QPR ready to begin preparations in advance - Preview

Some big earners shifted, handy looking signings from lower divisions completed, budget hacked into... QPR are slowly getting themselves into a better place ahead of Saturday's visit from Ipswich.

Queens Park Rangers (13th) v Ipswich Town (6th)

Championship >>> Saturday February 6, 2016 >>> Kick Off 15.00 >>> Weather — High winds, rain later >>> Loftus Road, London, W12

And lo, on February 6, the longest ever pre-season preparation to a campaign began. QPR’s 2016/17 starts here.

That’s partly out of necessity. With promotion this season barely even a pipe dream, and a bloody strong pipe at that, it’s imperative that QPR start heading towards compliance with the Financial Fair Play regulations they completely ignored last time they were in this division. Promotion that year meant no transfer embargo, and the size of the fine is still being thrashed out, but there will be no ascent to save them this year so big earners have to be shipped out.

QPR’s argument against the punitive punishment they’re due under the original rules as written is they fail to take account of contracts which have to be honoured after a relegation. Of course they don’t, they’re there to actively discourage you overreaching with such contracts, and putting in relegation release and reduction clauses if you do. They’re there, essentially, to make everybody behave like Burnley did after their promotion 18 months ago, and what a better state the Clarets are in than QPR for doing that.

What they don’t take into account enough is the transfer window system. FFP basically necessitates that the majority of teams getting relegated into this league from the Premier League have little choice but to grab a bucket and start bailing, but at the same time the transfer windows mean you’re only allowed to start chucking things overboard for a quarter of the year, however quickly you’re taking on water.

That task is made even more difficult for Rangers by the type of player they’ve signed. As discussed during the week QPR have signed players when their fitness and injury record dictates they shouldn’t and nobody else would, frequently paid wages far in excess of what the player is worth or anybody else would pay, and signed players at ages when there is little prospect of any sell on later on. These players are difficult to shift, because you need to find somebody stupid enough to match their pay/give them a fairly gentle medical.

That’s highlighted first of all by the ridiculous amount of players who simply drift through into retirement, picking up big money for a couple of years at QPR while barely playing any football at all - Jermaine Jenas, Luke Young, Fitz Hall, Andy Johnson, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Rio Ferdinand, Ji Sung Park etc. But also by the fact that Rangers are frequently having to settle for loan deals, as they’ve done this transfer window for Steven Caulker, Leroy Fer and Sandro. We can only hope they do better for their new clubs than they did for us — and in Sandro’s case remain upright and vaguely mobile, at least occasionally — otherwise they’ll be back in the summer.

In the case of Armand Traore, Robert Green, Junior Hoilett and others, it’s now simply a case of waiting for their lucrative contracts to run down and release them.

So that’s all taking time. But this extended period of preparation for next season is also a big positive and a blessing. Not only because teams promoted from this division of late — Neil Warnock’s QPR first and foremost but also Bournemouth, Leicester, Burnley — have tended to hit the ground running after a quiet, midtable season the year before. But also because the type of player QPR are now signing will benefit massively from a period of relatively pressure-free football to bed down at the club and at a higher level. New manager Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink can also experiment, try different formations and players, establish exactly where the team needs strengthening in the summer, and start again in August with a strong hand.

That’s the theory anyway.

There are few better reasons for optimism around Loftus Road at the moment than Saturday’s visitors Ipswich Town. While Derby’s £25m team start sweating through their annual meltdown once more, Mick McCarthy’s cannily assembled collection of free transfers, loans and spots from lower divisions are all set for a second shot at the top six in as many seasons. Not only does spending cash cause clubs of our size problems off the field, it doesn’t guarantee success on it.

They’re niggly, not that attractive to watch, but effective — a Mick McCarthy team basically. If QPR can put together a more attractive version, with the likes of Conor Washington, Massimo Luongo and Grant Hall at its heart, next year could be an altogether more refreshing experience. Might be a few growing problems, teething problems and a good deal of mediocrity in the meantime though, and Town’s away record makes this a particularly tough assignment.

