The final Tuesday night round of fixtures of the Championship season gives QPR a chance to make amends for Saturday’s thrashing by Scunthorpe at Barnsley.
It had escaped my attention, but I recently had it pointed out to me that the usual table our motley crew of QPR supporters occupies in The Green Room sits directly underneath a very large black and white photograph of Devon Loch. For those who don’t know (and there can’t be many) Devon Loch was a horse belonging to the Queen Mother who romped clear of the rest of the field in the 1956 Grand National only to, yards from the finishing line, attempt to jump a fence that wasn’t there and belly flop onto the ground allowing E.S.B. to overtake it and win. It has become a metaphor for sporting collapse when victory seems the only result.
I have shafted myself somewhat by mentioning this here. The LoftforWords “no points deduction let’s party” and “30 points deducted follow me to Soho Square, bring a pitch fork” features are both written ready to go live the moment the FA has finished it’s little hearing into the Alejandro Faurlin transfer the day before the Leeds game in May. And the fact that we’ve been supping our pre-match beer underneath an enormous picture of the most famous example of snatching a defeat from the jaws of victory formed the bulk of the intro for the worst case scenario piece. Saving me the bother of writing another misery laced introduction is item #356 in the series of reasons why the FA should just give us a slap on the wrist and let us go on our way.
But it seems appropriate to mention it early following the events of the past 72 hours when, on Grand National weekend, QPR contrived to collapse to a humiliating hammering against the league’s worst side when only five days earlier they’d seemed in the mood to run a hot knife through the buttery remains of their fixture list and win the Championship at a canter. Just a blip, in all likelihood, although watching Rory McIllroy go from being the world’s greatest golfer on Saturday to just another amateur slogger prone to driving through somebody’s patio windows off the tenth tee on Sunday did little to quell the nagging voice at the back of my head that’s been saying “wouldn’t it be just like QPR to bollocks this up totally” which has been chirruping away since Saturday.
Anyway, let’s be sensible for a moment. Three wins are required from six games remaining, and that’s only if the chasing pack win all of their games. Only the FA can stop us now in all likelihood, and as I said in the Scunthorpe match report the Glanford Park thrashing may actually do us some good. It’s very easy from the comfort of your Land Rover Discovery to trot out some cliché down your hands free phone to the local hack about “nobody getting complacent” but there was a hint at Doncaster that one or two in the team and three or four hundred on the terrace were starting to behave as if the job was already done. Luckily Doncaster have long since returned their cue to the rack and sat down in a comfortable chair and didn’t realise that actually setting about QPR with some purpose may have yielded a real scalp for them. Scunthorpe are a tremendously limited side, but they out enthused QPR on Saturday, and by doing so hopefully delivered a collective kick up the backside which will encourage the R’s to be on their guard for the remaining games.
Barnsley are more Doncaster than Scunthorpe, a mediocre side with nothing to play for, but QPR cannot simply expect to turn up and win which, I fear, is exactly what a few of them did on Saturday.
The Story So Far: After a decade of yo-yoing around between the top three divisions of English football, coupled with the financial collapse that always seems to accompany relegation from the Premiership without an immediate return, Barnsley seem to be happy for the moment to settle for being a steady, well run, middle of the road Championship side.
As QPR now seem set for a return to the big time it’s worth remembering that Barnsley have actually been there more recently than ourselves, staying for a single season in 1997/98. They almost returned as well, losing the last play off final at the old Wembley to Ipswich Town 4-2 with a side containing Craig Hignet among others. But then they have also been downstairs as well, administration and near financial ruin facing the club that overstretched itself and almost paid the price.
Barnsley’s recent history shows that they must tread carefully. They’re one of those sides that’ only ever a run of injuries or a poor managerial appointment (Nigel Spackman and Paul Hart have managed here with disastrous consequences, and I doubt any QPR fan would wish those two on even our worst enemies) away from being in real trouble. I suppose after day one, when a summer of optimism gave way to a 4-0 defeat at Loftus Road against a QPR side that few fancied for much at that stage, there may have been a few butterflies rattling round a few stomachs in this corner of South Yorkshire.
