uRRRs blogWarnock in fear of Hart failure: QPR vs Crystal Palace preview |
Posted: April 9th 2010
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For all that I actually quite like Sky’s coverage of the Football League, one criticism would be that they pick their fixtures way too early, and hence miss out on some real corkers. Another criticism, of course, would be Garry Birtles. And Don Goodman. And didn’t Dean Sturridge even sneak in there at some point...
I digress. This Saturday at Selhurst Park would have been TV gold. A derby doubling as a relegation six pointer would be good for starters, but there are sub-plots galore which Murdoch’s minions could have debated til long after the last cow had made its way home, locked up for the night, and tucked itself in with a Horlicks.
For starters, neither team should really be in such a pickle in the first place. The hosts would be 9th in the League had they not had a 10 point deduction for going into administration – arguably even higher than 9th when allowing for the fact that going into admin must have knocked them out of their stride and cost them further points. Meanwhile QPR were 4th in November and being dubbed the Arsenal of the Championship for their (ahem) ‘total football’ til the manager nutted the playmaker (allegedly) and circus ringmaster Briatore went into overdrive.
Then, of course, there is the small fact that the teams effectively swapped managers a couple of months back.
Neil Warnock and the Eagles’ administrator couldn’t see eye to eye, especially when admin man told young Colin he couldn’t guarantee him a job for long enough to justify him extending the lease on his rented accommodation (I’d have advised him to get the hell out of Beckenham regardless, but hey, he never asked). Thus unsettled, and making it very public, it didn’t take long for post-Briatore QPR to start making eyes at him, clearly in the belief that the appointment of such a manager would be the clearest possible signal they could give that Flav’s interfering style and desire for ‘boutique football’ were things of the past.
No sooner had Colin swanned off westwards, leaving the Palace faithful less than glad all over, than for reasons known only to the administrator, in came Paul Hart. Oh how Rangers fans guffawed. Not only had we stolen Warnock from the Croydon massive (an appointment, it should be noted, that most would have been up in arms about a year or two earlier, but welcomed now only due to the mess we were in being so extreme)...but now they’d had foisted on them a man whose 5 week reign at Loftus Road over the Christmas holidays had been such an unmitigated disaster that not only were the team booed off after his only victory (we ended the game playing a 6-4-0 formation...at home), but also most actually applauded Flav & co for getting rid when they did.
Warnock made an instant impression in W12, 2 wins in his first 5 days...whilst Hart initially struggled at Palace, their messageboards quickly adopting the gloomy persona that had typified the QPR equivalents during his brief tenure.
Fast forward a month and it’s all change. QPR can’t buy a win and are looking nervously over their shoulders, Palace have 7 points from the last 9 and the only way, it seems, is up.
The Sky cameras could also have had a field day with crowd shots from both home and away sections...whilst Palace no doubt have some choice ditties awaiting the prodigal’s return...though having professed his love for those fans, I doubt he’ll respond by pointing his derriere in their general direction, as he did at Leicester on Monday...
If truth be told, both teams should really stay up now, arguably with a little to spare – QPR because they have 5 games left where most have 4, 3 of them at home, as well as the proverbial ‘points in the bag’; and Palace because they’re the only form team in the bottom 8. For Plymouth it looks increasingly like a lost cause, and they’ll soon be joining Posh; whilst form and remaining fixtures suggest both Watford and Wednesday have more to worry about than Palace, and Scunthorpe are more likely to find themselves dragged back into the relegation quicksand than the Rs.
So Sky have missed a golden opportunity to indulge in the kind of hyperbole that is their stock in trade...but until 4.55 on Saturday at least, the Hoops & Eagles messageboards are doing their best to make up for it.
With Palace buzzing with confidence but Rangers players presumably having a buzzing in their ears from Warnock’s post-Leicester post mortem...I’ll go for the draw. A point apiece will prolong the agony for both a bit longer, but in time will probably be seen as key in the limp towards the finishing line.