Sheffield Wednesday Vs QPR - The Two Clubs' Perspectives

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[QPR last played Sheffield Wednesday at Hillsbrough in March 2006, drawing 1-1: QPR's Team that day (under then-Caretaker Manager, Gary Waddock) was :
Jones, Bignot, Shittu, Rose, Milanese, Ainsworth, Lomas, Bircham, Cook, Gallen, Furlong. Subs: Royce, Evatt, Langley, Baidoo, Bailey.]

And the Promotion-winning game: May 8, 2004 - Amazingly Less than 2 1/2 years ago:
QPR: Camp, Padula, Carlisle, Rose, Edghill, Ainsworth, Bircham, Richard Johnson, Rowlands, Furlong, Gallen. Subs: Day, Palmer, Thorpe, Gnohere, Cureton.
Sheff Wed: Pressman, Geary, Barry-Murphy, Dean Smith, Wood, McLaren, McMahon, Cooke, Brunt, Robins, Shaw. Subs: Tidman, Olsen, Chambers, Mustoe, Carr.
BBC


Sheffield Wednesday Official Site
McAuley: "Get Behind Us"

Sean McAuley has asked Owls fans to fulfil their superb reputation ahead of Saturday's meeting with Queens Park Rangers.
McAuley will be in charge of the Wednesday team following the departure of Paul Sturrock and spent Friday preparing for the game.
The Sheffielder is sure that the supporters will give the players their full backing and is keen for them to be rewarded in return, by a squad who have been instructed to focus their attention firmly on the 90 minutes ahead.
"Our supporters are second to none," McAuley said. "I appeal to all the supporters to be right behind the players once that ball rolls at three o'clock and have no doubt they will be. It is important that we as players and employees give them something to shout about.
"We have trained this morning and the players looked nice and bright. They have to be professional in their approach - I have told them to clear their minds and concentrate on the job in hand. We will try and put a good performance on for the supporters and are eagerly looking forward to the game."
McAuley described his determination to stabilise the ship after a dramatic past 48 hours and make the team performance the centre of attention. He admits that football is a game where one must be prepared for different situations and knows that team progress has to be the sole focus.
"I'm employed by Sheffield Wednesday and the most important team in the club is the first team. I got the call to take charge and that's something that I'll do willingly. When I got the call, I got the cones and bibs, rallied everyone around and got them together on the training ground.
"Sympathy goes to anyone who loses their job but in football you never know what's around the corner and have to keep an open mind on everything. We have to get on with the task in hand."
Sean also spoke of the need to move on from past results and focus on the present. He plans to drill home that message prior to kick off on Saturday.
"Results in the past have gone, we have to focus on QPR. The mood among the players has been good and we want to put a good performance in."
Sheffield Wednesday


Sheffield Wednesday Official Site Preview
Queens Park Rangers Preview
Saturday 21st October at Hillsborough - Kick Off: 3pm
Team News
SWFC: Academy Director Sean McAuley takes temporary charge of the Owls and could have Chris Brunt available again after a virus kept the winger out of the Colchester game. Richard Wood and Peter Gilbert are out until November.
QPR: John Gregory could hand a debut to on-loan Chelsea defender Michael Mancienne: an unused sub for the midweek defeat by Derby. Winger Gareth Ainsworth is still sidelined due to a hamstring injury, along with forwards Paul Furlong (thigh), Adam Czerkas (hip) and Marc Nygaard (back).
Previous Line-Ups
SWFC (vs. Colchester): Jones, Simek, Coughlan, Bougherra, Hills, Bullen (Lunt 63), O'Brien, Folly, Small, MacLean (Burton 63), Tudgay (Talbot 63). Subs not used: Adamson, Spurr.
QPR (vs. Derby): Paul Jones, Lomas (Donnelly 82), Rehman, Stewart, Bignot, Rowlands, Bircham, Smith, Cook, Ray Jones (Gallen 74), Blackstock. Subs not used: Royce, Ward, Mancienne.
Form - Last 5 matches
(All competitions)
SWFC: L-W-L-L-L
QPR: L-D-W-W-L
Match Odds - courtesy of Owlsbet.co.uk
Owls win: 13/10
Draw: 21/10
QPR win: 15/8
Correct Score: Owls to win 2-0: 17/2
Scorecast: Graham Coughlan to score first and Owls win 2-0: 120/1
Complete History
(All competitions)
Wednesday wins: 24
Draws: 11
QPR wins: 17
At Hillsborough:
Wednesday wins: 17
Draws: 3
QPR wins: 7
Last Time Out
Coca Cola Championship (h) 11/03/06: Owls 1-1 QPR
Wednesday were left frustrated after being held by Queens Park Rangers despite dominating the Hillsborough contest and creating enough chances to win two matches. The Owls dominated the play but were left lamenting their inability to make their superiority count, as R's keeper Paul Jones and the woodwork kept them at bay.
Wednesday took the lead on 13 minutes when Deon Burton opened his SWFC account from Glenn Whelan's pass only for Rovers's captain Marc Bircham to equalise with a header just before half time.
Facts and Stats
Rangers have won on three of their last five visits to Hillsborough.
Wednesday have not won any of their last four meetings with the Rs.
The teams met six times in the Premiership, with the spoils even at three wins apiece.
One to Watch: Martin Rowlands (14)
From www.qpr.co.uk
Hammersmith-born midfielder Martin Rowlands joined Rangers in July 2003 on a free transfer from local rivals Brentford. With four goals from eights starts in midfield this season, the Irishman is a threat going forward. Rowly emerged as Rangers' brightest star during season 2004/05 - but his progression came to a rapid halt last season, where a long term knee injury restricted him to just 12 starts.