The club is back on an even keel off the field, chairman Patrick Cryne running a tight ship and doing his best to engage with supporter groups, but it could ill afford another demotion. When the Loftus Road hammering was followed up with a League Cup exit at home to Rochdale the omens weren’t good. But to be fair to the Tykes the 4-0 scoreline on day one flattered QPR who were lucky to escape two woodwork strikes and a strong penalty appeal with a clean sheet, and neither Rangers nor Rochdale have done badly at their respective levels since that opening week.
Neither have Barnsley – who quickly stuck wins against Palace, Middlesbrough and, memorably, Leeds (5-2) on the board to get their season up and running. The lost former Liverpool trainee Adam Hammill to Wolves for £500k in January, a release caluse in his contract sealing his departure for probably half his true worth, and they have been forced to rely heavily on the loan market at times – the full quota of five is currently filled by Marlon Harewood (Blackpool), Jacob Mellis (Chelsea), Paul McShane (Hull), Diego Arrismendi (Stoke) and Keiran Trippier (Man City) – but they have a particularly fine young manager in charge and are currently safely ensconced in midtable.
The pressure to keep one of the division’s smaller clubs playing at this level without the serious financial backing that others can boast has not afflicted manager Mark Robins with a fear that manifests itself in an overly defensive approach to games. Indeed Barnsley went into their weekend game with Bristol City with three recognised strikers on the field and secured a 4-2 win. Prior to his departure Adam Hammill was running his own Goal of the Season competition too.
It’s this attacking approach, understandable when the manager is a former striker himself, and the fact that only a remarkable run of results will see them anything other than safely in midtable come May that makes Barnsley dangerous opponents for clubs like ourselves who still have plenty to play for and may therefore come into a game suffering from nerves.
Manager: For the second time in four days QPR are coming face to face with a young manager making his way in the game after cutting his teeth at Rotherham United. Mark Robins the player was the man who apparently saved Alex Ferguson’s job at Man Utd with that famous goal at Nottingham Forest and is one of several former United players now making a name for himself as a manager in his own right. While not immediately striking as ideal management material the fair haired striker, who also enjoyed great times with Norwich City as a player, did a superb job in difficult circumstances at Rotherham and earned a shot at Championship football as a result. Robins arrived at Rotherham as a player initially in 2000 at the journeyman stage of his career that had also seen him play for Bristol City, Man City, Burton Albion, Sheffield Wednesday, Reading, Walsall and others. He assisted boss Alan Knill prior to his sacking in February 2007.
As discussed in this column on Friday when looking ahead to our game with Knill’s new Scunthorpe side, Rotherham were in a mess at this stage. The brief glory period under Ronnie Moore when they climbed into the second tier and upset big teams in cup competitions had given way to financial uncertainty and relegation. Rotherham were 13 points adrift at the bottom of League One, playing in a ground with an unfinished main stand and had supporters protesting against Ken Booth the chairman. Inevitable relegation and administration followed and Robins dealt with it all in his first full management role. Rotherham moved away from Millmoor to the Don Valley, away from Booth, and although they were deducted 17 points at the start of last season for their financial position Robins uncovered talent like Reuben Reid (bought by West Brom but now back with Oldham) and led them on a campaign of league and cup success that claimed the Championship scalps of Wolves, Sheff Wed and Southampton and would have resulted in at least a play off place but for the deduction.
Rotherham looked a good bet for promotion last season as Robins picked up Rochdale’s 17 goal striker Adam Le Fondre in the summer transfer window but, sadly from a Millers point of view, Robins’ work had not gone unnoticed and he was the top man in the frame for the first Championship job to become available in 2009/10 at Barnsley. Robins joined in September after a protracted battle over compensation between the two clubs and won his first match at Derby 3-2. Rotherham subsequently made the play offs, with Ronnie Moore returning for a second spell at the helm, but they rather fell over the line and were beaten by in form Dagenham at Wembley.
When I penned the preview for the first game of the season I questioned whether Robins may come to regret leaving Rotherham, where he had turned the club round to such an extent he probably had a job for as long as he wanted it, for Barnsley who have worked their way through ten bosses in as many years and with all due respect are never likely to rise much higher than their current position in the Championship. Rotherham have been a Championship side before and I did wonder whether it might look better for Robins’ CV if he was to stay at the Don Valley and achieve at least one, if not two promotions with the Millers rather than just treading water with Barnsley – an admirable achievement, but not one that will attract many suitors.
