Saturday 30th October 2010
Npower Football League Championship
Loftus Road Stadium
Referee: I G Williamson
Kick-off: 15:00
Queens Park Rangers (1st) V Burnley (7th)
By The Godfather

Cardiff City’s thrashing of Leeds United on Monday night means that the Bluebirds are now level on points with Queens Park Rangers at the top of the Championship. The Rs remain unbeaten, but have only won once in their last five matches. If they are to keep hold of 1st place, the Super Hoops cannot afford to drop points on Saturday afternoon when they face fellow promotion candidates, Burnley, at Loftus Road. This is going to be a very difficult fixture against one of the top sides in this division.

Burnley

Manager: Brian Laws

Season 2009-10 finish: 18th position (Premier League).

It was always going to be very tough for Burnley to stay in the Premiership, especially after the departure of Owen Coyle to Bolton Wanderers. In my view, the Board made the right decision in not spending too much money on the side in an attempt to escape the drop: especially given the current economic climate. As a consequence, the Clarets now have a team with bags of Championship experience. In addition, Brian Laws is a manager who has achieved success in the Football League. He will be confident that he can lead Burnley to promotion.

However, supporters will have been concerned by the team’s performance last Saturday, suffering an embarrassing 4-0 home defeat at the hands of Reading. To say that Burnley’s defensive performance was disappointing would be an understatement. In addition, QPR fans can draw hope from the fact that the Clarets were knocked out by Aston Villa on Tuesday night in extra time. Perhaps the players will be fatigued.

Men to watch

Chris Iwelumo is Burnley’s current top scorer, with eight goals to his name so far this season. The 32 year-old is often remembered for a terrible miss in a Scotland international match. However, there is no doubt that Iwelumo is a very effective striker at Championship level, always proving to be a thorn in opponents’ sides. The former Stoke, Colchester and Wolves man will pose an aerial threat on Saturday afternoon and must be marked closely.

Martin Paterson could partner Iwelumo in attack. The 23 year-old joined the Clarets in 2007 and played a significant role in the club’s promotion to the Premiership. His impressive performances have earned him 12 caps for Northern Ireland. I rate Paterson highly: he is pacey, skilful and clinical in front of goal.

On the left flank, Brian Laws has the talented Ross Wallace at his disposal. He signed for Burnley during the summer from Preston, where he had enjoyed a successful one-year spell, providing many assists for the likes of Jon Parkin. The 25 year-old’s crosses are often of a very high standard and he could provide a stern test for the QPR back four on Saturday.

In the middle of the park, expect to see the experienced Dean Marney. The 26 year-old is best known for his spell with Hull City, during which he made 125 appearances, scoring 9 goals. The hard-working midfielder also played for QPR very briefly back in 2004, starting twice on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

At the back, Queens Park Rangers supporters will be familiar with Clarke Carlisle, a man who made 96 appearances for the club between 2000 and 2004. The 31 year-old left the Rs in 2004, joining Leeds United and subsequently moving to Watford. However, Carlisle has enjoyed his most successful spell with Burnley, making over 100 starts for the club and playing a crucial role in their recent success.

QPR Team News

Rob Hulse has recovered from his Achilles injury and could be in line for a starting place ahead of Heidar Helguson, who had to be replaced against Bristol City due to a shoulder problem. Josh Parker has returned early from a loan spell with Northampton Town and is likely to be on the substitutes’ bench. Peter Ramage and Lee Cook remain long-term absentees.

Prediction

In an interview this week, Neil Warnock stated that "this is likely to be a tough test". I agree. Despite their loss last Saturday, there can be no doubt that Burnley boast one of the strongest squads in the Championship. I suspect that this encounter will be an entertaining one, as both teams prefer to play the ball on the ground. However, I am going to predict another draw.

Queens Park Rangers 1-1 Burnley