Chelsea seemed so stunned by the hostility they encountered at QPR back in October that they quickly fell one goal and two men behind. This weekend they return to Loftus Road for the first time since, with fans being warned about their behaviour.
FA Cup >>> Saturday January 28, 2012 >>> Kick Off 12 noon >>> Loftus Road, London, W12
Now we’re all going to be good little boys and girls on Saturday aren’t we? No bad words or anything ok? We wouldn’t want all the rich, and abysmally behaved, footballers getting upset now would we?
One would hope that the repeated pre-match warnings about “your behaviour” ahead of this weekend’s FA Cup clash with our dearly beloved neighbours Chelsea are nothing more than an exercise in box ticking, to show the FA and the police that both clubs have done everything in their power to prevent trouble should any occur.
I had to cringe when the joint statement from both clubs asked fans to make Saturday a “celebration of football”. Put bluntly, if Saturday becomes a celebration of football then Chelsea will win. Chelsea have a far better football team than QPR in almost every department. If QPR fans turn up to “celebrate football” they’ll be heading home just before 2pm with a 3-0 defeat stuffed down their throats and John Terry punching the air on the Loftus Road playing surface. Celebrate that.
Nevertheless QPR told us again today that they will not tolerate any chants or abuse about, quote: “race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, ethnic and national origin, disability, nationality, religion or belief or gender reassignment.” Gender reassignment? I don’t even know what that is.
It’s an exhaustive list and while nobody in the ground on Saturday, with the possible exception of the visiting captain, would disagree that abuse of somebody because of their race or colour is completely unacceptable in any form it seems like massive overkill to me.
I mean I’ve been known on occasions, as Shaun Derry has drawn his foot back from 30-yards out, to say “not from there you silly old goat Derry,” which presumably fits into the ‘ageist’ category. Do chants about Ashley Cole’s mobile phone activity fit into sex or sexual orientation? Are chants about where Cheryl Cole may have got to these days covered by ‘marital status’? And is, errr, yeh, what the hell is covered by “gender reassignment”? Is that like when a young Lee Cook once pulled out of a particularly ferocious challenge by a League One full back and Northern the Elder was heard to remark: “More of a crack than a cock”? Actually that could probably fit into a few of those categories couldn’t it?
It’s all a bit mealy mouthed isn’t it? They’re worried about racial abuse of Anton Ferdinand. Why not just come out and say that? No need for this holding hands, all in this together, let’s celebrate football claptrap. Keep it plain and simple. Why does there need to be a joint statement anyway? QPR fans, who have strayed over the line several times in the past with songs about Drogba and fans running onto the field to insert Andy Hall’s whistle into him, showed in that first Chelsea game that they know exactly how to create an atmosphere within the rules.
What is the world bloody coming to eh? People shouting at a football game, who would have thought it? An atmosphere, at a British football match, well I never. Stamp that out immediately, you’re scaring the Korean tourists away.
Let’s remember that until last weekend QPR had won only one home match all season. One. All that talk back in the summer about how an old fashioned ground like Loftus Road with the fans close to the pitch could really play into our hands and intimidate points from teams has proved to be absolute rubbish as one team after another has come to W12 and left with points. That one win came against Chelsea of course, on one of the few occasions this season the ground was as it should be for a Premiership match: full, noisy and hostile.
Full, noisy, hostile and never once over the line. Nobody ran on the pitch, nobody threw anything onto the pitch, nobody flicked coins at the players, nobody chanted anything racist, nobody gathered on South Africa Road for a punch up as women and children tried to leave the ground. It was exactly, to the letter, what football should be. Loud, proud, passionate, intimidating, atmospheric, brilliant. QPR fans behaved impeccably while creating an atmosphere that distracted a more talented team to such an extent that it contrived to lose to our collection of waifs and strays. Sod the joint statements and behaviour reminders about gender reassignment, QPR should have put out one simple one line statement this week that read as follows:
”Thank you for your impeccable behaviour and magnificent atmosphere created at the league match with Chelsea in October. If possible, more of the same on Saturday please.”
It would no doubt have been topped with the ridiculous QPR official website trademark “EXCLUSIVE” and tailed with the wanky “the club will be making no further comment at this time” but it would have done the job.
QPR should be encouraging atmosphere like we had at the last meeting, not putting out woolly liberal statements telling us not to remind John Terry about his alleged racist comments to Anton Ferdinand, or his father’s drug dealing in pubs, or his mother’s penchant for nicking things from Tesco, or his habit of sleeping with team mates’ girlfriends, or anybody’s girlfriend apart from his own for that matter, or any of the other myriad of things that reprehensible toad has done in his life. England captain. And people ask me why I don’t give a toss about the England national team any more.
