Swansea v QPR Preview
Pre-season expectations for these two sides couldn’t have been any further apart, with newly-promoted Swansea tipped for a struggle while big spenders QPR were classed as one of the promotion favorites. As it turns out, just a few places separate the two sides and with Swansea having the home advantage, it won’t be easy for Iain Dowie’s QPR.
The Swans have surprised everyone this season and manager Roberto Martinez has continued to enhance his reputation as one of the games brightest young managers. After masterminding a fantastic promotion last season, the Spaniard looks set to establish the Liberty Stadium outfit as a steady Championship side with the club currently sat in 11th position. A 4-0 defeat to Reading towards the end of September sent alarm bells ringing in some quarters but they’ve bounced back brilliantly from that, collecting seven points from the last three games. With scoring goals seemingly not being a problem and the likes of Ferrie Bodde and Jason Scotland in great form, the Swans look set to give any of this division a game and could well be the surprise package if they continue like this.
QPR ended a miserable run of form on Saturday with a narrow 2-1 win over Nottingham Forest. Although Forest are struggling at the bottom and the performance was far from convincing, it stopped a dreadful run that saw the London side collect just one point from four league games. Considering the bad patch, Iain Dowie will be relatively pleased with their current position though as they now sit in 7th – only just out of the play off positions on goal difference. With the influential Akos Buzsaky now regaining full match fitness and grabbing his first goal of the season on Saturday, Dowie will be hoping that his creativity can spark off some more good results for the Loftus Road side.
Swansea have one or two injury problems heading into this one with midfielders Andrea Orlandi and Thomas Butler struggling with thigh and hamstring problems respectively. Orlandi is a definite absentee although the Swans are hopeful on Butler, who will undergo a late fitness test. QPR don’t have many problems with Fitz Hall being their only worry. The defender had to be substituted against Nottingham Forest due to illness and will be another player going through a late fitness test.
On evidence so far, Swansea are a very tough team to face and QPR won’t have an easy time. However, after such a bad run of form it looks as though they’re now improving and the win over Forest will have done their confidence the world of good. We’ll go for a 2-2 draw, which under the circumstances, both sides would probably accept.
