Ipswich Town v Queens Park Rangers
Saturday 20th October 2018 – 15:00
Portman Road
Pre-Match Thoughts - Bluemike
At Last !!! The Monkey Off Our Backs
What a relief ! To finally get that elusive first win of the season is a massive weight lifted off everyone's shoulders, not least those of manager Paul Hurst, clearly the players will be feeling so much better too and it was plain for all to see at the Libery stadium just what it meant to everyone connected to the club, Players, Manager, backroom staff and of course the hardy fans celebrated like we'd just won the cup never mind one game ! One picture from the weekend summed it up for me and that was seeing our fantastic captain with his arm around Paul Hurst giving him a big hug with Hurst beaming from ear to ear as they walked off the pitch. In that One moment alone I drew my own conclusions that all this talk about disharmony behind the scenes etc is utter bullshit and as such so counter productive, we all hear rumours at times but I think from now on I will choose to ignore them all.
It really was a great game to watch, end to end, chances galore, plenty of goals and drama and of course the right outcome for once, so tense was it at the end that I have already consigned myself to the fact that I will probably keel over and die at one of these games such was the tense feeling in my chest during those closing minutes, I sure as hell don't need telling that it's only a game. As strange as it may seem it was one of those matches where Swansea will be wondering how after such a good opening half they did not win the game and yet we more than deserved to take at the very least something from it, the way we responded after the interval and at times tried to take the game to them warranted the points too.
Of course we are all smart enough to know that One win means little, yes it is a start but that is all it is, we need plenty more of them, failing to do the business at home this coming Saturday will render this fabulous result totally meaningless and we just cannot afford for that to happen, we may have closed things up at the bottom but the table still makes poor reading and it doesn't lie, building on this great result will see the confidence grow even more and then you get on a bit of a roll, we are capable of it and aside from Leeds away we have Four of the next Five games against sides that are right down there with us, this run I feel is crucial and we need to make the most of the opportunity it presents us, if we can win at Swansea we can win anywhere.
Freddie Sears
I had nothing but praise for Freddie following his performance against the Swans, for me it was his best game by far for over Three years which is strange as again he failed to find the net and missed a couple of sitters but that should not detract from the excellent effort he put in over the 97 minutes, the way they played suited his style no end and he exploited it, just as One win does not transform our season One good performance from Freddie does not wipe out all my negative thoughts on him, I am still a long way from being convinced he is the answer to our attacking problems, that said we have little else right now thanks to injuries etc so we need him to be putting in these kind of displays week in and week out, nothing would please me more than to be proved wrong where Mr sears is concerned but fair play to him he was excellent and set up the crucial First goal for Gwion Edwards and very nearly scored the second himself.
Next Up.....
Queens Park Rangers are our visitors following the International break and it is a game we have to win, a few weeks ago they look nailed on to be in the mix for a relegation spot and while they still sit in a lowly Eighteenth place they have won Three of their last Six games, the signings of Tomer Hemed & Nakhi Wells have given them a much needed bit of quality up front which was sadly lacking but they do still look very vulnerable at the back and have conceded a lot of goals.
This is a game that we really should be targeting Three points from, a bit like Bolton really where we failed to deliver but that cannot be allowed to happen again, there are far stiffer tests to come so these games are already looking like Six Pointers, a win here will see us a mere Two points behind the Londoners and in all probability it would lift us out of the bottom Three which would be another psychological boost for the players. I think we will rise to the occasion and get back to back wins, it won't be easy, it never is but a Town win for me in this one. COYB'S.
The Opposition – Queens Park Rangers
The club was formed in 1886, when a team known as St Jude's (formed in 1884) merged with Christchurch Rangers (formed in 1882). The resulting team was called Queens Park Rangers, because most of the players came from the Queen's Park area of North-West London. QPR became a professional team in 1889 and played their home games in nearly 20 different stadia (a league record), before permanently settling at Loftus Road in 1917.
