QPR v Swansea City, Match preview, EPL.

QPR, a Boutique visit?

This Wednesday's game comes hot on the heels of a pair of differing 2-0 losses for both Clubs, where we Swans got a stinger from a rampant NUFC at the Lib, with some quality finishing, whereas Sparky's boys got a much predicted tuning from the Champs elect at their Old Trafford cathedral, even if after an absurd red card, but neither result will do anything other than give the respective Managers pause for thought, albeit both will consider that they should, or maybe could, have done better.

Of QPR's remaining fixtures, I guess it's fair to say that this is the one they're really targeting for some desperately needed points since they have Tottenham and Stoke both to visit them yet, and trips to West Brom, Chelsea and Man City away from Home.

In the last 4 games they have had rewarding victories over both Liverpool and Arsenal at Loftus Rd, sandwiched with the losses away at Sunderland and Old Trafford, results which tell us they are scrapping fiercely to remain in the Division.

It's been something of a shock to their fans particularly since there seemed to be an assumption that when they replaced Neil Warnock with Mark Hughes as manager in January, that move along with further large investment in the transfer market would give them sufficient boost to pull clear of the log jam at the bottom, but this has not proved to be the case, and the games are fast running out.

Nevertheless, since our recent stumble as we too approach the finishing line of season's end still a frustrating couple of points from mathematically safe status, this will be a crucial and difficult fixture.

Hey, at Swansea City, it was ever thus.

There has been quite major change in their squad since last year's promotion as Champs from the nPC, again, as I hinted above, with significant tweaking in the winter window.

The latest recruits were both Bobby Zamora from Fulham and Djibril Cisse from Lazio at the front, Midfielder Samba Diakite, a Malian International signed from AS Nancy in Ligue 1, Taye Taiwo, the Nigerian LB on loan from AC Milan and Nedum Onouha, the young English defender from Man City.

This has added to an already swollen squad reinforced pre season that sees all of these professionals on healthy (reputedly) contracts. Here's the Full squad....

1 Paddy Kenny GK, 2 Samba Diakite MF, 3 Clint Hill DEF, 4 Shaun Derry MF, 5 Fitz Hall DEF, 6 Daniel Gabbidon DEF, 7 Adel Taarabt MF, 9 DJ Campbell STR, 10 Jay Bothroyd STR, 11 Alejandro Faurlin MF, 12 Jamie Mackie STR, 13 Armand Traore DEF, 14 Akos Buzsaky MF, 16 Matthew Connolly (on loan to Reading ) DEF, 17 Joey Barton MF, 18 Luke Young DEF, 19 Patrick Agyemang (on loan to Stvnge ) STR, 20 Rob Hulse STR, 21 Tommy Smith STR, 22 Heidar Helguson STR, 23 Djibril Cisse STR, 24 Radek Cerny GK, 26 Brian Murphy GK, 27 Peter Ramage (on loan to Birmghm ) DEF,31 Ray Jones STR, 32 Shaun Wright-Phillips MF, 34 Taye Taiwo (on loan from ACMilan ) DEF,35 Anton Ferdinand DEF, 42 Nedum Onuoha DEF, 52 Bobby Zamora STR

We won't be seeing the recently signed Cisse, since he is one of the astonishing 7 players they have had dismissed this season - in his case, for a second time - and it continued last Sunday v Man Utd, however mistaken, when Shaun Derry was sent off for bringing down what turned out to be the diving and off side Ashley Young. Cisse is suspended thus, and these sendings off have hurt them, undoubtedly.

QPR are appealing the Derry decision, so we'll see whether he faces us.

Hughes has been prominent in the Press this week, giving the "we wuz robbed" nonsense that PL Managers come out with when it doesn't go their way, but excuse me if I suggest that they're a little more quiet when the decision has gone in their favour.

Woops, did I really mean that? I surely did.

So, given the resources at their disposal, why have they been a little less successful than us this season, since they went from generally acclaimed punditry nationwide to be likely to be the most prominent of the 3 promoted sides?

Well, despite a supposed plethora of attacking options, it's always struck me that they don't have a recognised style , or signature way in which they play.

Whereas you could proffer that we, Norwich City, Newcastle, Arsenal, Man Utd and even Stoke City and most others all could be described as having noticeable fashions of play, a specific Modus Operandi, QPR have never in recent years been described as anything other than "battling", a grudging epithet it seems to me that covers a multitude of sins.

