Venue: Loftus Road
Date: Sunday, 23 October
Kick-off: 1600 BST
This afternoon’s late kick-off sees us up against QPR in the league for the first time since 1995/96 which is probably about the same time they last won at home. Ok, so it’s only been eight games without a win at Loftus Road for them but that’s long enough on home soil.
So, with QPR desperate for a win, Joey Barton doing his best to wind up JT, SWP out to prove he really is good enough for at least one Premier League club and both Daniel Sturridge and Didier Drogba after a spot up front, it should be a feisty encounter.
MANAGERS’ VIEWS
Like most of the manager’s we’ve been up against this season, Neil Warnock concentrates on praising Andre Villas-Boas ahead of the game, saying “It’s unusual to have a manager so young because you don’t normally get the opportunity. But they’ve gone with someone who might do the job for a few years. I know people say he’ll get the sack if they don’t win the Premier League or Champions League, but I don’t think he will. I think they’ve seen what Sir Alex Ferguson has done and seen what stability has done with Wenger. I think Chelsea need that and where better to get it than the best young manager in the world?”
Whilst on Chelsea, Warnock suggests “That stability is the only thing missing from Chelsea. They have good players and he’s shown he’s not worried about reputations. He does it his way and has a good eye for a player as well. I think Chelsea have gone under the radar. They have every chance of winning the league while everyone looks at the Manchester clubs.”
Andre Villas-Boas meanwhile, aware we’re only a point behind United now (and 3 behind City), says “It’s too early to be a real opportunity for us. If this game at Old Trafford was in April, it would have been and anything that happens for us now won’t dictate what will happen in March or April. It’s early beginnings, still. But we were five points from United, and now we’re a point away. Things have changed dramatically in recent weeks. It’s still not a pattern regarding how it will happen in the future. I’ll just let them compete and then see what happens. What is most important for us this weekend is to get the three points ourselves. Without us doing that, nothing that happens there is important for us. For us to profit, we need to get our own three points. I need those three points. Desperately.”
SQUAD NEWS
For QPR, Gabbidon (knee), Campbell and Dyer (both foot) all miss out, whilst Adel Taarabt (virus) is likely to be fit.
For Chelsea, Essien and Ramires (both knee) are out injured and Torres misses the final game of his suspension. John Terry, Didier Drogba and Juan Mata all return after being rested for the Champions League game mid-week.
TEAMS
QPR (from): Kenny, Derry, Hall, Taarabt, Traore, Bothroyd, Faurlin, Buzsaky, Orr, Connolly, Barton, Young, Smith, Helguson, Murphy, Wright-Phillips, Ferdinand, Puncheon.
CHELSEA (from): Cech, Ivanovic, Bosingwa, Alex, Ferreira, Terry, Luiz, Cole, McEachran, Mikel, Romeu, Lampard, Meireles, Mata, Malouda, Drogba, Anelka, Sturridge, Lukaku, Kalou, Turnbull.
LAST SEASON
N/A
PREDICTION
So, how do you predict a game when we haven’t met the opposition in the league for 15 years? Well maybe starting with them failing to win at home in the previous 8 games there is as good a place to start as any? Or them failing to win so far this season maybe? Let’s just hope for a clean sheet – and the win to follow.
Blue is the colour
