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QPRnet.com
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RANGERS TRAVEL TO
PALACE
Friday 28th November 2008
by Ron Norris & Simon Skinner
Having seen his
charges put three points on the board against Charlton Athletic on
Tuesday night Paulo Sousa faces an altogether more difficult test on
Saturday as Rangers travel to Crystal Palace. A wretched spell of away
form has seen the team go seven and a half games without finding the net
and this must be addressed as a matter of the utmost urgency. |
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Crystal Palace v
Queens Park Rangers
The Championship
Saturday 29th November 2008
Kick Off 15:00
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TEAM NEWS |
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Sousa will definitely
be without the services of Vine and Buzsaky through injury and Hall and
Ledesma through suspension. There are doubts over Connolly, Rowlands and
Cook also, all three missed out in the last two and only Rowlands may make
this one. In better news though Heidar Helguson is in line for his debut as
is fellow loanee, former Palace left back Gary Borrowdale. Expect them to
replace Di Carmine and Delaney respectively. If Rowlands does return a
switch to a more conventional 4-4-2 may be on, otherwise it is likely to be
Parejo behind a front two again.
Neil Warnock has a few
injury problems himself. He will hope to bring Paul Ifill back in after he
missed the midweek win at Norwich with a dodgy hammy. Butterfield and Lee
are definitely out along with Hills, Fletcher and Scowcroft. Derry may come
in after being on the bench at Norwich and another of the seemingly endless
production line of talented youngster in Nathaniel Clyne should keep his
place at right back. |
RON & SIMON'S
SELECT XI |
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Helguson |
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Blackstock |
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Ephraim |
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Mahon |
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Leigertwood |
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Rowlands |
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Borrowdale |
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Stewart |
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Gorkss |
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Ramage |
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Cerny |
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A QUICK GUIDE TO OUR OPPONENTS |
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PALACE
IN BRIEF: When Warnock took over at Palace last season he led them on
something of a cavalry charge into the plays offs but it hasn’t
been plain sailing this term. They started sluggishly and only
won one of their first eight games but they have slowly gotten
into their stride and won their last two, including a thumping
great win over Bristol City at Selhurst Park last weekend. |
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LAST FIVE
GAMES |
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Date |
Versus |
Venue |
F |
A |
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25/11/08 |
Norwich |
Away |
2 |
1 |
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22/11/08 |
Bristol City |
Home |
4 |
2 |
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15/11/08 |
Cardiff |
Away |
1 |
2 |
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08/11/08 |
Coventry |
Away |
2 |
0 |
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01/11/08 |
Sheff Weds |
Home |
1 |
1 |
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THE GREAT ...
For his BBC co-commentators working with Mark Bright must
be like sharing a gantry with Porky the Pig, however his
stuttery commentary doesn’t take away from the fact that Bright
was a prolific goal scorer for Crystal Palace who formed a
deadly partnership with Ian Wright back in the day. After first
finding the onion bag for Leek Town Bright made his way to
Palace via Port Vale and Leicester and went on to score 92 times
in 227 appearances. During his spell at Selhurt Park he helped
Palace to promotion from Division Two in 1989 and an FA Cup
final the following year. |
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TOP SCORERS |
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Name |
League |
Cups |
Total |
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Ben Watson |
5 |
0 |
5 |
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Craig Beattie |
4 |
0 |
4 |
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Nick Carle |
2 |
1 |
3 |
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John Oster |
2 |
1 |
3 |
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Paul Ifill |
3 |
0 |
3 |
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... AND THE GAFFER:
I have a secret to confess, it’s fairly dark and sordid so
try and keep it quiet, here goes. I don’t mind Neil Warnock!
There I said it! Sure he’s one of the most arrogant men in
football and he seems to think the game revolves around him. He
also takes every little thing that goes against him to be some
kind of personal affront on him and his club but you know what,
sometimes a bit of siege mentality works wonders. He’s like a
managerial version of Robbie Savage, everyone hates him, except
his own club. Recently Simon Jordan said Warnock was the best
manager in The Championship, I don’t think he’s far wrong, it’s
just unfortunate that the fact he’s pretty good at what he does
is hidden behind that sneering mask of bitterness. |
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RANGERS VERSUS ..... |
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LAST TIME OUT:
“Palace soon won a corner on the left and the ball in was
this time attacked by Hudson who had been allowed to run
unchecked by Stewart. His header thudded off the underside of
the bar and fell at the feet of Clinton Morrison who couldn’t
miss from a yard.” Queens Park
Rangers 1-2 Crystal Palace, Tuesday 4th December 2008. |
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HEAD TO HEAD |
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Overall |
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Played |
QPR |
Palace |
Draws |
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91 |
35 |
30 |
26 |
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Away |
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Played |
QPR |
Palace |
Draws |
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43 |
10 |
15 |
18 |
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OTHER
MEETINGS: You can barely get a fag paper between the two sides in the
head to head; Rangers have thirty league wins to Palace’s twenty
nine. There have been a further twenty three draws. Last season
Rangers drew 1-1 at Selhurst Park despite dominating, their last
win away at Palace came in December 1989 thanks to an Andy
Sinton double and a Danny Maddix goal. |
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LEAGUE
STANDINGS |
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Pos |
Team |
Pld |
GD |
Pts |
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10th |
QPR |
19 |
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28 |
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12th |
Crystal Palace |
19 |
4 |
26 |
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CLASH OF THE DAY:
John Oster v. Gary Borrowdale. As is usual when Rangers
sign a player, fans of his previous clubs can’t wait to tell us
what a cart horse he is. Borrowdale surely has to be a more
palatable pick at left back than the hopelessly out of form
Damien Delaney at the moment. He will be up against John Oster,
who after starting as a youngster at Grimsby has become
something of a journeyman; he has turned out for no less than
eight different clubs by the age of twenty nine. |
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GENERAL INFORMATION |
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THE REFEREE |
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The smiling assassin is in town as the universally reviled
Rob Styles takes charge. Warnock has already got the hump as he
thought slagging Styles and his smug, shit eating grin off in
his book would mean he would never see him again! He clearly
thinks that Styles will have it in for him now but never
underestimate his ability to ruin everyone’s afternoon but his
own. His last Rangers game was a 1-0 reverse at Brighton on
Boxing Day 2005 and his last Palace game a 1-0 home win over
Leeds in August 2006. |
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THE REF RECORD |
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Season |
Games |
Yellows |
Reds |
| 2008-09 |
12 |
38 |
3 |
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2007-08 |
37 |
124 |
15 |
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2006-07 |
44 |
143 |
10 |
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2005-06 |
45 |
148 |
5 |
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2004-05 |
41 |
124 |
9 |
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RON AND SIMON'S PREDICT-OFF |
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SIMON:
There was an improvement against Charlton from the Watford
farce and there will need to be further improvement still if we are to get
anything from this one. Rangers will need to score at least once to take a
point in my opinion and hopefully the bolstering of the striking ranks with
Helguson will sharpen things up. I don’t think we will win, or indeed get
anything, but I hope the players turn in a good shift and battle hard. 2-1
to Palace.
RON:
I never go to Palace expecting to get anything and tomorrow
is no different and with Rob Styles in charge as well the chances just got
slimmer. It’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, Sousa changes now
he’s had a few more days to work with his squad and hopefully the two new
signings will pep things up a tad but I really cant see any further than a
home win. Someone at work asked me what they’d bet on for tomorrow’s game, I
said a red card and a Rangers defeat. 2-0 to Palace.
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Current score: Ron 16 Simon 13 |
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