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Post by QPR Report on Dec 18, 2009 8:21:03 GMT
Head to Head Results www.soccerbase.com/head2.sd?team2id=2328&team1id=2093Last played them under Sousa in March 2009
and drew 0-0 QPR: Cerny 8, Delaney 6, Steward 7, Leigertwood 6 (Ephraim) 81min, Routledge 6, Blackstock 7, Gorkss 7, Connolly 6, Miller 6 (Alberti 52min, 6), Lopez 6, Di Carmine 6 (Balanta 75min) - SHEFFIELD UTD: Kenny 8, Halford 6, Naysmith 6, Morgan 7, Kilgallon 6, Henderson 6 (O’Toole 81min), Webber 6 (Beattie 68min), Montgomery 6, Howard 6 (Ward 59min, 6), Quinn 6, Naughton 7 - QPR 0 Sheff U Match Reportsqprreport.blogspot.com/2009/03/additional-reports-of-qpr-sheffield.html
Sporting Life/Andy Simms - PRessure- ".... Rangers' own play-off bid continues to flag and they have not won at home since December, but boss Paulo Sousa is not feeling the pressure despite Italian owner Flavio Briatore's record of hiring and firing. - "Mediterranean people are never patient," he admitted. "But he's a very ambitious person but he knows we are in a good way. - "When I came Flavio asked me to create a consistent, solid team and our aim is the Premier League. - "We have improved in the last year and a half and next season we will be much, much better." SportinG Life QPR OFFICIAL SITE/Sousa - WE'LL KEEP BELIEVING- Paulo Sousa praised his side's efforts following the 0-0 draw against in-form Sheffield United. - Rangers dominated proceedings in W12, only to be denied three points by a mixture of good goalkeeping and profligate finishing in front of goal. - Sousa told http://www.qpr.co.uk: "It's not just today that we've been unlucky. This is a difficult moment for us in front of goal, but we are building. - "This last month or so has been tough, but I am happy with our solid base and we proved today that we are a good, good side. - "We returned to being a better solid team defensively today and I am pleased with that. - "At the other end, we created a lot of chances to win the game, but the final important touch was missing." - Sousa added: "We'll keep believing in ourselves because each game we play I can see us getting stronger. - "We went very, very close today. One touch here or there can change the game and change the season. - "We're working very hard on finishing in training, at least 20 minutes per day, and we will continue to strive for it. - "Until it is mathematically impossible, we will continue to push for it (the play-off's)." QPR |
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Post by QPR Report on Dec 18, 2009 8:21:57 GMT
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Post by QPR Report on Dec 18, 2009 8:28:23 GMT
And what was going on off the field when QPR Played Sheff U in March?
Daily Mail - Sacked Blackburn manager Paul Ince could make a return at QPR- Paul Ince is expected to make a dramatic return to management with Championship billionaires Queens Park Rangers.
- Ince, sacked by Blackburn Rovers in December, is the top target for Rangers chairman and good friend Gianni Palladini as the pressure mounts on current boss Paulo Sousa.
- Sousa's job is in jeopardy following a dismal run which, after yesterday's goalless draw with Sheffield United, has seen Rangers take four points out of a possible 21.
- Sousa admitted to friends he fears he is about to lose his job less than four months after arriving at Loftus Road." Daily Mail
QPR Deny Any Truth to Ince Replacing Sousa Story
-BBC - QPR chief dismisses Ince reports- QPR sporting director Gianni Paladini has denied reports Paul Ince is in line to take over as manager at Loftus Road.
- Rangers, co-owned by Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, have not won in seven games but Paladini insists Ince will not replace boss Paulo Sousa.
- "There is absolutely, categorically not a shred of truth in it," said Paladini.
- "I have not spoken to Paul Ince and neither have Flavio or Bernie. There is absolutely no way he will take over at QPR and no way it was even discussed."
- Ince was linked with QPR following the departure of coach Luigi De Canio at the end of last season.
- But he was never a frontrunner for the job and eventually left Milton Keynes Dons for Blackburn, with Iain Dowie becoming R's boss.