In his absence Rotherham are hitting self destruct again, Ronnie Moore recently sacked as another tilt at promotion from League Two threatens to fall apart, while Robins continues to quietly go about his work in a manner desperately needed just down the road at the “bigger” Sheffield clubs who will more than likely both be a division below the Tykes next season.
Three to Watch: When you type ‘Dutch sprinter’ into Google the first result that appears is a type of commuter train manufactured during the early 1980s and still used on the railways around Yorkshire today. For a proud sporting nation, track and field success at the Olympics has been sadly lacking. Perhaps that’s because whenever the Dutch find someone who does actually have a bit of pace about him, they immediately throw him a football and try and build some fundamentals of the game around the fact that he can run a bit. Marc Overmars was a notable success story, Glenn Helder was not.
Helder, a poker player these days although quite how wise that is after his attempted suicide to avoid his extensive gambling debts, was one of those players I always seemed to have about ten times over in my early days Premier League sticker books. Helder, and former Barnsley striker Jan Arge Fjortoft. I couldn’t give the bastards away. Anyway back on the play ground at Hampton Hill Junior School the back four of the year six cup final losing side of 1996 (I was the right full back) used to muse in the mini bus on the way to games why Helder hadn’t in fact been a sprinter. After all he was absolutely lightening quick, but possessed miniscule footballing ability. Part of George Graham’s last throw of the Highbury dice that also saw Chris Kiwomya and John Hartson arrive.
And I think the same about Barnsley striker Danny Haynes. He’s built like Olympic hurdler Colin Jackson and he’s probably just as quick. Lean, muscle bound, ripped, without an ounce of fat on him, and capable of outstripping just about anybody else in this league for pace in third gear. He came through the ranks at Ipswich, and was popular there because of a propensity to score against Norwich City every time he went anywhere near them, but the early potential he showed at Portman Road has never developed into anything else. He’s still lightening quick, but incapable of offering an end product consistently.
Barnsley picked him up for an undisclosed fee from City in January and he forms part of a useful looking front three with Marlon Harewood and Andy Gray. He scored against his former club on Saturday, although the defending was Bob Malcolm like in its execution and Haynes still needed three attempts at badgering the ball over the line from a yard out. He’s troubled QPR before, for both Ipswich and Bristol City, and with Rangers not possessing the quickest of back fours he may have a good night again. That said, I can’t help but think with London 2012 fast approaching he’s in the wrong sport.
Harewood is another persistent thorn in QPR’s side. Another player laughably short in the fundamental basics of the game that would prohibit him from making a living so high up the footballing ladder in any other European country except Britain – but again one who has enjoyed good times against QPR in the past. If he scores on Tuesday Barnsley will be the fourth club he has notched against QPR for following goals against the R’s for Forest, West Ham and most recently Newcastle. Ian Holloway pulled out all the stops to get him to Blackpool in the summer when he seemed set for the Greek league after leaving Aston Villa, but despite him scoring two on his debut at Wigan on the opening day he has since slipped down the pecking order and been loaned out to Barnsley where he has scored three times in six starts.
Finally I suspect a few QPR fans may have an eye on left full back Matt Hill, just to see how he is possibly earning a living by paying football at this level. To be fair to Hill he has had a very steady career in this division and the one below – impressing first at Bristol City, from where Ian Holloway first tried to sign him for QPR, and then Preston where he actually ended up. Wolves liked him enough to add him to their squad as they chased the Premiership although predictably found no use for him once they were there.
Still, that’s not exactly a bad CV and as he’s still only 29 it should come as little surprise that he is currently playing for a middle of the road Championship team. But then if you were unfortunate enough to see any of his 16 shambolic appearances for QPR on loan last season you’re probably absolutely astonished to find him still earning a crust in this league, and with some justification too. Hill was one of a clutch of awful signings made by a mixture of Paul Hart and Mick Harford during the latest in a long line of farcical crisis periods at Loftus Road last January. Harford described him as an honest character, who would bring much needed work rate and commitment to a back four. Harford said he saw him as his organiser, a key figure.
