MATCH THREAD ' QPR v CARDIFF CITY ' MATCH THREAD '

QPR V CARDIFF CITY
Championship
Saturday 15th August 2015 5.15pm.
Loftus Road

Cardiff City team:

Moore
Peltier Morrison Connolly Malone
Pilkington Dikgacoi Whittingham Ralls
Mason Revell

Wilson
Fabio
Gunnarsson
Noone
Ameobi
Doyle
Jones

" UPDATED DAILY "


CCFC Team News
Ben Turner and Bruno Manga still absent
Kenwyne Jones has recovered from his knock
Craig Noone could start after this week's heroics



QPR Team news
Charlie Austin expected to be fit
Ex Bluebird Jay Emmanuel-Thomas could start

Predicted lineups
QPR: Green, Perch, Onuoha, Hill, Konchesky, Phillips, Faurlin, Luongo, Mackie, Chery, Austin.

CCFC: Moore, Peltier, Morrison, Connolly, Malone, Noone, Dikgacoi, Whittingham, Ralls, Revell, Mason.

Kenwyne Jones is fit

Russell Slade will almost certainly bring Noone back into the starting XI with Kenwyne Jones (calf) a possibility to return having come on as a sub in the one-nil win over AFC Wimbledon on Tuesday.

Bruno Manga (knee) and Ben Turner (ankle) will sit out again but are inching closer to a return.

Turner,Manga and Declan John out injured.

Marshall last game suspended for.

Cardiff City manager Russell Slade says Craig Noone has made a "very strong claim" to start his first Championship game of the season after a second spectacular goal in as many games.


This match is All ticket.

City now sold 1,400 tickets so far



Latest News



QPR's England international, and seemingly in-demand Charlie Austin (minor niggle) needs to come through a fitness test and could join Jamie Mackie (groin) in missing out.

Clint Hill, Paul Konchesky, Tjaronn Chery and Massimo Luongo were all rested for QPR's midweek League Cup win at Yeovil but should return.




Newcastle United and Everton transfer target Charlie Austin set to face Cardiff City on Saturday


Charlie Austin was on the pitch in body last Saturday but didn't appear to be in mind and Ramsey has to consider dropping his star striker and playing somebody who wants to be at Loftus Road when the transfer window closes at the end of the month. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, impressive for Bristol City last season, started in place of Austin at Yeovil and scored so we may well see him again here.


Match Preview

Cardiff will be looking to build on the home draw with Fulham last week and the midweek league cup win against Wimbledon when they travel to Loftus Road for the first away game of the season.

QPR suffered a defeat away to Charlton in their first match, and will be hoping to improve this weekend.

Possible Lineups

Cardiff City

Moore, Peltier, Morrison, Connolly, Malone, Ralls, Whittingham, Dikgacoi, Pilkington, Mason, Revell.

QPR

Green, Perch, Onuoha, Hall, Kpekawa, Doughty, Gobern, Phillips, Emmanuel-Thomas, Gladwin, Polter

The Opposition

Queens Park Rangers Football Club (usually referred to as QPR) is a professional English football club in White City, London that will play in The Championship, the 2nd tier of English football, during the 2015-2016 season. Their honours include winning the League Cup in 1967, being runners-up in the old First Division in 1975–76 and reaching the final of the FA Cup in 1982, where they lost 1–0 to Tottenham Hotspur in a replay after they drew 1–1 in the initial final match.

Queens Park Rangers Football Club were founded in 1882 after the merger of Christchurch Rangers and St. Judes Institute, and their traditional colours are blue and white. In the early years after the club's formation in their original home of Queen's Park, games were played at many different grounds until finally the club settled into their current location at Loftus Road. Owing to their proximity to other west London clubs, QPR maintain long-standing rivalries with several other clubs in the area. The most notable of these are Chelsea, Fulham and Brentford, with whom they contest what are known as West London Derbies. Outside London, QPR also traditionally share rivalries with Watford, Luton and Cardiff, although in recent years these fixtures have become less prominent.