QPR were promoted as champions of Division 3 South in the 1947–48 season and enjoyed four seasons in the Second Division, before being relegated in 1951–52.
In 1966–67, QPR won the Division Three championship and became the first Third Division club to win the League Cup on Saturday, 4 March 1967. After winning promotion in 1968 to the top flight for the first time in their history, Rangers were relegated after just one season and spent the next four years in Division 2.
In 1974 Dave Sexton joined as manager and, in 1975–76 led QPR to the runners-up spot in the First Division, missing out on the Championship by a single point with a squad containing seven England internationals and internationals from the home nations.
The late 1970s also saw some cup success with Rangers reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup and in their first entry into European football reached the quarter finals of the UEFA Cup losing to AEK Athens on penalties. Following Sexton's departure in 1977 the club eventually slipped into the Second Division in 1979.
In 1980 Terry Venables took over as manager and the club installed a 'plastic pitch'. In 1982 QPR, still playing in the Second Division, reached the FA Cup Final for the only time in the club's history, but lost to Tottenham 1-0 in the replay.
The following season 1982–83 QPR went on to win the Second Division championship and returned to English football's top division. After a respectable fifth-place finish, and UEFA Cup qualification. Over the next seven years, various managers came and went from Loftus Road and the club spent many seasons finishing mid table but avoided relegation. The most successful season during this period was the 1987–88 season in which QPR finished fifth, missing out on a UEFA Cup campaign due to the ban on English clubs in European competition as a result of the Heysel Stadium disaster.
Gerry Francis was appointed manager in the summer of 1991. In the 1991–92 First Division campaign they finished mid-table in the league and were founder members of the new Premier League, finishing 5th, as top London club, in the 1992–93 inaugural season. Midway through the 1994–95 season Francis resigned and Ray Wilkins was installed as player-manager. Wilkins led QPR to an eighth-place finish in the Premiership
QPR struggled throughout the following season and were relegated at the end of the 1995–96 season. QPR then competed in Division 1 until 2001 under a succession of managers. Gerry Francis returned in 1998, however the 2000–2001 season proved to be a disaster, and Francis resigned in early 2001.
Charismatic former player Ian Holloway became manager but was unable to stop Rangers from being relegated to England's third tier for the first time for more than thirty years.
Following the 2003–2004 season QPR returned to Division 1 and struggled for consistent form over the next two campaigns before Holloway was suspended amidst rumours of his departure for Leicester City
During this same period, QPR became embroiled in financial and boardroom controversy. Although the club had floated on the Alternative Investment Market in 1991, in 2001 it entered administration (receivership). A period of financial hardship followed and the club left administration after receiving a £10m high-interest emergency loan which continued to burden the club. Scandals involving the directors, shareholders and others emerged in 2005–06 season and included allegations of blackmail and threats of violence against the club's chairman Gianni Paladini.
Following this low point in the club's history as Rangers also faced mounting financial pressure, in the same month it was announced that the club had been bought by wealthy Formula One businessmen Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone. During the 2007–08 season, Rangers competed in the Football League Championship. Further investment followed in early 2008 as the club looked to push for promotion to the Premier League within four years, on the back of greater financial stability. On 14 May 2008 Iain Dowie was announced as the manager to begin the campaign to return Rangers to the top flight. However, on 24 October 2008 Iain Dowie was sacked after just fifteen games in charge of the club.
On 19 November 2008, QPR named former Portugal midfielder Paulo Sousa as their new first team coach. However, on 9 April 2009, his contract was terminated. In June 2009 Jim Magilton was named as new manager of QPR. Despite leading QPR to a good start to the 2009–10 season, a loss of form meant he left the club by mutual consent on 16 December 2009. He was replaced by Paul Hart on the next day. Less than a month and only 5 games after becoming manager at QPR, Paul Hart parted with the club on 14 January 2010.
