Analysing the Opposition

Tomorrow sees the second consecutive home game against a promoted side. This time it is the turn of QPR to travel to the DW Stadium. Having won the Championship seemingly at a canter last season, one might deduce that they have the best chance of all of the promoted sides of maintaining their Premier League status. However, the opening fixture saw Bolton provide Neil Warnock’s side with an emphatic reminder that they are now going to be pushed to their limit every week. None would benefit more so from heeding this reminder than their temperamental playmaker Adel Taarabt.

Championship Player of the Season for 2010/11, Adel Taarabt played an instrumental role in QPR’s promotion-winning campaign. Occupying the free-role behind the sole striker, often Heidar Helguson, in Neil Warnock’s preferred 4-2-3-1, Taarabt was given a license to express himself and inject himself into the game whenever he saw fit, without worrying too much about any defensive duties. Combined with the support of Wayne Routledge and Tommy Smith from the wings, Taarabt’s playmaking abilities made the 4-2-3-1 an effective system for Warnock to utilize. However, the signings of DJ Campbell and Jay Bothroyd in the close season have allowed Warnock to experiment with a more direct 4-4-2 in the opening two fixtures of the Premier League.

Warnock’s decision to deviate from the tried and tested 4-2-3-1 formation inevitably came into criticism following the opening day 0-4 home defeat to Bolton. However, last week’s fixture away to Everton saw Warnock persevere with his new 4-4-2 with great success. A Tommy Smith strike was enough to give QPR a victory in what seemed an extremely tough fixture on paper, particularly given how Rangers were so easily dismissed by Bolton the following week. This could perhaps indicate that QPR may become a slightly inconsistent side this season in the mould of Blackpool last season. From a Wigan perspective, Roberto Martinez will certainly hope it is the Rangers which looked so poor and out of their depth against Bolton which turns up at the DW Stadium.