Despite being on the end of recent back-to-back defeats in the Championship against Brentford and Leeds United respectively, QPR have a great opportunity to return to winning ways this Saturday when they play host to struggling Middlesbrough at Loftus Road.
QPR started the new Championship season in reasonably fine form under manager, Mark Warburton as The R’s lost just 2 of their opening 8 matches of the campaign, while racking up 5 wins with victories against Stoke City, Wigan Athletic, Sheffield Wednesday, Luton Town and Millwall.
Form and results on home turf at Loftus Road though continue to frustrate both manager Warburton and fans alike as QPR have failed to put any sort of lengthy unbeaten run together, but the visit of Middlesbrough provides QPR with a chance for a valuable three points which could lift the London club up into the early play-off pack.
Midfielder Eze (6 goals) along with forwards Hugill and Wells (7 goals apiece) look the greatest threats in attack for QPR who won the last meeting at home against Middlesbrough 2-1.
Onto Middlesbrough, and their season appears to be going from bad to worse as the visitors look set to be without first-choice goalkeeper Darren Randolph and midfielder George Saville who was red-carded against Derby County recently.
Boro make their way down to the nation’s capital for this crucial clash with QPR on the back of a poor 8-match sequence without a win in the Championship which has seen the north-east outfit drop into the relegation zone.
Indeed, Middlesbrough have managed just 2 league wins throughout this Championship campaign so far which were both recorded at their Riverside Stadium with victories over Wigan Athletic and Reading who are also struggling in the lower reaches of the second tier.
Middlesbrough’s results away from home though have been poor as the visitors have still yet to pick up a win on their travels this term, drawing 3 and losing 4 and scoring just 6 goals in their 7 away matches this season, despite Woodgate promising a new brand of attacking football at the start of his managerial tenure at the club.
What would Middlesbrough fans give to have Tony Pulis back at the club one wonders!
QPR have had their problems recently but they have a golden opportunity to redeem themselves here against an injury-affected Middlesbrough side who are low on confidence.