On his debut QPR lost 5-0 at Nottingham Forest and Hill was rated at three out of ten in the LoftforWords match report. On his home debut the R’s were beaten 1-0 by relegation haunted Scunthorpe. And so it went on, right through to his last game for the club when we were beaten 4-0 at Leicester. He was absolutely useless. He offered us absolutely nothing of any worth, contributed nothing positive, and it was a blessed relief when he finally returned to Wolves who promptly released him on a free transfer. I’m pretty confident that given a couple of weeks on the training field with somebody like Don Howe to assist me I could have trained a monkey to play left full back better than Matt Hill did for us last season. I fully expected him to drop down the leagues. Cheltenham maybe, or Barnet, and then into the Conference, and then lower still, never to be seen or heard of again except for when pub conversation turns to “obscure QPR players time forgot” – Carl Leaburn anybody?
Personally I will be very interested to see how he copes with Routledge and co on Tuesday because the last time I saw him I found myself wondering whether we’d been duped Graeme Souness style into fielding some student trying to win drinks in a bet with his mates.
Links >>> Barnsley Official Website >>> Barnsley Message Board >>> Oakwell Travel Guide
Recent Meetings: QPR started the season in flying form, hammering Barnsley 4-0 at Loftus Road on the opening day of the campaign, although to be fair the scoreline flattered QPR. Barnsley twice hit the woodwork, had a shot cleared from the line after Paddy Kenny had badly misjudged a high through ball, and had a stone wall penalty for handball by Fitz Hall waved away before succumbing to four goals, two of them from the penalty spot just to rub salt into the wounds. Heidar Helguson scored the first spot kick five minutes before half time after Taarabt tumbled in the area, then immediately after the break Mackie stole his first goal for the club from close range after Luke Steele the Barnsley goalkeeper had fumbled. Helguson won the second penalty, scored by Taarabt, although had play been allowed to continue a moment longer the Moroccan had lashed home from long range anyway. The rout was rounded off by Fitz Hall of all people, stealing in at the back post to convert Hogan Ephraim’s low cross.
QPR Kenny 5, Orr 7, Hall 6, Gorkss 7, Hill 7, Ephraim 7,Derry 7 (Leigertwood 79, 6), Faurlin 7, Taarabt 8 (Parker 77, 6),Helguson 7 (German 83, 5), Mackie 7
Subs Not Used: Cerny, Clarke, Connolly, Borrowdale
Booked: Orr (tripping)
Goals: Helguson 41 (penalty, assisted Taarabt), Mackie 53 (assisted Ephraim), Taarabt 63 (penalty, assisted Helguson), Hall 81 (assisted Ephraim)
Barnsley Steele 5, Hassell 2, Shackell 5, Foster 4, McEveley 2,Hammill 6 (Neumann 76, 5), Doyle 5, Lovre 5 (Butterfield 86, -),Devaney 5 (Hume 46, 6), Colace 7, Gray 6
Subs Not Used: Preece, Dickinsone, Boulding, Potter
Booked: Foster (foul, penalty concession), McEveley (professional foul)
QPR completed a rare double at Oakwell last season with a 1-0 win in a meaningless fixture. Neither side had much to play for but QPR went in front midway through the first half when Mikele Leigertwood cut in from the right flank and fired an unstoppable 25 yarder in off the underside of the crossbar. Antonio German missed a great chance to make it 2-0 before the break but the R’s were indebted to goalkeeper Radek Cerny who made three fine saves in one on one situations to secure the victory.
