Friday 4th February 2011
Npower Football League Championship
Madejski Stadium
Referee: R J Booth
Kick-off: 19:45
Reading (8th) V Queens Park Rangers (1st)
By The Godfather

Tuesday night’s 2-0 victory over Portsmouth at Loftus Road meant that Queens Park Rangers maintained their five-point lead at the top of the Championship. Now, the Rs face a difficult trip to the Madejski Stadium, in what will be a difficult fixture in front of the Sky cameras against play-off contenders, Reading.

Reading

Manager: Brian McDermott

Season 2009-10 finish: 9th position.

A rivalry has developed between Queens Park Rangers and Reading in recent years and these matches are always ones that I look forward to. For much of last season, it looked like the Royals would be relegated, but the arrival of Brian McDermott as manager drastically improved the team’s league position. In fact, by the end of the campaign, the club was pushing for the play-offs, a remarkable achievement given the state of affairs under previous boss, Brendan Rodgers. McDermott eventually guided his team to a very respectable 9th placed finish.

This season, McDermott is looking to build upon that success, with fans hoping for a play-off push. So far, the team has not disappointed. They currently lie in 8th position and come into this game on the back of a five-match unbeaten run. They were unlucky not to beat Cardiff on Tuesday night, conceding a 97th minute equaliser. They will be very tough to beat.

Men to watch

Reading’s main threat on Saturday afternoon is likely to be Jobi McAnuff, a man who was repeatedly linked with a move to Loftus Road last summer. The pacey winger is proven in the Championship, having previously enjoyed successful spells with Cardiff City, Crystal Palace and Watford. Having produced some impressive performances so far this season, he will need to be marked closely by the QPR defenders.

Up front, Shane Long is likely to start. The 23 year-old, who joined Reading from Cork City in 2005, has scored 13 goals so far this season, usually proving to be a thorn in opponents’ sides. In the fixture at Loftus Road earlier in the campaign, he notched a fantastic goal from long-range. His impressive performances have earned him 15 caps for the Irish national team.

Simon Church could partner Long in attack. A product of Reading’s youth academy, the 22 year-old signed his first professional contract in 2007 with the Royals and has since made over 60 appearances, netting fourteen goals.

McDermott also has the versatile Jay Tabb at his disposal. The 26 year-old joined the club in 2009 following a successful three-year spell with Coventry City. Tabb can play in any midfield position and can even occupy the centre forward role if required, as he did for the Republic of Ireland Under-21 team.

In the left-back position, Reading have the talented Ian Harte, who has both Premiership and Football League experience. The former Ireland international, who was capped 64 times by his country, started his career with Leeds United and soon earned himself a reputation as a free-kick specialist. Following United’s relegation, the 32 year-old signed for Levante, subsequently moving to Sunderland and then Blackpool. In 2009, he joined Carlisle United and notched a remarkable total of 19 goals in the 2009/10 campaign. This scoring record attracted the interest of Reading, who purchased him in August for £100,000.

Previous Match

November 2010 (extract from my match report) - Despite playing the second half with ten men, Queens Park Rangers produced their best performance of the season so far, thoroughly outclassing their opponents, Reading. Once again, the referee was absolutely abysmal. Although Bradley Orr deserved his red card, Reading should have also had a man sent off when Mills attempted to headbutt Adel Taraabt. In a way, the right back’s dismissal galvanised QPR, invigorating the home crowd and creating an electric atmosphere inside Loftus Road. The superb victory meant that Rangers reclaimed the top position, with Cardiff losing to Swansea in the Welsh derby on Sunday afternoon.

Queens Park Rangers 3-1 Reading

Team News

Warnock will be hoping that Tommy Smith recovers from his hamstring injury in time for Friday night’s encounter. If not, Hogan Ephraim could retain his place on the right flank despite an unremarkable performance on Tuesday. Martin Rowlands, however, is unlikely to be available due to a calf strain. Jamie Mackie and Peter Ramage remain long-term absentees.

Reading could be without their star striker, Shane Long. The Royals’ top scorer will undergo a late fitness test. Mikele Leigertwood, meanwhile, will not play under the terms of his loan deal.

Prediction

Queens Park Rangers secured a comfortable win over Reading earlier in the campaign. However, this time, the Rs do not have the talented Kyle Walker at their disposal, who kept Jobi McAnuff quiet throughout that match. The Royals have a number of players who are capable of causing the Super Hoops serious problems. There can be no doubt that Warnock’s men must improve upon Tuesday night’s display if they are to come away with a decent result. In truth, I would be happy with a point at the Madejski Stadium and I am going to predict exactly that.

Reading 1-1 Queens Park Rangers