Saturday 7th August 2010
Npower Football League Championship
Loftus Road Stadium
Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: J J Linington
Queens Park Rangers V Barnsley
By The Godfather

Queens Park Rangers fans will be feeling a little more confident now that the club has managed to secure the services of Adel Taraabt, a man who enjoyed an impressive loan spell with the Rs last season. On his day, the Moroccan is arguably one of the best players in the division. The question, of course, is whether he adopts the right attitude. He needs to know when to release the ball, rather than trying to take on the opposition single-handedly. Hopefully, under the guidance of Neil Warnock, he will fulfil his potential and, if so, this could prove to be a major coup for the Super Hoops. Fingers crossed.

QPR and Barnsley met on the opening afternoon two seasons ago. That day marked a new, turbulent chapter in Rangers' history, with the club firmly under the grip of Chairman, Flavio Briatore. Tomorrow's match, in my view, bears similar significance. This is the beginning of a new era for our team, hopefully one of stability and success. Let's hope that the players don't disappoint.

Barnsley

Manager: Mark Robins

Season 2009-10 finish: 18th position

This section: taken from my WATRB Championship Preview

Since their promotion to the Championship in 2006, Barnsley have managed to avoid relegation, usually achieving lower mid-table finishes. Last season saw the departure of Simon Davey as manager, being replaced by former Manchester United striker, Mark Robins. He guided them to 18th place, which was respectable given the Tykes' poor start to the campaign.

Queens Park Rangers took six points from Barnsley last season; thrashing them 5-2 at home and then grinding out a 1-0 win at Oakwell. In the fixture at Loftus Road, the Tykes struck me as a skilful team in attack, carving out some attractive passing movements at times. Defensively, however, they were very poor indeed. The likes of Taraabt and Buzsaky were able to capitalise upon this, tearing the opposition apart.

In fact, statistically, Barnsley had one of the worst defences in the league last season, conceding a total of 69 goals. Robins has looked to address this issue by signing the talented Jason Shackell from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The 26 year-old initially gained a reputation as a reliable centre-half at Norwich City, making 119 appearances for the Canaries between 2003 and 2008. He could play a crucial role in the Tykes' 2010/11 campaign.

However, the manager will be disappointed not to have secured the services of Sheffield United striker Daniel Bogdanovic, who enjoyed such a successful loan spell at Barnsley last season, scoring 16 goals in all competitions. Upon returning to Bramall Lane, he signed a new two-year contract with the Blades. Without his presence up front, the Tykes could lack a cutting edge this season.

Men to watch

1. In terms of creativity, supporters will probably be relying upon Iain Hume, who can play either in midfield or as a second striker. Since having his skull fractured by Chris Morgan a couple of years ago, Hume has (thankfully) made an excellent recovery and will be hoping to recapture the form he displayed with Leicester earlier in his career. Hume seems to enjoy playing against Rangers: he's scored against us a number of times before, both in a Leicester and Barnsley shirt.

2. Up front, Barnsley's main threat will be the experienced Andy Gray. The 32 year-old has enjoyed a relatively successful career, particularly in the Championship, having played for Bradford, Sheffield United, Burnley and Charlton. Gray is a physical, aggressive striker who could cause problems on Saturday afternoon.

3. In central midfield, Robins is likely to select Hugo Colace. The Argentinean was named as the Tykes' Player of the Year last season and will be hoping to continue his form into the new campaign. The 26 year-old possesses a lot of skill and talent and will provide a stern test for the likes of Faurlin and Buzsaky.

Previous Match

April 2010 - Queens Park Rangers came out on top in this rather dull encounter thanks to a wonder-strike from Mikele Leigertwood. Picking up the ball 20 yards out, he smashed it into the top corner of the net, leaving the goalkeeper with no chance. In truth, this was a meaningless game, with neither promotion nor relegation a serious proposition for either team. However, it will probably be most remembered for an astonishing miss from Antonio German, missing an open goal from inside the six-yard box.

Barnsley 0-1 Queens Park Rangers

QPR Team News

Peter Ramage will not be involved in this encounter due to his sending off against Newcastle United on the last day of the 2009/10 campaign. Lee Cook will also be unavailable, following yet another knee problem. Leon Clarke could miss out with a minor injury, whilst Martin Rowlands might have to wait a few weeks before he returns to first-team action.

Prediction

If Queens Park Rangers are to challenge for promotion, this is the sort of match that they simply have to win. Barnsley are probably going to struggle this season: they have a very small squad, clearly lacking in Championship quality. Even at this stage of the campaign, Rangers must come out on top. Of course, the main concern is that the Rs are going to struggle to score goals. They certainly aren't short of creativity (Faurlin, Buzsaky, Taraabt etc), but it is difficult to see how the Super Hoops are going to convert their opportunities. A forward-line of Agyemang, Helguson and Vine does not exactly fill me with excitement. Nevertheless, I think that the Rs will come out on top - possibly by a single goal.

Queens Park Rangers 1-0 Barnsley