A few thoughts on Cardiff victory
By The Godfather

By all accounts, the 2-0 victory over Cardiff City on Saturday was the best QPR performance of the campaign so far. The Bluebirds simply couldn’t cope with the central midfield partnership of Watson and Rowlands. In short, Rangers dominated the game from start to finish and thoroughly deserved the three points.

I was delighted to see Simpson’s name on the scoresheet on Saturday afternoon. After his disappointing home debut against Peterborough United, I really didn’t expect him to cause so many problems for the Bluebirds. This will surely boost his confidence ahead of the League Cup fixture at Stamford Bridge. Perhaps Simpson benefited from playing alongside Rowan Vine. Could this be the beginning of an excellent striking partnership?

If so, where does that leave Adel Taraabt? The Moroccan international missed the Cardiff match through illness, but if Vine and Simpson continue to perform to the best of their ability, it is difficult to see him getting back into the side. As I have said before, at times he can be guilty of playing for himself rather than the team and although he is probably the Super Hoops’ most skilful player, I feel that he has a lot to learn. I’m sure he will improve as he picks up more experience.

After a fantastic performance, I think it is very important that Jim Magilton sticks with the same starting eleven. Of course, the very top managers, such as Rafael Benitez and Alex Ferguson, can afford to alter their starting eleven because they have world class footballers at their disposal who can easily adapt to new formations and tactics. For a Championship club, however, changing the team every week only serves to unsettle the players. I do hope that the manager fields the same side for the Chelsea match on Wednesday evening (with the exception of Ben Watson, who, unfortunately, is cup tied).

As we have seen time and time again in this division, consistency is the key to achieving success. Last season, the promoted teams, Wolves, Birmingham and Burnley, all picked up brilliant results both at their stadiums and on their travels. If Rangers are to challenge for a play-off position, it is vital that they produce the same sort of performances at Loftus Road as they are doing away from home.

For now, however, the Rs will be focusing on the League Cup. Bring on the Chelsea!