- Dowie was sacked in October following a series of disagreements with Briatore. His successor, former Portugal star Sousa, is already under pressure after just four months at the club.
- But Paladini says Sousa is not about to be sacked and that Ince, who was dismissed by Blackburn in December, has not been identified as a possible replacement.
- The Italian added: "When I heard what was printed in a newspaper I couldn't believe it. I have no idea where it came from because there is 100% no truth in it whatsoever.
- "It was said that I am a friend of Paul Ince. I am not a friend of his. I admired him greatly as a player and, for what it's worth, I think he's a very good young manager. But we're not friends and we haven't spoken.
- "Even if the thought had occurred to me that he should be QPR's manager - which it didn't - I don't have the power to make that decision.
- "That decision lies with the owners and I know for a fact that they want to keep Paulo Sousa, so nonsense about him having two games left is completely wrong as well." BBC
Sousa on The Brink? - Another Paper re Ince Replacing Sousa (And Earlier Sousa Endangered Stories)-
THE DENIAL
-BBC - QPR chief dismisses Ince reports- QPR sporting director Gianni Paladini has denied reports Paul Ince is in line to take over as manager at Loftus Road.
- Rangers, co-owned by Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, have not won in seven games but Paladini insists Ince will not replace boss Paulo Sousa.
- "There is absolutely, categorically not a shred of truth in it," said Paladini.
- "I have not spoken to Paul Ince and neither have Flavio or Bernie. There is absolutely no way he will take over at QPR and no way it was even discussed."
- Ince was linked with QPR following the departure of coach Luigi De Canio at the end of last season.
- But he was never a frontrunner for the job and eventually left Milton Keynes Dons for Blackburn, with Iain Dowie becoming R's boss.
- Dowie was sacked in October following a series of disagreements with Briatore. His successor, former Portugal star Sousa, is already under pressure after just four months at the club.
- But Paladini says Sousa is not about to be sacked and that Ince, who was dismissed by Blackburn in December, has not been identified as a possible replacement.
- The Italian added: "When I heard what was printed in a newspaper I couldn't believe it. I have no idea where it came from because there is 100% no truth in it whatsoever.
- "It was said that I am a friend of Paul Ince. I am not a friend of his. I admired him greatly as a player and, for what it's worth, I think he's a very good young manager. But we're not friends and we haven't spoken.
- "Even if the thought had occurred to me that he should be QPR's manager - which it didn't - I don't have the power to make that decision.
- "That decision lies with the owners and I know for a fact that they want to keep Paulo Sousa, so nonsense about him having two games left is completely wrong as well." BBC
THE CLAIM
Sunday Mirror/Simon Mullock - Queens Park Rangers line up Paul Ince as manager
- QPR will offer Paul Ince a return to management if Paulo Sousa fails to halt the London club's slide down the Championship table.
- Rangers could only draw 0-0 at home against Sheffield United yesterday and are entrenched in arun of seven games without a win.
- Unless chairman Flavio Briatore sees evidence of an improvement in the next two games, Sousa's five month reign is over.
- Ince turned down an approach last week from Brighton, saying he does not want to drop below the Championship. Sunday Mirror
- [Posted Earlier:
Dave McIntyre/BBC606 - Down but not out - yet-
Paulo Sousa is under pressure but still on solid enough ground to keep his job if QPR lose to Sheffield United on Saturday. - Unfortunately, I’ve got plenty experience of seeing Rangers managers in trouble.
- I won’t ever forget telling Ian Holloway I was writing a story that a bloke called Ramon Diaz was being lined up to take his job – a crisis he came through after his players rallied round and produced a sudden winning run.
- Holloway, who was never slow to give me a piece of his mind, showed tremendous dignity and was a gentleman towards me then, as he was 18 months later when I was about to break the news that he was being put on ‘gardening leave’ after a series of bad results and problems behind the scenes.
- It was also tough to write about the impending appointment of John Gregory in place of Gary Waddock, who I liked a lot.
- Then there was Iain Dowie. Like the Ramon Diaz debacle, reports that the manager was in trouble before the season had even started were taken by many as proof of the media’s madness rather than QPR's, and understandably so.
