QPR v Aston Villa | Rob Bagchi

• Hit F5 for the latest or select our auto-refresh button below • And email your thoughts to rob.bagchi@guardian.co.uk 11 min: Villa are trying to squeeze up, the back four only a few yards apart from the central midfield three and QPR are trying to get round the back with passes through and over. Rangers are throwing men forward, which should give Villa a chance of catching them on the break. Not yet, though. 9 min: Taarabt tries to chip the free-kick over the wall but Villa do well and get the block in, heading it over the bar. When the corner breaks down, QPR again go up the left before Taarabt loses possession. 7 min: Ireland fouls Taroré and QPR have a free kick on theedge of their own area and they go up the left again. After a couple of phases moving up the flank via a throw-in, Taroré whips in a cross that Young clears for a corner. From the corner, which is knocked out of the box, Young is fouled by Petrov 25 yards from goal. 5 min: The pundit Gary Neville has spotted that QPR are targeting the Villa right-back Alan Hutton, trying to chip the ball over his head a couple of times, looking for the runs of Faurlín and Bothroyd. Then Taarabt shows his class, controlling a ball 30 yards from goal, losing Petrov who stands off him and larruping a shot that smacks off the post. 3 min: Some nice work up the left with Warnock combining well with N’Zogbia but when the ball’s played across the box up pops Wright-Phillips moonlighting as a left-back who knocks it up to Bothroyd who tries to throw Hutton by shimmying left and right before shooting. It’s deflected and the corner is cleared. 1 min: David Cameron’s in the stands, as is Fabio Capello. Cameron is a Villa fan and it’s his side who kick off, Warnock tapping a long pass up the left that Rangers easily deal with. Young then puts his left foot through the ball up to Wright-Phillips but he fouls Hutton who was covering his run well. Afternoon Mac Millings: “My memories of Loftus Rd aren’t as pleasurable as yours, I’m afraid. I went several times in the 80s, and the home fans could show a nasty streak, which included hurling coins at linesmen who gave decisions against their Super Hoops. I’m sure they weren’t the only ones, but still, the sight of a chunky, eighties 50p arcing towards an official’s unsuspecting head is one that stays with me. There’s a lot about Modern Football to dislike, but if that kind of thing has been eradicated, then there is an upside to sanitisation.” There is indeed, Mac. One thing I forgot to mention was the last game of last season at Loftus Road, in the row in front of me was Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols. Six rows in front of him sat Mick Jones of the Clash. For all Lydon’s love of Arsenal, QPR are truly the punk royalty club. Absent friends : Danny Gabbidon is missing for QPR and Darren Bent for Villa. Even a buffoon would suggest the latter is the biggest loss – with Bannan and N’Zogbia lacking a target for their crosses. An interesting sideshow may be the battle between the ex Manchester City trainees Stephen Ireland for Villa and SWP and Joey Barton for QPR. I haven’t seen enough of Ireland this season to tell me whether he’s overcome his awful first season at Villa Park under Gérard Houllier. I’ve seen enough of Stephen Warnock to suggest he’s recovered from his similar fate in internal exile under the Frenchman and Gary McAllister. Here are your teams: QPR: Kenny; Young, Ferdinand, Hall, Traoré; Wright-Phillips, Barton, Derry, Faurlín; Taarabt, Bothroyd. Substitutes: Murphy, Orr, Campbell, Buzsaky, Connolly, Smith, Helguson. Aston Villa: Given; Hutton, Dunne, Collins, Warnock; Bannan, Petrov, Ireland, Delph, N’Zogbia; Agbonlahor. Substitutes: Guzan, Albrighton, Delfouneso, Beye, Weimann, Lowry, Gardner. Referee: Michael Oliver (Northumberland) Afternoon all: I used to love going to Loftus Road. Still do, on the rare occasions I get down there but for a year back in the early 90s I shared a flat on Bloemfontein Road and would go along for evening games if my team wasn’t playing. I’ve not been back so often recently but was there last season, drinking Landlord in the Princess Louise and troughing down the enormous portions at the Greek restaurant on Uxbridge Road. This should be an interesting game, QPR 2011-12 v2.0 following the frantic transfer activity after Tony Fernandes’s takeover taking on a very solid-looking Villa. Both have seven points, Villa are unbeaten in the league and Rangers have yet to score a home league goal, though came close against Newcastle. The last top-flight meeting of the two was two days before Christmas 1995, Rangers winning 1-0 through Kevin Gallen’s goal. All the names from the team-sheet are immediately familiar to someone as ancient as me. Here they are: QPR: Sommer; Bardsley, McDonald, Yates, Brevett; Impey, Wilkins, Barker, Sinclair; Hateley, Gallen. Villa: Bosnich, Charles, Ehiogu, Southgate, McGrath, Wright; Townsend, Draper, Taylor; Milosevic, Johnson. Rangers went down that season and Villa won the League Cup. Meanwhile, to get you in the mood. Here’s some Joey Barton love from another site. I’ll be back with the teams asap. Premier League 2011-12 QPR Aston Villa Premier League Rob Bagchi guardian.co.uk

Posted by on September 25, 2011. Filed under News, Politics, World News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.