By Jonathan Pearce
BARCLAYS PREMIER LEAGUE
Venue: Loftus Road Date: Sunday, 30 December KO 16:00
TEAM NEWS
QPR defender Ryan Nelsen has a virus and is a doubt to face Liverpool at Loftus Road on Sunday.
Goalkeeper Julio Cesar (back), full-back Nedum Onuoha (hamstring) and midfielder Park Ji-sung (knee) are also fitness concerns.
Liverpool forward Luis Suarez is expected to play despite nursing an ankle injury.
Raheem Sterling and Joe Allen are pushing for recalls after being left out of the side for the last two games.
MATCH PREVIEW
Last March, QPR launched their relegation survival bid with a thrilling last-gasp home win against Liverpool. With 13 minutes left they were 2-0 down but with goals from Derry, Cisse and Mackie they turned around the game and their season. They need another miracle now.
Harry Redknapp believes they can repeat the great escape that he led at Portsmouth in 2006. When he took over there in early December, Pompey were 18th on 10 points with 23 games to play. Incredibly he kept them up, with 20 points from their last 10 games taking them to a safety mark of 38.
It was a highly unlikely home win against Manchester City that kick-started that run. I was there that day. The atmosphere was amazing. The Pompey fans had never stopped believing. QPR need their supporters to inspire another improbable win against Liverpool.
They also need lady luck to shine. Two poor refereeing decisions cost them against West Brom on Boxing Day. Too many points have slipped away like that.
Their performances against Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham this season have shown that they can compete with the very best on their day. They’ve looked tighter defensively under Redknapp. The return of Rob Green in goal has helped. But the pressure is huge.
This is the start of a run of five home games in eight league matches. All the visitors will be hard to beat. It’ll be phenomenal if Harry Houdini can pull it off again but it would be daft to rule it out just yet.
Liverpool’s recent run has been deceptive. West Ham physically crumbled against them late on and Fulham were awful. They dominated possession against Villa but missed chances, and defended poorly at Stoke. The return of Lucas has allowed the incomparable Steven Gerrard to roam forward more freely to support the excellent Suarez. But too many others have been inconsistent.
The wearying effect of their early Europa League start is taking its toll. If Loftus Road is pumped up and QPR can catch Liverpool cold early on it could be a famous home win – and who knows what might happen? There are poor sides above QPR.
Redknapp has accepted another Mission Impossible. Surely he can’t pull it off? Can he?
MATCH FACTS
Head-to-head
Liverpool have won three of their last four league games against QPR.
Rangers have never beaten Liverpool in eight previous December meetings (D2, L6).
QPR
QPR are in danger of losing three successive league games for a third time this season.
Rangers have taken six points from a possible 18 under the management of Harry Redknapp. They had previously accrued just four points out of 39 (13 matches).
Redknapp will take charge of his 600th Premier League match, becoming the third manager to reach the milestone in the division after Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger. He has won 228, drawn 157, and lost 214.
The R’s have lost 22 league matches in 2012, more than any other Premier League club.
They have picked up seven points at home this season, fewer than any other team.
Djibril Cisse scored 13 goals in 49 league appearances for Liverpool between 2004 and 2006.
Liverpool
The Reds will end 2012 with their fewest number of league victories in a calendar year. They are currently on 11; their previous low was 14 in 2010.
They have also lost 17 league matches in 2012, three more than in any other year.
Seventeen goals have been scored in Liverpool’s last four league games (F9, A8).
Their last two league wins came against London clubs: a 4-0 home win against Fulham and a 3-2 victory at West Ham.
Brendan Rodgers’s side have taken 20 points from a possible 27 against sides in the bottom half of the table. Their sole defeat came at home to Aston Villa earlier this month.
Steven Gerrard has scored in each of the club’s last three league matches. It’s five years since he scored in four successive league appearances.