Preseason Results

Cardiff

WED 15 JUL Forest Green Rovers Friendly Att. 1,125 (409) A 1 - 1 D
SAT 18 JUL Shrewsbury Town Friendly Att. 2,446 (782) A 2 - 2 D
TUE 21 JUL Hapoel Ironi Kiryat Shmona Friendly Att. TBC N 2 - 0 W
FRI 24 JUL Sparta Rotterdam Friendly Att. TBC N 0 - 1 W
TUE 28 JUL Watford Fc Friendly Att. TBC N 2 - 1 W
FRI 31 JUL Brighton Fc Friendly Att. TBC N 3 - 2 W

League Results

Cardiff

SAT 8 AUG 2015 - CHAMPIONSHIP Cardiff 1 - 1 Fulham

QPR

SAT 8 AUG 2015 - CHAMPIONSHIP Charlton 2 - 0 QPR

Last 5 meetings

2010/2011 Sat 23 Apr Cardiff City 2 - 2 Q.P.R. Championship
2010/2011 Sat 27 Nov Q.P.R. 2 - 1 Cardiff City Championship
2009/2010 Sat 17 Apr Q.P.R. 0 - 1 Cardiff City Championship
2009/2010 Sat 19 Sep Cardiff City 0 - 2 Q.P.R. Championship
2008/2009 Wed 25 Feb Cardiff City 0 - 0 Q.P.R. Championship

Previous Highlights



Match Odds

QPR 11/10
Draw 23/10
Cardiff 12/5

Loftus Road



Key facts

Club: Queens Park Rangers FC
Opening: 1904
Capacity: 18,439 seats

History and description

Loftus Road was built in 1904, but it was only in 1917 that QPR moved to the ground. QPR brought one covered seating stand from their previous ground at Park Royal, and the rest of the stadium consisted of open terraces.

Unsatisfied with their ground, QPR moved in 1931 to nearby White City Stadium, but soon moved back to Loftus Road. In 1938, a new covered terrace opened, but further changes were few in the next decades.

In the early 1960s, QPR once again moved to White City Stadium, but moved back after one season.

Loftus Road got its current shape in the late 1960s and early 1970s with the construction of the South Africa Road and Ellerslie Road stands, lifting capacity to about 35,000. In 1980 and 1981, the two stands at both ends were rebuilt.

In the 1990s, the stadium was converted into an all-seater, which reduced capacity to below 20,000 seats.

Between 2002 and 2004, Fulham played their home matches at Loftus Road while Craven Cottage got renovated.

QPR is currently investigating a move to a new stadium, which they want to built at a different location in West-London. No concrete plans have been unveiled yet.

Tickets

Available to current Season Ticket Holders and Gold / Junior Bluebird members only.
Please note this is an all ticket fixture – There will be no tickets available on the day.

Ticket Prices:
School End Upper Tier (Gold / Central)
Adults: £32.00
Seniors over 60: £22.00
Young Adult 16-21yrs: £22.00 (proof of age required at turnstiles)
Juniors under 16’s: £15.00

School End Upper Tier (Silver / Wings)
only available prior to match day
Adults: £27.00
Seniors over 60: £18.00
Young Adult 16-21yrs: £18.00 (proof of age required at turnstiles)
Juniors under 16’s: £12.00
Kids under 8: free when accompanied by a “full paying” adult.

Disabled Allocation:
Ambulant Disabled + Carer: £18 pair (limited available)
Please note ambulant tickets are allocated in the Upper Tier with no lift access and there is no availability for re-location on the day.
Wheelchair Disabled + Carer: £14 pair (limited available)

Tickets On Sale
10am - Wed. 29th July 2015
0845 345 1400
http://www.eticketing.co.uk/cardiffcity


Guess the Score / Attendance

Post your predicted score/attendance below

1-3 City.

QPR 2 CITY 2

QPR 3 CITY 1

QPR 1 - 2 City Mason and Jones

2-1:to City, Mason and Ralls.

3-0 Qpr

2:0 qpr

Cardiff City boss Russell Slade impressed by Craig Noone

Cardiff City manager Russell Slade says Craig Noone has made a "very strong claim" to start his first Championship game of the season after a second spectacular goal in as many games.


BBC

Noone's fine free-kick saw Cardiff beat AFC Wimbledon 1-0 to reach the second round of the League Cup.

That followed his long-range equaliser after coming on as a substitute against Fulham in the Championship on Saturday.