- Dowie made it to the start of the season but was soon gone.
- Even Gareth Ainsworth was replaced at the first sign of problems.
- His caretaker title made the decision to remove him seem less significant than it was.
- But at one stage Ainsworth was very much the board’s man for the job, despite bigger names being linked with it, and he lost that mantle after a home defeat against Burnley.
- One home defeat really is enough to turn the tide against a Rangers manager these days.
- But, having seen a few men in an all-too familiar position to Sousa’s, I don’t think his time will be up until at least the summer and even then, he could emerge intact.
- That of course means Sousa is now bound to be sacked.
- After all, less than a year ago, Gigi De Canio was so adamant I was wrong to suggest he’d be off after the season’s final game against West Brom, I suspended all judgement in an article titled ’QPR double act continues.’
- His position changed after that conversation and once the article was eventually published the following week, De Canio’s ‘double act’ with Gianni Paladini continued for all of 24 hours.
- The stick I got for that continued for considerably longer.
- How much longer Sousa has as Rangers coach remains to be seen.
- He is in the position De Canio and Dowie quickly found themselves in, under pressure from within to stick to a 4-4-2 formation and select certain players.
- But that pressure isn’t as severe, because in crucial ways Sousa is different to his predecessors and so are his prospects – at least in the short term.
- For starters, unlike in the cases of the five ousted Rangers managers in recent years – and I’m including Ainsworth but not De Canio, who quit – there has been no firm move to line up a replacement, which gives the current man some breathing space.
- More importantly, Sousa is different to Dowie in that he is very much Flavio Briatore’s man, whereas Dowie was a recommendation whose appointment was merely rubber-stamped by the co-owner.
- That means Sousa being ditched after just a few months would inevitably reflect badly on Briatore himself – especially in his native Italy, where Sousa is a major star after making his name as a player with Juventus.
- And regardless of who he is and whose choice he was, getting rid of yet another coach would just look so bad at this point there would be little to gain from doing it now, especially as this season is almost a write-off.
- There is also a financial factor. Following a pay-off to Gregory, the quick dismissal of Dowie was expensive and with two years of Sousa’s contact left to run, removing him as well would involve more money being wasted at a time when the club are looking to cut costs.
- At such a volatile club, anything could happen. But for now, it’s likely that the worst fate awaiting Sousa if Rangers’ slump continues is to have his card well and truly marked between now and the end of the season.
- And unless Rangers make a spectacular charge to the play-offs, it’s at the end of the season when matters will come to a head.
- Someone, possibly Sousa, will almost certainly carry the can. BBC606
From Last Week's Daily Mail
Daily Mail/Hatchet Man - QPR owners should give Sousa the time they were promising
- QPR’S owners have a chance over the next few months to prove they are not just trigger happy short-termists.
- After going through managers at a frightening rate, Paulo Sousa was brought in last November claiming that he had been hired for the long term.
Under pressure: Sousa has seen his side go on a poor run
For some reason, the young Portuguese insisted he would be given time to turn Rangers into a force for the Premier League in his first job in club management.
- Like Sousa’s title of first team coach rather than manager, it hardly seemed credible. He seemed naïve or deluded and already he is moving towards crunch time.
Rangers have not won in the last five matches and lots of talk already about hopes for next season must have eroded Sousa’s standing. The best he can aim at now is the play-offs, and that is beginning to look like an outside shot.
- QPR are six points off sixth place (and only nine above the relegation zone) and Sousa and his team must be making the owners’ trigger fingers itchy.
- But if they are not going to continue to be another set of clichéd, super-rich and impatient owners, they have to stand by the rookie they appointed. Daily Mail
Daily Mail/Neil Hallam - Give Sousa a chance, pleads Delaney
- Paulo Sousa's chances of a long managerial reign at QPR can hardly have been enhanced by a barren run that has produced only two wins in 11 League games, but his players are adamant he should be given time to 'get his message across'.