Links >>> Ipswich play-off push — Interview >>> A Sammy Koejoe goal — History >>> Shooting at a glass ceiling — Opposition profile >>> Breakspear's first QPR game — referee >>> Deadlocks win prizes — Betting

Shocked and gutted to hear about the sudden death of my friend Peter Barkley this week. Peter was 28 years old and had been a season ticket holder at Ipswich since he was ten. He lived for his football and had been at Town’s win against Reading on Tuesday as usual and was apparently in good health but died in his sleep later that night. He’d been part of the ITFC Disabled Football Team for several years, scoring once — a crucial, clinching goal in a 13-1 win which was celebrated robustly — before concentrating on his cycling and athletics. He was due to represent Suffolk in 200m and shot-put at the Special Olympics in 2017. Peter was regularly on hand with advice for the players at Portman Road on a matchday, which they seldom took (more fool them) and his mum Jenny, father Andy, sister Sarah and brother Philip are talking about an appropriate tribute for him at Town’s next home match. He was one of the loveliest people you could ever meet — even when he was castigating me about QPR’s excessive transfer spending. He’ll be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Saturday

Team News: Nasser El Khayati is in the squad and set for debut after arriving from Burton Albion on deadline day. Conor Washington, his fellow January arrival, is also pushing for his firs start after an impressive half hour at Nottingham Forest. Cole Kpekawa has been recalled from a loan at Leyton Orient, though whether that's an indication that Paul Konchesky is finally going to be taken up to the woods and released into the night is doubtful. More likely is a belated debut for Jack Robinson, fully 18 months after he signed for the club from Liverpool following his recovery from a bad injury.

Of course we usually have a bit of an arse about at this point and make up spurious reasons for the absence of opposition players, but given that David McGoldrick ripped his hamstring clean off the bone while pissballing about attempting a back heel in training and is out until March we'll stick with the genuine excuse on this occasion. Goalkeeper Dean Gerken meanwhile is out for a month after a DIY attempt to lacerate a troublesome haemorrhoid took a dramatic return for the worse. Jonathan Douglas, a scorer against Rangers at Portman Road in December, is on the naughty step for three games.

Big Mick withdrew 18-year-old Arsenal loanee Ainsley Maitland-Niles at halftime of the midweek win against Reading, and complained afterwards about the Ipswich fans' treatment of the teenager. His position presumably now in some doubt.

Three players return however with Daryl Murphy (ingrowing hair), Ryan Fraser (shaving rash) and Luke Hyam (locked out the house) all available to play again.

Elsewhere: A former editor of mine used to resemble Steve Evans when told it will be a ten minute wait for the large chilli beef by the staff at the West Country Co. Pasty Stall whenever a journalist started something with "buckle up" or "fasten your seatbelts." "We want people to be excited, but it's not a fucking rollercoaster," said the style guide. But come on man, Brighton v Brentford for your Friday night delectation? You'll need to tie my down with chains never mind a bloody harness or a seatbelt.

Saturday brings us two clashes from the bottom of the Championship. Former player Lee Johnson is probably popping his League One Manager of the Month award into a cardboard box and hitting the motorway as we speak as the Wurzels have come calling for their ex-midfielder to be their new manager prior to Saturday's trip to Belgium's Finest who are also bang in trouble at the bottom of the league. Barings Bank look dead and buried, but a win at home fourth bottom Rotherham might help them start to at least politely tap on the coffin lid.

Tarquin and Rupert are in danger of dropping into trouble as well — shouldn't have over-stretched on that barn conversion in the Dordogne chaps — but should be confident of victory this weekend with serial-chokers Derby Sheep in town. With their annual meltdown in full swing, and recent form looking more like Dwight's firedrill than Championship promotion material, their living up to their moniker of being 'the new Cardiff' well and early this season. The old Cardiff, meanwhile, have the Franchise at home this weekend.

Franchise are also in action again on Tuesday — a game in hand against high flying Boro — and assuming the Teeside club win there easily, as they should, this could prove to be a pivotal week in their attempts to return to the Premier League with an eminently winnable fixture against the Mad Chicken Farmers at home on Saturday.

Two big clashes between promotion chasers sees Big Spending Burnley, in form and in third, hosting league leaders Tigers Tigers Rah Rah Rah who have been suspect on the road this year despite their lofty league status. Brum hosting Sheffield Owls is a match up between the two teams directly behind sixth-placed Ipswich.