QPR, with the best will in the world, are never going to be able to compete consistently with the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City, Manchester United and Arsenal. They may, however, occasionally beat them and as we proved in October our ground and crowd will be a massive part of any of those victories. Chelsea lost the plot at Loftus Road on their last visit. They can moan about Chris Foy’s refereeing until they’re blue in the face, and we’d do exactly the same thing if we’d lost 1-0 to them in similar circumstances, but the simple fact is they grossly underestimated that match and for 40 minutes lost all composure and concentration through pure surprise at the situation they’d been faced with. Frank Lampard’s beloved cousin, and simply marvellous television pundit, Jamie Redknapp said afterwards: “I didn’t even know this was a derby game” which perhaps gives you an insight into Lampard’s thinking pre-game..
Further insight can be found in Chelsea’s official website preview of that game which can also be found linked next to the word “unprofessional” in many online dictionaries.
The official Chelsea website told us that: “It will be our first league meeting with Queen's Park Rangers for 15 years and it is fair to say the hosts are quite worked up about it. Less so Blues supporters. And to the experienced Chelsea players it is obviously a potentially tricky fixture, but still fundamentally third versus 11th. The noises from the Rs camp are redolent of the clichés produced by the underdog before a cup final: the crowd being the twelfth man, the baying hordes close to the pitch affecting the visitors, and the playing field itself being smaller than Chelsea are used to.
“By the way, travelling Chelsea fans should be aware that Rangers policy is that no alcohol will be on sale in away end at their ground. Perhaps they believe, as we hope, that the home fans will be the only ones needing to drown their sorrows.”
Baying hordes close to the pitch affecting the visitors? I should say so. The look on Juan Mata’s face as he came over to take a corner near the R Block just before half time, before turning on his heels and letting somebody else do it, was really quite something. He pulled up with a mysterious injury a moment later and refused to play on until the break. By the time Chelsea had realised the magnitude of the game they’d had two players sent off, and they still could easily have drawn or won thereafter anyway highlighting the gulf in class that needed to be bridged by an external factor like a hostile crowd.
Anything that brings us onto a more equal footing against a vastly superior team on paper is to be welcomed and encouraged. Don’t for one moment this is me inciting a riot, or any genuine violence whatsoever, because it’s not. There is absolutely no need or place for that, or any racial abuse, chanting and taunting. The atmosphere at the last game was brilliant, and never once stepped over that conduct line. I just want more of that. I fail to see why a home crowd being noisy and giving the opposition players some grief is a bad thing.
Anyway, should QPR actually enforce all of this to the letter this weekend then anybody prosecuted has a readymade defence at their disposal. Simply tell the plod you were taken out of context. “Oh I’m sorry officer, did you think I’d accused Fernando Torres of having his gender reassigned? I’m sorry, you’re mistaken. What I actually said was: ‘Torres, did you think I’d said you had your gender reassigned? Well I didn’t.’”
Yeh, that ought to do it.
Team News: QPR await final paperwork on the signing of AC Milan’s Taye Taiwo but may have regular left back Armand Traore back from the African Cup of Nations anyway with Senegal floundering. Clint Hill waits in the wings if neither make it. Nedum Onouha should make his debut after signing from Man City on a four and a half year deal, he’s likely to slot in at centre half alongside Anton Ferdinand. Further forward it’s likely to be much the same line up as beat Wigan on Saturday although DJ Campbell was forced off at half time in that game so goal scoring substitute Tommy Smith and the harshly maligned Jay Bothroyd wait in the wings to deputise.
Chelsea are probably going to be without Frank Lampard for this game after he limped out of last weekend’s action early on with a torn calf.
Elsewhere: The Fourth Round begins tonight when Tottenham travel to Watford live on ESPN and despite his difficult week in court manager Harry Redknapp does intend to select the Spurs team and stand on the touchline. He’ll be delighted to hear that his old mate Chris Foy will be there waiting for him, officiating a Spurs game for the first time since he made a right royal mess of their trip to Stoke earlier this season.
More potential controversy on Saturday of course with Manchester United travelling to Liverpool for the televised 12.45 match – there was enough needle in that fixture already before the recent Patrice Evra v Luis Suarez incident. Suarez remains banned for this game after picking up eight games for racially abusing the French full back – so much easier to prosecute and ban a toothy Uruguayan nobody really likes anyway than the England captain isn’t it? Elsewhere there’s little to choose from. Brighton v Newcastle is the evening TV game, Notts County v Stevenage guarantees League One representation in Round Five and quite why on God’s Green Earth Arsenal v Aston Villa is a better bet for a live Sunday afternoon game than either QPR or MK Dons v Chelsea only the clueless television executives would be able to tell us.