Barnsley: Steele 6, Hassell 6, Foster 6, Moore 7, Potter 6 (Dickinson 64, 6), Hammill 5 (Devaney 40, 6), Colace 6, Doyle 6 (Taylor 81, -), Butterfield 6, Macken 5, Hume 7
Subs Not Used: Preece, Shotton, Adam, Kozluk
Booked: Doyle, Potter
QPR: Cerny 8, Parker 6, Ramage 7, Gorkss 6, Tosic 7, Priskin 5 (Brown 90, -), Leigertwood 6, Faurlin 7, Ephraim 6 (Cook 80, -), Buzsaky 6 , German 5 (Simpson 56, 5)
Subs Not Used: Putnins, Vine, Balanta, Oastler
Booked: Buzsaky
Goals: Leigertwood 27 (assisted Ephraim)
Head to Head >>> Barnsley wins 14 >>> Draws 10 >>> QPR wins 23
Previous Results:
2010/11 QPR 4 Barnsley 0 (Taarabt pen, Mackie, Helguson pen, Hall)
2009/10 Barnsley 0 QPR 1 (Leigertwood)
2009/10 QPR 5 Barnsley 2 (Buzsaky 2, Leigertwood, Watson, Simpson)
2008/09 Barnsley 2 QPR 1 (Delaney)
2008/09 QPR 2 Barnsley 1 (Hall 2)
2007/08 Barnsley 0 QPR 0
2007/08 QPR 2 Barnsley 0 (Agyemang, Vine)
2006/07 Barnsley 2 QPR 0
2006/07 QPR 1 Barnsley 0 (Rowlands)
2003/04 Barnsley 3 QPR 3 (Furlong 2, Kay og)
2003/04 QPR 4 Barnsley 0 (Gallen, Rowlands, Ainsworth, Thorpe)
2002/03 QPR 1 Barnsley 0 (Pacquette)
2002/03 Barnsley 1 QPR 0
2000/01 QPR 2 Barnsley 0 (Kiwomya, Crouch)
2000/01 Barnsley 4 QPR 2 (Kiwomya 2)
1999/00 Barnsley 1 QPR 1 (Rose)
1999/00 QPR 2 Barnsley 2 (Darlington, Steiner)
1998/99 Barnsley 1 QPR 0
1998/99 QPR 2 Barnsley 1 (Langley, Gallen)
1996/97 QPR 3 Barnsley 2 (Peacock, Spencer, Sinclair)
1996/97 QPR 3 Barnsley 1 (Spencer 3)
1996/97 Barnsley 1 QPR 3 (Perry, Barker, Dichio)
Played for Both Clubs – Kevin Gallen
QPR 1992 – 2000, 2001 – 2007 >>> Barnsley 2001
Kevin Gallen and his magic hat were at QPR so long it’s hard to forget he played for two other teams in between his two spells at Loftus Road. A product of the QPR youth system and R’s fan, Gallen scored an amazing 153 goals in 110 games for the youth team, breaking Jimmy Greaves long term record for the South East Counties Leagues. He also memorably partnered Robbie Fowler in impressive England U18 and U21 teams that also included Paul Scholes and Sol Campbell. He was soon knocking on the Rangers first-team door and made his debut on the opening day of the 94-95 season at Old Trafford, where he had a goal disallowed, before scoring on his first senior appearance at Loftus Road against Sheff Wed three days later.
That year he formed an impressive partnership with Les Ferdinand, scoring ten Premiership goals. That summer however Ferdinand was sold and the pressure on the team and Gallen was too much and saw Rangers relegated the following season. Much was expected of Gallen though and many thought he would be the key to Rangers making an instant return to the Premier League. But disaster struck in the second game of the season against Portsmouth when he injured knee ligaments whilst scoring a goal in the 2-1 win live on Sky. It meant Gallen was out for almost a year and half and once he returned looked a shadow of his former self.
Slightly overweight and at least yard slower Gallen found himself behind Chris Kiwomya, Rob Steiner and even Steve Slade for a place in the R’s frontline. Although there were some highlights Rangers let Gallen go in the summer of 2000 and he joined Huddersfield Town. Gallen never really settled at Town, and although he scored on his return to Loftus Road with the Terriers he later missed a penalty and his stay at the McAlpine lasted just one season.
That summer Rangers now under Ian Holloway and in League One, let Gallen train with the first-team as cash-strapped Rangers tried to bring the former hero back to the Loft. Nothing was sorted on time unfortunately and he joined Barnsley at the start of the 2001-02 season when Nigel Spackman was I charge. Barnsley would be relegated that season, and although Gallen scored two goals in ten games, he was never really happy and in November his wish came true and he re-joined the R’s. Gallen had become a different player after his injury, more a Helguson style hold and link man than a Clive Allen style goalscorer that he had perhaps been in his youth, but during the next five seasons Gallen played a key part in Rangers promotion back to the Championship, forming a lethal partnership with Paul Furlong and being named club captain.
Injuries caught up with him and he left QPR in 2007 to join first MK Dons, then Luton and more recently Barnet and now non-league Braintree.