"Nooney has put a very strong case forward," said Slade.
The Cardiff boss says Noone's goal in their league opener at the weekend was "fantastic" and his free kick against Dons enhanced his starting chances.
"That's what he's striving for and trying to do. And he's delivering right now," said Slade.
"As a manager you want players to ask questions if they're not starting and put themselves in the frame for the very next game."
Meanwhile, Slade insists there have been no talks with striker Kenwyne Jones over a new contract.
Jones is one of Cardiff's highest earners and spent the end of last season on loan at Bournemouth.
It has been reported Cardiff are ready to offer the Trinidad and Tobago international a new deal.
Although Slade says that is not yet the case, he has not ruled out a new contract for Jones.
The former Leyton Orient manager added: "He's now in the last year of his contract and, if he does well, I'd like to think it could be longer term."

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=161389

0-1 City

3-1 QPR

3-1 QPR

Then move on.

1-1, maybe 2-1 QPR.

Depends on the team they play

QPR 4-0 Cardiff

1-1

1-0 mason

Qpr to win 3-0

Cardiff have now sold around 750 tickets for QPR away this Saturday,the opening away game of the season.

2-1 qpr unfortunately

QPR 2 CITY 0

Newcastle United and Everton transfer target Charlie Austin set to face Cardiff City on Saturday

Newcastle United and Everton transfer target Charlie Austin set to face Cardiff City on Saturday

Could go either way, his head maybe somewhere on Saturday

Newcastle United and Everton transfer target Charlie Austin set to face Cardiff City on Saturday

Could go either way, his head maybe somewhere else on Saturday

Not a good feeling for this one qpr 3 city 1

Austen won't risk getting injured to jepordise his transfer won't want to get involved

How are QPR shaping up after relegation?

They lost at Charlton on opening day, and what a weary defeat it was after starting brightly.

Then they bounced back, with a largely second-string team, to comfortably beat Yeovil on Tuesday.


QPR enjoyed a beautiful evening in Somerset on Tuesday
This is a QPR born of pragmatism.

Gone is the lavish spending on players who probably shouldn't have been bought in the first place.

The new dawn demands a cut-price model and a fit-for-Championship purpose squad, who should do OK.

Will Charlie Austin play against Cardiff?

He 'overstretched' a bit at Charlton and was subbed and rested for Tuesday's Capital Cup tie.

Charlie Austin scored 18 Premier League goals last season

Presuming nobody coughs up £15m in the next 24 hours, he should reappear on Saturday teatime.

Who's been signed since last season?

Sebastian Polter, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Jamie Mackie, Ben Gladwin, Massimo Luongo, Tyler Blackwood, Tjaronn Chery, James Perch, Paul Konchesky.

Plenty of Championship experience with a good mix of exciting youth.

Former player Emmanuel-Thomas and former target Luongo are two names that Cardiff City fans will be pretty familiar with.


Jay Emmanuel-Thomas played in the same Cardiff team as Aaron Ramsey and Jay Bothroyd
Which big names have departed?

Richard Dunne, Bobby Zamora, Adel Taarabt (Benfica), Brian Murphy, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Rio Ferdinand (retired), Joey Barton, Mauricio Isla (loan ended), Eduardo Vargas (loan ended) Niko Kranjcar, Alex McCarthy (Crystal Palace), Steven Caulker (loan to Southampton).

Former Bluebirds captain Caulker won't be facing his ex employers after shipping out to Southampton on loan the week before last.



Some other big names like Joey Barton and Rio Ferdinand also departed for nothing in the summer.

Cardiff fans will also remember Adel Taarabt well from the 2010/11 season when he was the star as the R's beat the Bluebirds to Premier League promotion. He left for Benfica on a free.

Will Chris Ramsey have the R's challenging at the top of the Championship this season?

The $64,000 dollar question!

He would like to, but in truth, they'll settle for consolidation first rather than do a Wolves and get relegated for a second successive season.


"We’ve lost a lot of players and got in new players. We’ve not spent a lot of money and some came in at the end of pre-season.

“I’m not the only manager who will be saying that. But it’s more important we have a more pragmatic approach, and look as high as we can.”

