Saturday 27th February 2010
The Coca Cola Championship
Riverside Stadium
Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: Mr K A Woolmer
Middlesbrough (9th) V Queens Park Rangers (18th)
By The Godfather

This week has seen the QPR message boards filled with speculation surrounding a possible approach for Crystal Palace boss, Neil Warnock. Over the years, Warnock has made a trademark out of a very direct, aggressive style of play, and whilst I admit to not being his greatest fan, he is a manager who knows how to achieve success in the Championship.

However, it seems that Rangers will have to play another match under Mick Harford, with the Super Hoops facing Gordon Strachan's Middlesbrough side on Saturday afternoon. The previous encounter between these two teams saw the Teessiders thrash Jim Magilton's men by five goals to one, arguably signalling the beginning of the end of the Northern Irishman's tenure.

Middlesbrough

Manager: Gordon Strachan

Season 2008-09 finish: 19th place (Premier League).

Middlesbrough's season has been a disappointment so far. After their relegation from the Premiership, supporters had been expecting the Teessiders to mount a promotion challenge. After all, on paper, the club boasts one of the strongest squads in the division. However, inconsistency has seen them sink to the fringes of the play-off positions, and supporters will be feeling concerned that they will soon fall too far behind in the race for the top six.

That said, there is still a possibility of promotion. Boro' currently lie in 9th place, just five points off the top six. After losing the last two matches against Blackpool and Nottingham Forest, Strachan will be viewing Saturday's fixture as crucial. Failure to beat Mick Harford's struggling side could result in further pressure mounting on the former Celtic manager.

Men to watch

I expect Middlesbrough's main attacking threat will be former Arsenal striker, Jeremie Alliadiere. The 26 year-old is a product of Arsenal's renowned youth academy, having spent six years with the Gunners between 2001 and 2007. However, he was never able to hold down a regular place in Arsene Wenger's starting line-up, and signed for Boro' in 2007 for a fee of £2 million. Although he has only notched four goals this season, his pace and skill on the ball will no doubt prove to be an asset to Strachan's men as the play-off battle heats up. The former French Under-21 international certainly has the ability to expose QPR's defensive weaknesses on Saturday.

The incredibly irritating Leroy Lita is likely to partner Alliadiere in attack. In the previous fixture between these two sides, the 25 year-old absolutely tore Queens Park Rangers apart, making a complete embarrassment of Fitz Hall in the process. There is no doubt that the former Reading striker has talent; the problem is his attitude. Lita has scored six goals this season, and will be confident about adding to his tally on Saturday afternoon against a team he always seems to enjoy playing against.

In central midfield, Gary O'Neil is likely to retain his place. The 26 year-old was also influential in Boro's 5-1 victory over the Rs earlier in the campaign, producing an excellent display and scoring a goal. O'Neil joined Middlesbrough in 2007, after enjoying a successful seven-year spell with Portsmouth, during which he made 174 appearances. The former England Under-21 international can play as a right winger if required.

Another man with plenty of Premiership experience is Julio Arca, who has spent the majority of his career playing at the top level with Sunderland and Middlesbrough. The 29 year-old can play as a fullback or in central midfield, and was superb in the 5-1 thrashing of the Rs earlier in the campaign. The Argentine could play a key role on Saturday afternoon.

At left-back, supporters can expect to see the captain of the Austrian national team, Emmanuel Pogatetz. The 27 year-old is popular with the Boro' fans, gaining a reputation as a very solid defender. He lists Bayer Leverkusen and Spartak Moscow among his former clubs.

In goal, the experienced Danny Coyne is likely to keep his place. The 36 year-old joined Middlesbrough during the summer and has since impressed with his shot-stopping abilities, earning him the goalkeeping jersey ahead of Brad Jones. The former Tranmere, Leicester and Burnley goalkeeper made 16 appearances for the Welsh national team between 1996 and 2007.

Previous Match

December 2009 - Middlesbrough annihilated Queens Park Rangers at Loftus Road, thrashing them by five goals to one. Dave Kitson opened the scoring in the 31st minute, converting Mark Yeates' free kick. Things got worse after the break when Ben Watson handled the ball inside the penalty area, Leroy Lita scoring the resulting spot-kick. Agyemang pulled one back for Rangers, tapping in from close-range, before goals from Lita, O'Neil and Yeates sealed the away team's victory. This was a truly embarrassing defensive performance.

QPR Manager, Jim Magilton: "We were guilty of giving the ball away cheaply and we came up against a good side who really clicked in this game. We have to learn from this beating. It's all about learning lessons. It's wonderful to play expansive football and get the plaudits, but it sometimes takes a result like this to learn about your character"

Queens Park Rangers 1-5 Middlesbrough

Team News

Matthew Connolly picked up a knock towards the end of the victory over Doncaster Rovers and had to be replaced: whether he will be fit enough for Saturday's match is unclear. Mikele Leigertwood has completed his three-match suspension and is therefore back in contention for a starting place. Hogan Ephraim, however, is sidelined by an ankle injury and is unlikely to return. Marcus Bent may miss out again through a hamstring problem. Gavin Mahon and Martin Rowlands remain long-term absentees.

Prediction

Middlesbrough looked like a good side back in December, playing some very attractive (and effective) football. I can't help thinking that Rangers should continue their physical approach from last Saturday, aiming to restrict Boro' rather than trying to match their flowing, passing movements. If Rangers do this, and show the same levels of effort and passion as they did against Donny, then I think that they are more than capable of picking up a valuable point.

Middlesbrough 1-1 Queens Park Rangers