What else do we have here? Champions of Europe against Nottingham Trees, an insufferable meeting of two support bases convinced they're still living in the 1980s. Preston v Huddersfield, a footballing equivalent of the monthly board meeting of the Cleethorpes and District Model Railway Society.

Buckle up and enjoy.

Referee: Charles Breakspear has regularly run the line at Loftus Road in recent years, but Saturday will be his first game here as a real live referee. In his previous Ipswich appointment they won 1-0 thanks to a penalty award. Hmmmmm. His stats since he joined the league list as a full match official are available here.

Form

QPR: Rangers are the division's draw specialists at the moment, with seven of their last 11 matches finishing level. QPR held the lead at some point in four of those games and have surrendered more points from winning positions than anybody else in the league this season (21). They've also drawn more at home than any other side (eight, ahead of a clutch of sides on six) and have won just one of the last seven in W12. Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink has just one victory to his name in 11 games in charge so far, and awaits his first maximum in Shepherd's Bush. All that said, just two defeats on their own turf this season is a record bettered by only three teams, and matched by the clubs currently in second, third and fourth. Twenty two goals scored at Loftus Road is better than Middlesbrough, Brighton and Ipswich have managed on their own patches this season, and they are all currently in the top six.

Ipswich: "If Ipswich are the benchmark for sixth, we'll take that benchmark," sweated Steve Evans after Leeds' second defeats of the season to Mick McCarthy's side recently. And when you look at their Saturday home form, you can understand his point — Ipswich have won just two of the 11 matches they've played at Portman Road on a Saturday (or Friday night) this season. Naturally, QPR happily provided one of those two maximums over Christmas. However, they are currently on a remarkable run of 16 consecutive victories at home on a Tuesday night, including this week's 2-1 win against Reading. Away from home, to QPR's concern, they're pretty formidable as well. Their record of seven wins and three draws is bettered for points only by Birmingham (six wins, six draws) and only Middlesbrough match them for wins (seven wins, two draws). Although they've lost their last two on the road in all competitions, to Portsmouth and Birmingham, prior to that Town had won five and drawn two of their previous seven aways including notable results at high-flying Brighton (0-1) and in-form Burnley (0-0). That said, they are usually good for a goal — 20 conceded in their 14 away matches so far, worse than any other team in the top eight, and five more than Blackburn have shipped way down in fifteenth. The BBC says Ipswich have the worst pass completion in the Championship at 62%. Big Mick says accurate passing is for "jessies".

Betting: LFW's tame professional odds compiler Owen Goulding says…

"Personally I am happy to see the changes that have been made during the past month and hope Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink can start to put his own stamp on the team. If his previous jobs are anything to go by, we should see a hungrier, fitter Rangers side in the coming months.

"QPR have no real injury concerns so the team selection will be very interesting. Ipswich however will continue to miss both Jon Douglas and David McGoldrick. Town are very hit and miss, and rival QPR for inconsistency. They aren't particularly pretty to watch, although Ryan Fraser forcing his way into the team has made them a little more pleasing on the eye.

"I don't envisage it being an attractive game, and goals look at a premium. The under 2.5 goals price looks too short at 8/13 to get involved so I am looking towards the HT/FT market. QPR have drawn four of their last five home games, and in three of those were also drawing at HT. So looking at Bet Victor's offer of 11/2 for it to be a draw at both HT and FT is enough for me to get my wallet out."

Recommended Bet: QPR v Ipswich - Draw/Draw in HT/FT Market @ 11/2 (Betvictor).

Prediction: Reigning Prediction League champion isawqpratwhitecity tells us...

"Ipswich are solid play-off contenders and after beating us at theirs should give us a good game here. Their away form through November and December was great but after a solid draw at Burnley they've been beaten away in the cup by Pompey and the league by Brum. I should tip the draw but my heart is getting behind Jimmy and our slightly younger, fresher squad. Here's hoping the boys have made the most of their Annual 4th Round Break."

Jim's Prediction; QPR 2-1 Ipswich. Scorer: Seb Polter

LFW's Prediction: QPR 1 Ipswich 1. Scorer - Conor Washington.

The Twitter @loftforwords

Pictures — Action Images

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