Team News
Barnsley could be without four key players for tomorrow's visit of the world's richest club. Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Darren Moore are definitely out through suspension, after picking up their fifth bookings of the season in the 1-0 win at Sheffield Wednesday. Captain Stephen Foster is a doubt after missing four days of training due to fluid around his groin, which has appeared as a result of the hernia operation he had in January. Fozzie did train at the end of the week however. Marciano Van Homoet is also struggling with a groin problem, and if he is unfit Rob Kozluk should return. Kayode Odejayi is also unavailable after completing his loan move to Scunthorpe. Adam Hammill could be set for his first start, replacing Campbell-Ryce, although Martin Devaney is pushing to get back into the side. Dennis Souza is set to replace Moore.
Likely Line-Up:
Heinz Muller
Rob Kozluk
Dennis Souza
Stephen Foster
Bobby Hassell
Adam Hammill
Hugo Colace
Andranik Teymourian.
Martin Devaney
Daniel Bogdanovic
Michael Mifsud
Head to Head
Barnsley haven't lost to Rangers at home since the 1996-1997 season, when of course, The Reds won promotion to the Premier League for the one and only time in their history. Rangers won 3-1 in September 1996, and it came after The Reds had won their first five games of the season. Rangers beat Barnsley three times that season, twice in the league and once in the FA Cup, when Trevor Sinclair scored a cracking overhead kick from the edge of the area. Barnsley would have the last laugh by finishing second in Division One, whilst Rangers finished ninth. The R's have made seven trips to Oakwell since then, losing four and drawing three.
The most thrilling game was probably the 3-3 draw in Division Two in 2003-2004. In April 2004, Craig Ireland put The Reds in front before a cock-up between Antony Kay and rookie goal-keeper Danny Alcock drew Rangers level. Paul Furlong put the Rs in front on 74 minutes but then Danny Nardiello on 85 and David Murphy with a cracking free-kick on 89 looked to have won it for The Reds. But Furlong struck again deep into injury time to earn The R's a point. Rangers were promoted at the end of that season.
The last two occasions the two sides have met at this level at Oakwell have come in the last two seasons. In 2006-2007, Barnsley were 22nd and QPR 21st but goals from Marc Richards and Brian Howard lifted The Reds out of the bottom three and dropped QPR in. Then last season, the two sides played out a poor 0-0 draw with Istvan Ferenczi missing two sitters.
Barnsley have an awful record at Loftus Road however. They have made 22 trips there, losing 17- including the last six- and have won just once in 1950. Would you believe it was by a 5-0 scoreline! One of those 17 defeats occurred on the opening day of 2008-2009. Iain Hume hit a debut goal after just five minutes but two goals in two minutes from Fitz Hall, ensured another miserable trip back from West London. Van Homoet was sent off and Moore gave away one of his two penalties in the first two games of the season.
Barnsley 0-0 QPR Match Report 26/2/08
Barnsley 2-0 QPR Match Report 30/1/07
Last six Barnsley v QPR Results:
9/8/08 QPR 2-1 Barnsley (Championship)
26/2/08 Barnsley 2-0 QPR (Championship)
19/1/08 QPR 2-0 Barnsley (Championship)
30/1/08 Barnsley 2-0 QPR (Championship)
23/12/06 QPR 1-0 Barnsley (Championship)
12/4/04 Barnsley 3-3 QPR (Division Two)
Overall Record:
Barnsley Wins: 13
QPR Wins: 20
Draws: 10
Barnsley Goals: 67
QPR Goals: 67
At Oakwell:
Barnsley Wins: 12
QPR Wins: 3
Draws: 6
Barnsley Goals: 44
QPR Goals: 21
This Season
Alot was expected of Queens Park Rangers this season, after the acquition of the club by billionaires Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore, who were shortly joined on the board by the world's fifth richest man Lakshmi Mittal. Things started pretty good for new manager Iain Dowie too. After beating Barnsley 2-1 on the opening day they lost 3-0 at Sheffield United, but won three of the next five to sit fourth in the league. But then the inconsistency set in. They won just one of the next five, and Dowie promptly became the first Championship managerial casualty of the season on the 24th October. Veteran Gareth Ainsworth steadied the ship for the next six matches, but he won just twice and Portuguese Paulo Sousa took over on the 19th November. The 38 year old lost his first game 3-0 at Watford but he has had more success since and the Rs have lost just four of his 18 matches in charge. A push for the play-offs has been halted though by the fact Rangers have drawn nine of those games. They currently sit 11th- just two places higher than when Sousa took over- and are nine points off the play-off places. Despite their poor form at Oakwell, Rangers are unbeaten in their last six away games.
Barnsley will be looking at last week as a glass half full after taking four points from two games, despite the terrible performance in the 0-0 draw with Charlton. That stalemate means The Reds have not won at home for four matches- their worst run at Oakwell in just over four years, and have won just one out of their eight matches overall. The last time The Reds went five games without a home win was in the 2003-2004 season when Hartlepool, Wycombe, Peterborough, Luton and Port Vale frustrated them.
Last Six Results:
Barnsley:
21/2/09 Barnsley 0-0 Charlton (Championship)
17/2/09 Sheffield Wednesday 0-1 Barnsley (Championship)
30/1/09 Bristol City 2-0 Barnsley (Championship)
27/1/09 Barnsley 1-2 Ipswich (Championship)
17/1/09 Norwich 4-0 Barnsley (Championship)
10/1/09 Barnsley 0-1
W:1 D:1 L:4 F:2 A:9 GD:-7 Points:4
QPR:
25/2/09 Cardiff 0-0 QPR (Championship)
21/2/09 QPR 1-3 Ipswich (Championship)
7/2/09 Nottingham Forest 2-2 QPR (Championship)
31/1/09 QPR 0-0 Reading (Championship)
27/1/09 Blackpool 0-3 QPR (Championship)
17/1/09 Derby 0-2 QPR (Championship)
W: 2 D: 3 L: 1 F: 8 A: 5 GD: 3 Points: 9
Barnsley lie 19th in the Coca-Cola Championship with 36 points from 32 games.
QPR lie 11th in the Coca-Cola Championship with 48 points from 33 games.
Barnsley could go as high as 17th with victory whilst QPR could go as high as 10th.
Mad Sites:
www.queensparkrangers-mad.co.uk
Official Sites:
www.qpr.co.uk
Other Fixtures:
Saturday 28th February 2009
Bristol City v Blackpool, 15:00
Reading v Nottm Forest, 15:00
Southampton v Cardiff, 15:00
Watford v Crystal Palace, 15:00
Wolverhampton v Plymouth, 15:00
Sunday, 1 March 2009
Sheff Utd v Birmingham, 12:15