- Half a dozen managers have come and gone at QPR in the last 14 months but Republic of Ireland full back Damien Delaney, who headed in their first-half equaliser, insists he speaks for all the players in hoping the former Portugal star is not added to the disruptive procession of casualties.
- 'All the lads like and respect the manager and want him to be given time to put his ideas and methods into practice,' he said.
- Losing battle: Paulo Sousa is running out of time to convince QPR's bosses that he is the right man to guide them towards the Premier League after another loss
- 'He arrived in mid-season, which is always difficult, and he has had the job of trying to create stability after a lot of upheaval.
- 'This was only our second league defeat since early December and we all feel we are starting to get there as a team.'
- Sousa said he was instructed to build solid foundations in order to challenge for promotion next season but he added:
- 'We still have a chance of the play-offs this year. We have to go for it but it's difficult to be consistent while we are still building for the future.'
Goals from Maltese international Peter Bogdanovic and Brazilian Anderson de Silva eased relegation fears for a cosmopolitan Barnsley side that included seven imports, but it was a Liverpool loan signing, 20-year-old Adam Hammill, who made the biggest impression.
- The youngster, whose pace and searching crosses kept Rangers under pressure, has now played 70 games on loan at Dunfermline, Southampton, Blackpool and Barnsley while trying to persuade Liverpool he is worth a Premier League chance.
- 'I have always dreamed of getting a standing ovation after running myself to a standstill in a red shirt and now it has come true, albeit at Barnsley rather than Anfield,' said Hammill. Daily Mail
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Post by cpr on Dec 18, 2009 9:53:10 GMT
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Post by QPR Report on Dec 18, 2009 9:53:15 GMT
QPR Official Site
THE FRIDAY PREVIEW: BLADES Posted on: Fri 18 Dec 2009 Paul Hart will oversee his first match in charge of the R's, when the Hoops lock horns with Sheffield United at Loftus Road on Saturday. The former Portsmouth boss and his new Assistant, Mick Harford, took training for the first time yesterday (Thursday) and will be aiming for a victory which could see Rangers return to the top six. The Blades, meanwhile, will be looking to extend a fine unbeaten run which has taken them to the verge of the play-off places in recent weeks. Team News Steven Reid is pushing for a recall to the squad for the visit of the Blades.Reid picked up a hamstring injury in training a few weeks ago, but he joined in with First Team training on Tuesday morning and should be fit and available on Saturday afternoon. Akos Buzsaky and Matthew Connolly remain doubts, however.While Lee Cook nears a return to the First Team after some months out with a knee injury, Gavin Mahon and Martin Rowlands (both knee) remain long-term absentees, whilst Gary Borrowdale (adbominal strain) is again likely to miss out. Nick Montgomery is set to return to the Blades squad following a one match ban, whilst Mark Bunn is set to continue in goal. Former R's loanee, Andy Taylor, could also feature for Kevin Blackwell's men. Star Man Jamie WARD (Striker) Jamie Ward completed his move to Sheffield United in January 2009. The diminutive striker cost the Blades £330,000 although the fee could eventually rise to £400,000. The 22 year-old left near neighbours Chesterfield to sign a three-and-a-half year contract at Bramall Lane, with the Northern Irish international (for whom he qualifies through his grandparents) opening his account for Kevin Blackwell's side in the dramatic 2-1 away victory at Southampton in the Coca-Cola Championship last season. A product of Aston Villa's youth academy, Ward joined Stockport County on loan before signing permanently for Torquay United in 2006. After a relatively successful spell at Plainmoor, Chesterfield shelled out £100,000 to secure the services of the pacy front man, where he went on to make 73 appearances, scoring 31 goals in all competitions. Ward's impressive strike rate and industrious approach made him a sought after commodity, and after rejecting Barnsley earlier in the month, the Birmingham-born forward opted to join United in January 2009. Classic Encounter Sheffield United 2, Queens Park Rangers 3 Coca Cola Championship - Saturday 25th February 2006 An inspiring performance from Rangers in a truly enthralling game saw the Super Hoops complete a season's double over the Blades. Goals