Sunderland v Middlesbrough is the early Sunday game.
Referee: Mike Dean, one of the top flight’s longest serving and highest ranked officials, is charged with keeping a lid on this one. Considering we’ve had Martin Atkinson four times already this season, and twice last, it seems strange that Dean has refereed Rangers only twice in the last ten years and not once this season so far. He has some experience of this fixture, refereeing out FA Cup exit at Stamford Bridge five years ago, but has only refereed one 0-0 draw between Rangers and Coventry at the Ricoh Arena vacuum so this will be a whole different kettle of fish to that. Sent off Fernando Torres against Swansea earlier this season. Click here for a full case file.
QPR: Having managed only the Chelsea win at home all season up to last Tuesday Rangers have now won two on the spin at Loftus Road, admittedly only against MK Dons and lowly Wigan. Their two home victories this season have both included goals from the penalty spot from Heidar Helguson who now has nine for the season – the 34 year old Icelandic journeyman putting £50m Fernando Torres and £35m Andy Carroll to shame with his tally. QPR have won their last two and lost one of their last four after previously embarking on a run of one win in 12 and no wins in nine which had seen them sink into the relegation zone for the first time since August.
Chelsea: Prior to their defeat at Loftus Road in October Chelsea were unbeaten in six, had lost just one of their first 12 matches, and had scored 13 goals in their previous three matches. The Loftus Road humbling sent them on a subsequent run of three wins from nine games that knocked them out of the League Cup and, in all likelihood, the title race. They recovered briefly with three straight wins at the start of December including a 2-1 home success against Man City that was celebrated like Equitorial Guinea would mark winning the World Cup but Christmas brought three draws and a home defeat against Aston Villa to leave them playing for third and fourth places. Coming into this match they have won three and drawn one of their last four matches and conceded only one goal which perhaps hint at not only a revival, but also a solidifying of the backline which was leaking goals for fun earlier this season – 14 goals conceded in those nine matches mentioned earlier.
Betting: Professional odds compiler Owen Goulding says…
Well I seem to have come unstuck in recent weeks with my suggestions, but this has been to the benefit of QPR. I tipped Wigan to get a draw last week which they failed to do, and I tipped Senegal to win the African Nations and after defeats in their first two days, they are already preparing for their flight home - with Armand Traore on board, again benefiting the Hoops. Firstly just a quick mention on the new signing Taiwo for those who haven't seen much of him. As part of my job, I have watched many matches including this guy. He is strong, works his proverbials off, and has the most powerful shot I have ever seen. The irony that we finally score from a free kick the week he signs is not lost on me though.
Anyway, on to this week’s game. I hate the fact the FA Cup means so little. I used to love a day out at Loftus Road, watching us beat the Mighty Ducks of Aylesbury (lucky mascot that day – ed). But it’s different now. The apathy towards this fixture - duly noted on this message board - is there for all to see. I hope this doesn't seep through to the players as having covered Chelsea's last round tie v Portsmouth, it is clear that AVB is going all out to win cup. I think the Rangers players are definitely more focused on the league and maybe this will provide a welcome distraction but we were outplayed by nine men last time, yet hung on for the win - I can’t see this happening again unfortunately. The early kick off, the increase in away fans, and most notably, the lack of surprise to which we caught Chelsea out with regarding our dislike for them in the last fixture, will all be determining factors.
The last game, QPR started at 10/1. Despite being outplayed for much of the match by nine men, this time we are a best priced 5/1. Chelsea were 2/7 at kick off for the league game, at present they are available at 4/6 for Saturday. If I take my Rangers hat off and look at it as a neutral, there is only one bet to have. However, I am not a neutral and therefore won’t be backing the obvious. Instead, I am going to have a little interest in Buzacky continuing his recent good form and netting at 11/1 at anytime with Unibet.
Prediction: Although my predictions are notoriously awful, I don’t have such a bad record in the FA Cup in recent times. You may well laugh, given that predicting QPR results in the FA Cup is like predicting that night follows day, but I’ve even got some of the more unlikely ones right. Three years ago when Paulo Sousa was in charge I said we’d draw a dreadful home fixture 0-0 and then lose the replay in extra time. Why? Because it was the absolute worst case scenario, and QPR love acting those out in the domestic cup competitions. I said in the pub before the first MK Dons fixture we’d probably draw, just, and then win a scrappy replay before being thumped by Chelsea or somebody of that ilk in the next round. And here we are. But now I’m going to revise my guess, and extend the worst case scenario idea a little further. Worst case scenario, for both sets of fans, both sets of players and the police, is a draw here and subsequent replay next week. So that’s my tip.
Draw, 3/1 best price, VC Bet, Bet 365 and others.
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