Saturday 30th January 2010
The Coca Cola Championship
Loftus Road Stadium
Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: G K Hegley
Queens Park Rangers (11th) V Scunthorpe United (17th)
By The Godfather

Tuesday night's performance was absolutely dreadful. By all accounts, Queens Park Rangers' display was devoid of passion, creativity and energy, and that, as Nigel Quashie pointed out on the official website, is simply inexcusable. One has to feel sorry for the travelling supporters who paid a lot of money to sit through that complete and utter rubbish.

However, the Rs do have a decent opportunity to bounce back when they face Scunthorpe United on Saturday afternoon, who are fighting for their Championship status. Amidst talk of protests, this is, quite simply, a must-win fixture.

Scunthorpe United

Manager: Nigel Adkins

Season 2008-09 finish: 6th place (League One - promoted through the play-offs).

Last season, Scunthorpe United secured their promotion back to the Championship through the League One play-offs. The final was a very entertaining one, with the Iron producing an excellent second half display to beat Millwall 3-2. From what I have seen of United, team spirit is a prominent characteristic of Adkins' side. What they may lack in quality they certainly make up for in sheer effort and determination.

Rangers must not underestimate Scunthorpe. Although they lie in 17th position in the league table, their recent results have been somewhat impressive, beating Derby 4-1 at Pride Park and then picking up three points against Sheffield Wednesday. I just hope that QPR do not view this as an "easy fixture" and approach this match with complacency.

Men to watch

Scunthorpe's star man (who has been linked with QPR over the course of this transfer window) is Gary Hooper, who has scored ten goals in all competitions this season. The 22 year-old is a prolific striker, having netted 30 goals in League One during the previous campaign. Expect him to pose a real threat on Saturday afternoon.

Another talented forward, Paul Hayes, is likely to partner Hooper in attack. The 26 year-old has also enjoyed a successful season so far, netting 8 goals in total. Hayes is enjoying his second spell with the club, having previously scored 27 goals in 99 appearances between 2002 and 2005. He also lists Norwich City and Barnsley among his former teams.

On the wing, expect to see the talented Martyn Woolford play on Saturday afternoon. The 24 year-old signed for Scunny from York City in 2008 and has since played a key role in the team's success. For instance, he notched the winning goal in the play-off final against Millwall. I do hope Harford has identified this threat.

In central midfield, Adkins is likely to give Grant McCann a place in the team. The 29 year-old has a lot of Football League experience, having enjoyed successful spells with Cheltenham Town and Barnsley. The Northern Irish international joined the Iron in 2008 and has since made 80 appearances for the club.

Defensive midfielder, Sam Togwell, is likely to play alongside McCann in the middle of the park. The 25 year-old has made 45 appearances for Scunny, playing an important role in the club's 2008/09-promotion campaign. The former Crystal Palace and Barnsley man could provide the likes of Quashie and Leigertwood with a stern test on Saturday afternoon.

At the back, Adkins will probably select central defender, Cliff Byrne, in his starting line-up. The 27 year-old joined Scunthorpe from Sunderland in 2003 and has since made over 220 appearances, becoming a favourite with the supporters.

David Mirfin is likely to start in the heart of defence. Nicknamed "The Ox" for his commanding presence, the 24 year-old joined Scunny in 2008 after an impressive five-year spell with Huddersfield Town.

In goal, Joe Murphy is likely to keep his place in the starting line-up. The 28 year-old, who has one international cap for Ireland to his name, joined Scunthorpe in 2006 from Sunderland. He has since made 153 appearances, impressing the supporters with his shot-stopping abilities.

Previous Match

August 2009 - Queens Park Rangers secured their first victory of the 2009/10 campaign, thanks to a 1-0 victory over Scunthorpe at Glanford Park. Taraabt put the away team ahead early on, gliding past a couple of defenders and rolling the ball past the goalkeeper. Scunthorpe came close to equalising after the break when Cliff Byrne headed over from close-range. However, the Rs could have extended their lead when Routledge was brought down inside the area, but the referee waved the appeals away.

QPR Manager, Jim Magilton: "We got a bit nervous towards the end but we're finally up and running, and that's important. People were already looking at the league table and seeing us without that first victory, but this eases the pressure. And the good news is that we will get better. I thought the quality of our play in the first 10 to 15 minutes was very good. We'd also taken the lead during that time with a wonderful goal. But I did then think that we took our foot off the pedal and allowed Scunthorpe back into the game. This is a difficult enough place to come to without offering them that opportunity".

Scunthorpe United 0-1 Queens Park Rangers

QPR Team News

New signings, Nigel Quashie and Matt Hill, could make their home debuts on Saturday afternoon. There may be more signings tomorrow (Friday). Meanwhile, Lee Cook is reportedly back in training. Rowan Vine was named as a substitute against Forest on Tuesday night after his abdominal injury. Martin Rowlands and Gavin Mahon remain long-term absentees.

Prediction

As already mentioned, Queens Park Rangers desperately need a win here. One victory in nearly three months is a rather embarrassing record and it is clear that things need to improve. Nigel Quashie did mention in his interview on the official website that "training has been good". Let's hope that is true and that the Super Hoops are really "up" for this game. I do think that the Rs will nick the three points here, although I can't see it being easy.

Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Scunthorpe United.