Tuesday 10th August 2010
Loftus Road Stadium
Carling Cup First Round
Kick-off: 19:45
Referee: G J Sutton
Queens Park Rangers (Championship) V Port Vale (League Two)
By The Godfather

In his BBC London interview on Saturday evening, Neil Warnock stated that he would be resting players for the Carling Cup First Round tie. This is perfectly understandable given that a difficult trip to Sheffield United lies ahead. Nevertheless, I am sure that Tuesday night's match will be an interesting encounter. The manager will want his side to progress in the competition, whilst the fixture will provide those who didn't make the starting line-up against Barnsley with an excellent opportunity to impress.

At the time of writing there is a lot of speculation on the message boards regarding the possibility of a striker signing before Tuesday night's match. Several newspapers have reported that Warnock is interested in securing the services of Marlon King, a man who has just left prison following a conviction of sexual assault. Whilst there is no doubt that King can score goals in the Championship, I feel that owning a player who is listed on the sex offenders' register could damage Queens Park Rangers' long-standing reputation as "a family club".

Port Vale

Manager: Micky Adams

Season 2009-10 finish: 10th position (League Two).

The BBC Football League Show has described Port Vale as "one of the dark horses of League Two". And, in my view, the Valiants could well challenge for promotion. Last season, they only just missed out on the play-offs, eventually achieving a very respectable 10th-placed finish. Micky Adams is a manager who possesses a lot of experience in the Football League, having managed Brighton, Leicester and Coventry in recent years. Vale supporters will be feeling confident that he is the right man to take the club forward, especially after Saturday's excellent 1-0 victory over Bury.

Although two divisions separate Queens Park Rangers and Port Vale, the League Two team should not be underestimated. In the previous campaign, Adams' men pulled off two shock victories in the Carling Cup, beating Sheffield United and then Sheffield Wednesday. They will fancy their chances against a potentially weakened QPR line-up.

Men to watch

Port Vale are likely to name a striking partnership of two players named Richards. Justin, a former West Brom trainee, joined during the summer from Cheltenham Town. The 29 year-old was the Gloucestershire club's top scorer last season, notching 15 goals. He will be hoping to continue his form into the new campaign. Marc, meanwhile, has played for the Valiants since 2007, scoring 35 times in 106 appearances. At the age of 28, he lists Blackburn, Oldham, Rochdale and Barnsley among his former teams.

In midfield, Adams will probably be relying upon Doug Loft for creativity. The 23 year-old started his career with Brighton, but was unable to break into the first-team at the Withdean Stadium. He signed for the Valiants in June 2009 and has since impressed the supporters with a number of hard-working displays. The manager has described Loft as someone "with a bit of everything. He can get forward and has a good range of passing with both feet".

In defensive midfield, Gary Roberts will be hoping to provide QPR with a stern test. The 23 year-old is another one of Micky Adams' summer signings, having joined from Rotherham United. Roberts is a tough-tackling player, who also is capable of contributing creatively at times. He has previously played for Crewe Alexandra and Yeovil Town.

Adams also moved to secure the services of winger, Sean Rigg, during the summer. The 21 year-old, who can also play in attack if required, joined the club from Bristol Rovers, where he had failed to establish himself as a first-team regular. This season he has set himself a target of 20 goals, so he obviously has confidence in his abilities. Let's hope that Rigg is marked properly on Tuesday night.

At the back, John McCombe is likely to retain his place in the starting line-up. The former Huddersfield Town and Hereford United defender has made 72 appearances for the Valiants since joining them in 2008. His impressive performances last season were rewarded with a two-year contract extension. The 25 year-old could provide the QPR frontline with a stern test.

In goal, Port Vale have Stuart Tomlinson, a product of Crewe Alexandra's successful youth academy. The 25 year-old joined Vale from Conference side, Barrow, after impressing Micky Adams. It will be interesting to see how such an inexperienced keeper will cope against Chanpionship players.

QPR Team News

If rumours are to be believed, Queens Park Rangers could have a new striker before Tuesday night's match. Meanwhile, Lee Cook is unavailable through knee problems, whilst Martin Rowlands is still a few weeks away from returning to first team action. Akos Buzsaky has been sidelined by a thigh injury, whilst Peter Ramage is suspended. As already mentioned, the Rs' star players, such as Taraabt and Faurlin, are unlikely to start. Expect the likes of Leigertwood, Connolly and perhaps even Agyemang to be involved.

Prediction

I do think that this could be a rather difficult fixture. Port Vale will be feeling confident after their opening day victory and will fancy their chances against a weakened QPR team. However, I still think that Rangers will have enough quality to beat the League Two outfit. I'm going to predict a home win, by two goals to one.

Godfather's Prediction: Queens Park Rangers 2-1 Port Vale.