MF looks ahead to QPR vs Spurs

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One week on from on a ref who can’t tell when a ball hasn’t crossed the line we get one who can’t tell when one has. Yes it’s Mark Twattenburg in charge when we visit QPR on Saturday evening. The incompetent refereeing, the behaviour of the Chelsea fans (we’ll all be tarred with the same brush), the witnessing again of the transformation of the home of English football into a branded boom box and the collapse in the last fifteen minutes all made last Sunday a very forgettable experience, one it’ll be great to get out of the system. But boy is the pressure on.

Yes we’d have taken fourth with five games to go at the start of the season but probably not with momentum going in its current direction. Two wins in ten I believe are the stats in the league. Our final position is still very much in our own hands but for it to remain that way we need an uplift in performances all over the pitch. To state the obvious, we’re not scoring enough goals and we’re conceding too many. Put those two things right and we’re laughing. Ho ho.

Redknapp has a lot to ponder up front but at the back the probable continued absence of Kaboul means he may not have many options. The presence of King no longer gives the sheen of invulnerability we’ve become used to but if we’re going to pick two out of him, Nelsen and Gallas then you probably want Ledley there. Walker was probably as surprised as anyone to see himself in the running for a PFA award given his recent form but even though he and Assou-Ekotto have been run into the ground the lack of alternatives mean that those two have to keep going. Choices are available in midfield and attack. I personally would go back to the system played against Bolton and Swansea with Parker and Sandro/Livermore playing alongside Modric and Bale, then have Lennon or VdV on the right with Adebayor or Defoe on their own. Adebayor has been getting stick lately, but so have lots of our players. His importance to our success this season can’t be overestimated in my opinion, I don’t think we’d be anywhere near where we are without him. Given our lack of goals though perhaps the time has come to stop leaving our leading goalscorer on the bench. The ‘lesser’ teams are the ones that Defoe tends to thrive against; maybe it’s time to let him off the leash.

QPR have replicated Wigan in beating Liverpool and Woolwich in recent weeks, though they’ve done it at home rather than the ‘hard’ way, so are showing better form than us despite their lowly position. Cisse is available again I think, how long he’ll restrain himself and remain on the pitch though is anyone’s guess. Zamora always does well against us but the rest of the side doesn’t look like one that’ll cause anyone to be asking for more loo paper.

Loftus Rd is a shoebox where we’ve had mixed fortunes over the years, both against QPR and Fulham. A win this weekend would give a tremendous fillip with Blackburn to come next Sunday. Lets get those loins girded. COYS.

By MF

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