VITAL FOOTBALL

QPR
It seems horribly early to be talking about must-win games but their 2-0 defeat at Charlton on the opening day means this match has taken on considerable importance for Chris Ramsey. After a decent opening 15 minutes from the visitors, there was only one side which looked like promotion contenders at The Valley and it wasn't them. This means that, despite the morale-boasting midweek Capital Cup win at Yeovil, he can't afford another defeat in their first home game of the season.
And fans who accuse the former academy manager of lacking ambition won't have been reassured to hear him talking this week about the dangers of the club being dragged into a battle at the wrong end of the Championship table.
Charlie Austin was on the pitch in body last Saturday but didn't appear to be in mind and Ramsey has to consider dropping his star striker and playing somebody who wants to be at Loftus Road when the transfer window closes at the end of the month. Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, impressive for Bristol City last season, started in place of Austin at Yeovil and scored so we may well see him again here.

Cardiff
Restored to their rightful shirt colours the Bluebirds will be hoping to build on last season's 11th-placed finish under Russell Slade following the dismissal of the hapless Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Slade has yet to win over a sizeable chunk of the City faithful who doubt his credentials to mount any kind of serious promotion push but there were signs in the opening day 1-1 draw at home to Fulham of efforts to play a more attractive brand of football than the direct tactics employed last year.
In David Marshall, they had the best keeper in the division last season but he is still suspended for this one and to me they look a bit short of firepower and quality at the other end of the pitch to push for a place in the top six. A fine free-kick from Craig Noone was enough to give the Bluebirds a midweek 1-0 win over AFC Wimbledon in a scrappy cup encounter.

Queens Park RangersQPR boss Chris Ramsey on May 10, 2015
Defeat to Charlton Athletic on the opening day is certainly not the way Chris Ramsey envisaged his side's season getting underway, but that 2-0 reverse went to show that this campaign could be a tough one for QPR.

Tipped by many to earn an instant return to the Premier League, with others more reserved in their backing, Rangers are now counting down the days until the transfer window slams shut.

The club's transfer dealings to date have been positive; Swindon Town duo Ben Gladwin and Massimo Luongo offering hungry options in midfield, while the returning Jamie Mackie will look to provide goals in attack.

It is the outgoing business which is currently making all the headlines, however, with questions still being asked over the futures of Rob Green and prolific forward Charlie Austin.

Each will play a vital part in the Hoops' promotion aspirations should they remain, but in the case of the latter a move away between now and September 2 looks a real possibility.

A lack of goals cost Ramsey's men in their opening league fixture, as strikes from Tony Watt and Morgan Fox helped Charlton to a somewhat comfortable victory in the end.

Ramsey is looking to strengthen his side further with the addition of more new faces, including Bolton Wanderers defender Tim Ream who is now a confirmed target for the West London outfit.

Off the field distractions certainly do not help at this time of the year, but as the 3-0 victory over Yeovil Town highlighted in midweek, time will be a valuable factor in this Rangers side blending together.

Recent form (all competitions): LWDDLW

Cardiff CityCardiff manager Russell Slade looks on ahead of the Sky Bet Championship match between Millwall and Cardiff City at The Den on October 25, 2014
In comparison to QPR, or any other side in the division for that matter, Cardiff appear to have a far more settled group of players to choose from.

Just the one senior addition has come in this summer - Sammy Ameobi from Newcastle United - with the Bluebirds continuing their cost-cutting drive under the watch of Russell Slade.

It is not necessarily a bad thing, either, with more needing to be done to keep the club's finances in line. However, when taking into account that City produced a string of underwhelming displays last season, it will require an awful lot to keep supporters motivated.

While Slade is still working hard to win over the fanbase, results since February onwards certainly have not been all that bad, with away games in particular underlining just how tough to beat Cardiff have now become.

The Bluebirds have lost just one of their last nine fixtures on the road, and they face off against a QPR side with just one win at Loftus Road all calendar year - albeit coming in their most recent outing against Newcastle United.

Injuries may have hit Cardiff during the summer, particularly at the back where possible first-choice centre-back duo Ben Turner and Bruno Manga picked up problems, but it is in this area that the Welsh outfit still look at their strongest.

That said, just one clean sheet in their last eight outings is a record that must be improved upon, particularly sloppy goals being given away like the one witnessed against Fulham last time out.
If not for substitute Craig Noone's late stunner in that one, City would have kicked their campaign off on a real low note. Now, having rescued a 1-1 draw, they have the chance to maintain their unbeaten run at a ground they have typically struggled at in the past.

Recent form (all competitions): WWWWDW