Rowlands began his career with non-league Farnborough, before joining the Bees for £45,000 in August 1998. He spent five seasons at Griffin Park making 186 appearances and scoring 22 goals. A skilful and pacy player, he broke his leg towards the end of the 2002/03 season, but enjoyed a complete recovery before putting pen to paper on a two year deal at Loftus Road.
Sheffield Wednesday

QPR OFFICIAL SITE PERSPECTIVE
Sheffield Wednesday are in crisis following the shock sacking of Paul Sturrock.
The Owls parted company with the Scot on Thursday afternoon - less than a month after he penned a new contract.
"Our league position says it all," Wednesday chairman Dave Allen told the club website.
"In spite of strengthening the squad this year, we have not made the desired progress and, to that end, we need a change in the coaching staff."
Sturrock joined the Owls in 2004 and committed to the Hillsborough club until the summer of 2010 in a new deal last month.
Chairman Allen said an announcement regarding who will take temporary charge of the team would be made on Friday and that the search for a new manager had already started.
Languishing in the lower reaches of the Championship, Wednesday are one of a host of former Premiership Clubs fearing the dreaded drop into the third tier of English football.
The Owls currently lie in 21st place in the Championship table, with just two victories to their name thus far.
The real problem for Wednesday arrives when they play in front of their own fans at the magnificent Hillsborough stadium.
Indeed the Owls have registered just a single victory at home this season - albeit a confidence-boosting 2-1 win against local rivals Barnsley last weekend.
An opening day stalemate at Deepdale provided hope, before a home defeat to Luton Town, coupled with a disappointing 1-1 draw against Burnley, saw Sturrock's men struggling from the outset.
Goals from Sean McAllister and Burton O'Brien eventually broke their duck at Plymouth, only for the Owls to crash to a humiliating 4-1 home defeat at the hands of Wrexham in the Carling Cup.
And it's been pretty much downhill ever since for the Owls, with losses to Leeds, Hull, Derby and Sunderland and Wednesday night's 4-0 thrashing at Colchester United only serving to compound their woes.
That proved to be the final straw for the Owls board, who parted company with Sturrock less than 24 hours later...
Top scorer: Chris Brunt 3....
Sturrock on U's: "The players have to stand up and be counted for after that performance. We were not good enough and we have let the fans down.
"There can be no excuses for us. Too many times people have been pointing the finger at injuries and suspensions.
"But we are at the point where we have to bring in players who have the heart and commitment to play for my team."...
Key player: Burton O'Brien (pictured, below)
Burton moved south to Hillsborough from Livingston in July 2005, signing a three-year contract with the Owls.
A creative left-footed player who normally operates in the centre of the park, the South African born midfielder previosuly spent three years at Ewood Park prior to making a return north with Livi in 2002.
In almost three years at the Almondvale Stadium, Burton made 119 appearances and scored 16 goals, with the highlight being Livi's Scottish League Cup win in 2004.
.....
Hillsborough holds fond memories for R's
fans and players alike
Latest News:
Sheffield Wednesday have reduced their losses by £250,000 over the last year, reports BBC Radio Sheffield.
The club's annual accounts show the Owls made a loss of £180,000 in the 12 months up to May 2006, compared to over £2.5m the year before.
The improvement is down to a 20 per cent increase in turnover following promotion to the Championship.
Chairman Dave Allen said: "The results show the club is trading successfully and showing excellent progress."
(Source: BBC Sport) QPR OFFICIAL