To be fair to Hughes, he has always, at his previous Clubs, been a Manager who gets better results long term than short - witness his transformation of a stuttering Blackburn into a feisty PL warrior, or his make on Fulham's progress prior to his leaving them for "not enough ambition" purportedly, or even his cut-short flirtation before Citeh decided that he was a little too down market for them, and this puzzled me when Tony Fernandes decided he was the man who could put right the Neil Warnock influenced first half of the season.

I know that Hughes has since talked of "the project" at QPR, but given their pompous transformation of the last few years, boutique football and all, and highlighted by the savage documentary "QPR - The Four year Plan" which, if you haven't seen, you must, this Wednesday's game promises to be one where they will not care any which way if they can get the points - and nor should we in that same effort.

That boutique football, retro-chic era instigated by the Briatore/Mittal control of the Club prior to the Fernandes takeover has drawn many many complaints from both visiting and home fans- all of whom have seen the massive hike in prices that still to this day make it as expensive to watch Football at the R's as it is for slightly higher fare on offer at the Etihad or even Ashburton Grove.

As I've hinted earlier, the sendings off in several previous fixtures have cost them dear, but on their small and restricted bumpy excuse for a pitch, be assured that they will mine any seam that promises to give them a result - including a return to the "kick anything" ethos of the Ian Dowie era.

Against Utd last weekend they lined up with Kenny in goal, in front of a back 4 of Onuha, Hill, Ferdinand and Taiwo, with a middle 5 of Mackie, Diakite, Derry, Buszacsy, and Taarabt, with our old friend Jay Bothroyd up front. Scrap was the word that came to mind, and their performance did nothing to change that.

Taarabt, last year's player of the year in the Championship recently scored his first PL goal, and remains a dangerous if wobbly opponent.

Rested, but likely to be back against us, was Twitter's "gift that keeps on giving", Liverpool's proud son Joseph Barton, he of the prize-winning gob, as Hughes has hinted he's targeting Barton's mixed skills for key games.

I've got to be honest here, and confess that I'd like nothing better than to see Gylfi Sigurdsson dump the Barton Monkey on his backside. Excuse me, I can't help it.

As I'm writing this, I'm also watching WHU v Birmingham in the nPC, and I've just seen the 3rd Birmingham goal bounce in to give them a 3-1 half time lead whilst "Big Sam" chews his gum and prepares to face the fans at half time to the inevitable boos for their performance.

See, sometimes you have to think "there is a God". It couldn't be happening to a more unpleasant man, a Neanderthal in Football Terms. Justice.

Anyway, getting back to the main thing on the agenda - our progress in the remainder of the season.

We've lost 3 on the trot for the first time this season. As I said before, no shame in that, since the fixtures were against Everton, Tottenham and Newcastle, all of whom are challenging at the top end of the table.

However, Brendan Rodgers and his staff will be as aware as we Swans fans that we need to put a stop to the bleeding, as it were, even before we face up to the even more important Home fixtures to come.

It would be nice to think that we could go into those Home meets with Blackburn and Wolves particularly on the back of a satisfying point (or Three) won at Loftus Rd, if for no other reason that it would confirm one of our nearest rivals to be in a tad more precipitous position than ourselves.

That's my eternal hope.

I've chatted this week on the efficacy of our even considering a flat 3 at the back option - which I'm happy to admit we've not resorted to thus far this season - but, as agreed with several co-respondents, might see us resolve to "go for a point" as with a Rangel/Taylor flanking two beyond Williams , Caulker and Monk, supported by a 3 of Britton, Allen and McEachran, with Sigurdsson supporting Graham advanced. Alternatively, one suggestion was for Sigurdsson in the Josh slot, and Luke Moore supporting Danny G.

Interesting, don't you think?

Whatever, once again we can be sure that BR will have given consideration to the very best way of coming out of this game to our advantage, and then how we best move on to our remaining games such that we maximise and realise our best opportunity for the most points - all the better to confirm our tenure for next year.

I can't travel to this game so I wish the fantastic JackArmy, who have done us proud in many locations this year nothing other than a great game and my deepest respect in bringing back the points.

Whatever, you and I and all Jacks worldwide will give the team our passionate regard and resolve.

This is a fantastic year, and it promises to get better still.

Onward, Swansea City.