Hello. We’re back again with a few more mid week fixtures. Not many but, a few. The games which were cancelled on New Years day are being replayed this week. More importantly, QPR travel to Luton, and the legend that is Charlie Austin may pull on the blue and white hoops for the first time in over 5 years. He scored 49 goals in 89 appearances in all competitions during his last spell at the club, including 19 goals in one premier league season for a pretty poor relegated QPR side. He’s a legend at the club, one of my heroes, and QPR can’t hit a barn door at the moment so this is a rather convenient signing. Whether the board are trying to win the fans’ hearts back with this signing, who knows, but fans are absolutely buzzing. However, although we sit 20th in the division, some of the work ethic and graft I watch from this squad is brilliant to see. A lot of good football is played every game by this QPR side and the importance of GOOD strikers in a football team is really showing. Fans get at Warburton after every game for bemoaning chances not being taken. What more can he say?
Here’s a fact. Ilias Chair has created the third most goalscoring opportunities in the division, around 28. How many assists has he got? None. Also, international striker Lyndon Dykes has missed the most clear cut chances in the division. That’s the story of our season. Fans can call for Warburton’s bald head all they like, but the reality is, the attackers are letting him down and they don’t deserve the protection they get from their gaffer in the media.
Anyway, this week we are seeing covid affect football more and more, with recent positive tests across many clubs meaning they are fitting postponed games into a tight schedule. Should football stop? No, I don’t think so. I think it makes the nation a much brighter place. The Fulham boss Scott Parker has made his thoughts and feelings clear about the situation, as he angrily confessed he’s having to ask unfit players to face Tottenham this week. With Chelsea on the weekend too, it doesn’t get much harder than that. It can’t help that QPR gave them the run around and took them to extra time on Saturday. We still lost. However, touching on what Neil Warnock said, the country is such a depressing place without football. It gives so many people something to look forward to in a current world where excitement is as rare as a QPR goal. Nobody wants to go back to having to watch premier league years on a daily basis. As great as that show is, it’s just so depressing to watch when football is gone. Luckily, it seems as though football is not even being considered as something that should be cancelled, despite so many issues which clubs are having. Good football people like Warnock are recognising that it’d be an awful thing to do, and moaners like Jurgen Klopp will continue to complain every press conference about the well being of his millionaire squad and a kick off time a couple of hours earlier than what it’d usually be. Whatever your view, the continuation of competitive live football has undoubtedly given many people a lift and that bit of motivation in this THIRD lockdown. Long may it continue.
Predictions for this week:
Sheffield United 1-1 Newcastle
Burnley 0-2 Man Utd
Wolves 1-2 Everton
Luton 2-2 QPR
Bournemouth 3-1 Millwall
Man City 2-0 Brighton
Tottenham 2-0 Fulham
Brentford 2-0 Bristol City
footy in the studio 