Saturday 19th February 2011
Npower Football League Championship
Deepdale Stadium
Kick-off: 15:00
Referee: A Haines
Preston North End (24th) V Queens Park Rangers (1st)
By The Godfather

Last Sunday afternoon, I left Loftus Road feeling very frustrated indeed. Although ten-man Nottingham Forest defended superbly and probably deserved their point, I felt that QPR had squandered a fantastic opportunity to move clear of the chasing pack. With both Cardiff and Forest boasting games in hand, I feared that QPR’s promotion bid was under serious threat.

However, this week, results have gone our way. I was delighted to see that Cardiff had to settle for a point at home to Burnley, whilst Nottingham Forest were beaten by Scunthorpe United. With the Bluebirds and the Reds playing each other on Saturday afternoon, the Rs now have an excellent opportunity to extend their lead at the top of the Championship when they face Phil Brown’s struggling Preston side. At this stage of the campaign, it is absolutely vital that the Rs pick up three points against the worst team in the division.

Preston North End

Manager: Phil Brown

Season 2009-10 finish: 17th position

This has been an absolutely disastrous season for Preston North End. Under Darren Ferguson, the Lilywhites only took 16 points from their first 20 fixtures, which is, frankly, embarrassing. Following a 3-1 defeat to fellow strugglers, Middlesbrough, Ferguson was sacked and replaced by former Hull City boss, Phil Brown. He has not yet won a match.

One can understand why the Board has appointed Brown. He has achieved a lot of success in the Championship, having led Hull City to promotion in the 2007/08 campaign. But this is an incredibly difficult job. He has one of the worst squads in the division at his disposal, which now includes Leon Clarke. In addition, the club has serious financial problems, which aren’t being helped by poor attendance figures. On “The Football League Show”, one cannot help noticing the thousands of empty seats around Deepdale.

Preston have not won a match since 11th December, a narrow victory over Ipswich Town at Deepdale. They are currently bottom of the league table, nine points away from safety. It is also likely that the players will be feeling demoralised after throwing away a 2-0 lead at Vicarage Road on Wednesday night. Unless the situation improves rapidly, it is difficult to see the Lilywhites preserving their Championship status.

Men to watch

Preston’s top scorer so far this season is Keith Treacy, who could pose a threat on the left flank. The 22 year-old started his career with Blackburn Rovers, but spent most of the time on loan to Football League clubs (Stockport County and Sheffield United). The Ireland international has netted six times.

At the back, Phil Brown has the talented Sean St Ledger at his disposal, an Irish international defender who was once considered to be one of the best players outside of the Premiership. He has played for Preston since 2006, establishing himself as a first team regular and making over 170 appearances. In 2009, he joined Middlesbrough on loan for a brief period, but his performances were disappointing and he soon returned to Deepdale.

Previous Match

November 2010 (extract from my match report) - Queens Park Rangers cruised to a comfortable 3-1 victory over Preston North End on Saturday afternoon, with star man, Adel Taraabt, scoring two wonder strikes. The win was thoroughly deserved against one of the worst Championship teams I have seen in several years. Ferguson’s men were disorganised in every area of the pitch, particularly in defence. Despite being forced to field a weakened team, the Rs were able to exploit these weaknesses. Cardiff’s defeat to Nottingham Forest meant that Warnock’s side reclaimed the top position.

Queens Park Rangers 2-0 Preston North End

QPR Team News

Heidar Helguson is fit again and could replace Rob Hulse, who has only scored once in 17 appearances for the Super Hoops. Tommy Smith is unavailable through a hamstring injury, whilst Hogan Ephraim is still suspended. Meanwhile, Jamie Mackie and Peter Ramage remain long-term absentees.

Unfortunately, Preston will not be able to start Leon Clarke, who cannot play under the terms of his loan agreement.

Prediction

In an interview for the Evening Standard, Phil Brown has stated that he wants his team to adopt a physical approach during Saturday’s encounter:

“Pitches at this stage of the season are not conducive to football and we have got to battle and scrap to try to get whatever points we can. We could give QPR a real fright and a run for their money."

However, QPR have shown repeatedly that they are more than capable of getting ‘stuck in’. The likes of Shaun Derry and Alejandro Faurlin should prove to be too strong for the Preston midfield. Against one of the worst defences in the division, the Rs should really win this game. I am going to predict a comfortable victory.

Preston North End 0-2 Queens Park Rangers