On 30 April 2011, QPR secured promotion to the Premier League by winning the Championship. A subsequent FA investigation involving QPR's acquisition of Alejandro Faurlín threatened to deduct points from the side and put their promotion into jeopardy. The investigation concluded on 7 May 2011, with QPR found to be at fault in two of the seven charges, and received a £875,000 fine. However, there were no points deducted by the FA, and QPR's promotion to the Premier League was secured.
In January 2012, club chairman Tony Fernandes appointed Mark Hughes as team manager 36 hours after the previous incumbent Neil Warnock was sacked. QPR escaped relegation on the last day of the season.
On 23 November 2012, Mark Hughes was sacked on the back of a poor start to the 2012–13 season, with the club languishing at the bottom of the Premier League despite significant financial investment in new players. A day later, Harry Redknapp was confirmed as the new manager. On 28 April 2013, with 3 games of the season to play, QPR were relegated from the Premier League down to the Championship after two seasons in the top flight.
During the 2013–14 season, QPR finished 4th in the Championship, and qualified for the play-offs where they defeated Wigan Athletic in the semi-finals. In the final against favourites Derby County on 24 May 2014, QPR won 1–0 with a goal in the 90th minute to return to the Premier League.
The return to the top flight was a brief one however with QPR being relegated from the Premiership in last place at the conclusion of the 2014/15 season.
After a poor start to the Championship, Chris Ramsey was sacked in November 2015. Former manager Neil Warnock returned to the hot seat in interim charge. On 4 December 2015, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was appointed the club's new manager on a rolling contract.
Hasselbaink was sacked on 5 November 2016, just 11 months after being in charge, six days later QPR reappointed Ian Holloway who was previously in-charge 10 years ago.
Last season QPR finished 16th on the Championship table.
Holloway left the club at the end of the 2017–18 season. One week later, on 17 May 2018, QPR appointed former England manager Steve McClaren as manager.
The Manager – Steve McLaren
Past Match - Video Highlights - Trev
[youtube] [/youtube]
Media Watch - K L Blue
Town youngsters...…………………..
http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/young-playe ... -1-5739442
Town Ladies
http://www.eadt.co.uk/sport/town-ladies ... -1-5738760
Form Guide
Ipswich Last 5 Matches currently in 23rd place with 9 points
18 Sep Ipswich Town 1 - 1 Brentford
22 Sep Ipswich Town 0 - 0 Bolton
29 Sep Birmingham City 2 - 2 Ipswich Town
02 Oct Ipswich Town 0 – 2 Middlesbrough
06 Oct Swansea City 2 – 3 Ipswich Town
QPR Last 5 Matches currently in 18th place with 14 points
19 Sep Queens Park Rangers 2 – 0 Millwall
22 Sep Queens Park Rangers 0 – 1 Norwich City
29 Sep Swansea City 3 – 0 Queens Park Rangers
2 Oct Reading FC 0 – 1 Queens Park Rangers
6 Oct Queens Park Rangers 1 – 1 Derby County
Marko’s Caption Contest – THE DON CUP
Only 7 people took part the Swansea week. Apathy must’ve been pressing down on the humour. Although had a good laugh at the Frosty effort. Back on top spot after that. Hopefully with ITFC off the mark, (and Engerland
) you guys with be back on top form. And ITNO1...... don’t let that good start fade. Swansea Scores (All 7 scored)
Frosty 5pts
Derick & Nicscreamer 4pts
Blueblood 3pts (Orville)
Ando, Bluemike & Tangfastic 2pts
LEAGUE TABLE
FROSTY 26
TANGFASTIC 24
BLUEMIKE 23
DERICKIPSW 23
IPSWICHTOWNNO1 21
NICSCREAMER 19
ANDO 16
BLUEBLOOD 16
NUMBER9 14
PATTHEGIMP 7
WATERSHIP DOWN 7
BARMY BILLY 5
AYLESBURYBLUE 5
SHED ON TOUR 3
CHARNWOOD 1
KL BLUE 1
OHIOTRACTORBOY 1
QPR PIC:
Match Referee – Geoff Eltrigham
IPSWICH TOWN 1 QUEENS PARK RANGERS 0
