Newcastle v QPR Preview
Posted on | September 30, 2009 | No Comments
West Brom’s defeat last night means that Newcastle have an excellent chance to extend their lead at the top of the table to five points if they can overcome QPR this evening. However, it certainly won’t be easy, with QPR full of confidence following a 5-2 thrashing of Barnsley at the weekend and they also sit on a five game unbeaten run in the league.
Looking at Newcastle’s squad on paper, nobody should be surprised at their league position. However, considering all the turmoil and the awful pre-season they endured, their start to the campaign has been highly impressive and caretaker boss Chris Hughton is doing a grand job. They’ve dropped just five points all season and unlike last year, they pose an unbelievable threat in front of goal. They knocked four past Ipswich in their last game and having beaten Plymouth 3-1 a week or so before, they’re in very good form and it’ll take a stern performance to come even close to beating them.
QPR are in decent form as well at the moment although they’re slightly lower in the table in 12th. Jim Magilton’s men haven’t lost a league game in their last five and as their last result showed, they’re starting to come into their own and it may not be too long before they launch a charge on the top six. One thing that will certainly help them try and achieve that aim is their midfield duo of Ben Watson and Akos Buzsaky. The former has just returned to the side following a nasty injury sustained last term, while on loan Watson is a proven performer at this level and will provide the necessary goals and creativity to succeed in the Championship. The fact that they’ve scored seven goals in their last two league games shows that this central midfield partnership is already starting to blossom.
It’s mixed news on the team news front for Newcastle who will be without defender Fabrico Coloccini, Ryan Taylor and Danny Simpson. However, Danny Guthrie should return to the starting eleven following suspension, while Jonas Gutierrez will be in contention after recovering from a hamstring injury. There’s not much to smile about for QPR supporters as Jim Magilton looks set to be without three players. Fitz Hall, Matthew Connolly and Angelo Balanta all haven’t recovered from their injuries and will all miss this encounter.
The stats for this game suggest that there could be few goals, with Newcastle holding the best defensive record in the division while Rangers have the second best. While QPR have come into some good form of late, Newcastle have by far the strongest squad in the division and we fully expect them to improve their lead at the top of the table. 2-0 Magpies.
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