Ham in 1993 Rangers have drawn two and lost two of four visits to this ground. Only Burnley (three) have scored fewer goals than QPR (four) in the league so far this season.

Betting: Professional odds compiler Owen Goulding has spotted a bookies' offer that may make sense if QPR's lousy away form continues at West Ham on Sunday.

"Rangers have yet to gain a point away from home all season and despite a better performance on the south coast last week, that statistic stands. West Ham come into the game on the back of games against Liverpool and Man Utd which yielded them three points in total but should arguably have been more.

"A lot of talk has been about West Ham's new 'style' of play, enforced on Big Sam by the owners, but in truth it doesn't seem particularly different to me - they still look to get the ball forward quickly - however their intensity levels have definitely upped this season.

"QPR have suffered terribly in away games this season when teams have pressed them quickly from the off and I can see problems for Rangers here. It's hard to get too into betting value etc for this game when QPR have a number of key players currently doubtful — Joey Barton, Jordon Mutch and Sandro all face late fitness tests. Ferdinand is out of form quite clearly, but I think Harry will stick with him, especially considering where the game is being played. For these reasons, as it stands, the price of Evens West Ham available on Betfair seems big.

"However, based on the fact I think Ferdinand will start, Enner Valencia at 5/1 to score first seems a decent bet. He looks by far the most likely for West Ham at present despite only netting once so far this season and his pace and strength will cause an already disorganised Rangers defence a lot of problems. With the Boylesports offer - (see below)- its worth an interest. It could be another long day in front of the cameras for the hoops faithful."

Recommended Bet: West Ham v QPR - Enner Valencia to score first @ 5/1 (Boylesports - you will get double the odds (10/1) if he scores inside first 20 minutes)

Prediction: Reigning Prediction League champion WestonSuperR tells us…

"I felt we got too much credit for our performance at Southampton. Had they been a bit more clinical with their finishing it could easily have been a similar result to our previous two matches. To say our away form so far has been worrying would be an understatement and it is hard to say where our next points on the road will come from and I certainly have no confidence that Upton Park will be the venue for our first road win this season.

"We did create a little more at Southampton and of course had Niko’s free-kick gone in we could have snatched a point, so a small positive there. As widely discussed on the message board though, we still look so lethargic and seem to have a lack of ideas when moving forward, things will need to improve massively and this needs to be done quickly before we are more firmed rooted in the bottom three.

"West Ham on the other hand have had a mixed start to the season but looked very good last time out at Upton Park produced a great 3-1 win against Liverpool, play anything like that and they will have far too much for us. I am sure Big Sam will get their team up for this so it will be disappointing if we start slowly again and sit back as we have done in every away game so far this season."

John's Prediction: West Ham 2-0 QPR. No Goalscorer.
LFW's Prediction: West Ham 2-2 QPR. Scorer — Eduardo Vargas

The Twitter @loftforwords

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qprewan added 21:52 - Oct 3 I am not sure that I share your confidence in our midfielders Clive, still think that we lack pace, creativity and perhaps most importantly goals.
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Kaos_Agent added 03:40 - Oct 4 Based on this week's interview with West Ham Ollie, our stellar defenders will have to keep Diafra Sakho in check.
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pedrosqpr added 10:21 - Oct 4 I could answer all Rednapps questions to the press because his answers are all to predictable. Dog ate my homework etc
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HastingsRanger added 10:36 - Oct 4 I agree totally with the danger of 'ripping it up and starting over' with promotion, we saw it before. The back line was solid last year and making the necessary signing of Caulker was good sense. Any further tampering was not required. Getting rid of Simpson was bizarre in the least and it will take a long time before he drops Ferdinand. Maybe Ferdinand will pick up an RSI injury from playing FIFA 2015 and that will give Onuoha his break!

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fakekerby added 11:44 - Oct 4 I don't see that Fer Sandro Barton and Mutch is a particularly good midfield. In fact I'd say it's pretty poor - 4 players who offer similar styles of play and very little creativity. I think a Niko/Adel player is a must in any starting eleven this season.
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ShotKneesHoop added 19:52 - Oct 4 This must be the longest run in the Premier that Rio has gone before picking up any injury, please god that something twangs in Rio's calf, hamstring, meat and two veg or gob at West Ham so that the Chief comes in to sort things out at the back. Rednapp is a busted flush. 'Arry is Athur Daley without the class. I want 'Arry to phhhoook orf almost as much as I want R'SWiPe to walk the plank. Discuss.

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jj77 added 22:32 - Oct 4 While we've been consistently gutless away, the point v Stoke and the win against Sunderland both showed this team at least has a little more spirt than the shambles of 2012/3. Continue to be so disappointed about the sale of Simpson, had turned his career around last year.
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