Links >>> QPR 4 Barnsley 0 Match Report >>> Barnsley 0 QPR 1 Match Report >>> QPR 5 Barnsley 2 >>> Connections and Memories
Team News: Well let’s start with some good news – the threat of a two match ban for Shaun Derry for accumulating ten yellow cards in a season has now been lifted. Players with ten yellow cards before the second Sunday in April would have to sit out for two games and when Derry picked up his ninth of the campaign at Preston in mid February the odds looked stacked against him, but he’s stayed clean for eight games since then and now benefits from the latest card amnesty. Elsewhere Warnock is likely to recall Kaspars Gorkss and Heidar Helguson after the weekend debacle at Glanford Park with Rob Hulse and Danny Shittu likely to drop out. Adel Taarabt did not travel with the rest of the team, but scan results are due on his stomach injury later today and he may travel by car this afternoon if they are clear. Jamie Mackie, Lee Cook and Peter Ramage are the long term absentees.
Barnsley are likely to recall Jason Shackell to their defence on Tuesday after he missed the win against Bristol City at the weekend through illness. Man City loanee Keiran Trippier is the most likely man to step aside. Former Oakwell Player of the Year Hugo Colace left the field early on Saturday with a knee injury and is doubtful, Chelsea’s Jacob Mellis will deputise alongside Jacob Butterfield if necessary. Bobby Hassell is definitely out with a calf strain.
Elsewhere: It’s a full league programme this Tuesday, and a repeat of the fixtures that were played out on the opening day. The three teams immediately behind QPR in the table have games of varying difficulties this Tuesday night. Cardiff are at Sheffield United, who sunk to the bottom of the table with a home defeat against Middlesbrough at the weekend. Swansea welcome Hull who won at Watford on Saturday, the Hornets will hope to bounce back when they welcome Norwich. In all likihood it’s looking like two from Reading, Leeds, Forest and Millwall for the play offs although Hull and Leicester are only five points back and could stage a late surge. All will fancy their chances of a good result on Tuesday – Leeds are at Derby, Reading at Scunthorpe, Millwall at home to Bristol City and Forest at home to Burnley. At the bottom Preston will be hoping to haul Doncaster into the mire by beating them in a six pointer at the Keepmoat Stadium and avenge their day one defeat at Deepdale.
Referee: Tony Bates is the man in the middle on Tuesday night – QPR have been refereed by the Staffordshire official 14 times during his career, winning only four games although all four were away from home which bodes reasonably well. He was the man in charge when we were last relegated from this league at Huddersfield, and when Shabazz Baidoo did a Devon White and punched home an equaliser at home to Luton in the FA Cup. Click here for his full case file.
Barnsley: It’s hard to really pin down what kind of form Barnsley are in – two wins, two draws and two defeats from their last six games offer few clues – which is probably for the best as Saturday’s game was the most cut and dried form guide I’ve ever had to write and look how that turned out. The recent home form has been similarly inconsistent – the 4-2 win here on Saturday made it three wins, two draws and two defeats from their last seven at Oakwell. The Tykes have won ten home games this season, the best record of any team in the bottom half of the table apart from Crystal Palace who have also won ten.
QPR: Rangers are chasing a twenty third victory of the season and ninth double – a far cry from our last visit here at the very end of last season when Mikele Leigertwood’s goal secured our only double of the entire campaign. That 1-0 win brought to an end a run of form between these two sides stretching back into the 1990s where, give or take, QPR won at Loftus Road and Barnsley won at Oakwell. Rangers had visited eight times prior to that without success while Barnsley are still without a win at Loftus Road in 21 visits dating back to 1951. Rangers have only lost five times all season, but four of those defeats have come in away games including two of the last three road trips at Millwall and Scunthorpe.
Prediction: Well I don’t really know what to say after Saturday. I believed we’d go right through to the end of the season without losing but now I’m looking at every game and worrying about it again. QPR should hav too much for Barnsley here, but then they should have had far too much for Scunthorpe on Saturday. Again attitude will have a lot to do with it, an eagerness to make amends and a chance to exploit space left by a Barnsley side built to attack may play into our hands. Let’s go for a draw.
12/5 the draw with Bet Fred and Stan James