from Marc Nygaard and Paul Furlong came either side of a Chris Morgan own goal in an end to end encounter. The first half was a game of swings and roundabouts, as United went in ahead, but only after Rangers had previously gone in front. Marc Nygaard had given Rangers the lead with just six minutes on the clock. But Ade Akinbiyi's header, followed by a Marc Bircham own goal, turned the game on its head before the break. Match odds with Bet365 QPR win - 13/10 Draw - 11/5 Sheffield United win - 11/5 Match Coverage QPR Player will be providing live commentary of this fixture, as well as offering extended highlights next week. Click here to join QPR Player. www.qpr.co.uk/page/Preview/0,,10373~1906488,00.html
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Post by QPR Report on Dec 18, 2009 9:54:42 GMT
Sheffield United Official Site
QPR v Blades - team news Nick Montgomery is available again for the clash with QPR after serving a one match suspension, but at least one player will miss the game owing to contracting gastroenteritis. For Rangers, Steven Reid is pushing for a recall after overcoming a hamstring strain whilst Lee Cook nears a return after a long standing knee injury. Gavin Mahon and Martin Rowlands are still missing with long term injuries, and Gary Borrowdale is again likely to miss out with an abdominal strain Akos Buzsaky (knee) and Matthew Connolly (pelvis) remain doubts. www.sufc.co.uk/page/Previews/0,,10418~1908684,00.html
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Post by QPR Report on Dec 18, 2009 12:18:05 GMT
Sporting Life HART READY FOR FIRST MATCH
Q.P.R. 11/8 Sheff. Utd 2/1 Draw 11/5New QPR boss Paul Hart will hand a number of players late fitness tests ahead of his first game in charge against Sheffield United. Full-back Gary Borrowdale should return after missing Monday's draw at West Brom with an abdominal strain, and midfielder Steven Reid is also close after two weeks out with a hamstring injury. Defender Matt Connolly has stepped up his training from a pelvic injury and a late decision will also be made on his fitness. Goalkeeper Radek Cerny will be available despite jarring his ankle attempting a goal-kick against Albion but midfielder Akos Buzsaky is expected to miss out again with a knee problem. Midfielders Gavin Mahon, Lee Cook and Martin Rowlands (all knee) are long-term absentees but striker Angelo Balanta is fit after a groin injury. Caretaker bosses Steve Gallen and Marc Bircham were thought to be considering handing rookie forward Raheem Sterling a place in the squad for the first time but Hart is unlikely to blood the 15-year-old just yet.Sheffield United still cannot break free of their injury curse with an unnamed player ruled out of the clash with gastroenteritis. Blades manager Kevin Blackwell refused to identify which player will miss the clash at Loftus Road, but confirmed midfielder Nick Montgomery will return to contention following a one-game suspension. Striker Darius Henderson missed last week's win over Crystal Palace due to a hip problem and has now missed the last three matches. On-loan pair Keith Treacy, from Blackburn, and Stoke's Andrew Davies have both returned to their parent clubs, but Blackwell has no new injury or suspension problems. The Blades, unbeaten in their last six league games, could climb into the top six with victory if other results go their way www.sportinglife.com/football/nationwide1/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=nonwire_soccer/09/12/18/manual_121217.html |
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Post by QPR Report on Dec 18, 2009 12:47:52 GMT
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Post by cpr on Dec 18, 2009 13:11:04 GMT
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Post by QPR Report on Dec 18, 2009 13:20:00 GMT
Interesting first few paragraphs!
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Post by QPR Report on Dec 18, 2009 13:22:00 GMT
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Post by QPR Report on Dec 19, 2009 8:14:21 GMT
From Sky Sports   "And as an early Christmas treat, Chris Kamara will be on your screens as he reports from QPR v Sheffield United." www.skysports.com/tv_show/story/0,20144,12383_5779671,00.html |
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Post by boxer on Dec 19, 2009 11:10:11 GMT
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Post by QPR Report on Dec 19, 2009 11:30:37 GMT
Very painsaking. I remember being at least a couple of those games (and know I was at a couple of others, but don't recall them at all!)
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