Nottingham Forest Previews: No Rowlands or Balanta...Participate in Fan Census...Football Snippets Friday

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Read the cutting-edge, constantly-updated, football-only QPR Report Messageboard - and quasi-blog!)! Simply read about what is happening in the world of QPR; what did happen (Nostalgia!); and what may happen! Feel free to offer your perspective!

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- Latest Football Agents Fees Report: QPR Spending on Agents Fees: January 1-June 30, 2009: 380,000 pounds (the most by any club in the Football League..


- Flashback: "F1 boss on how he will turn QPR into super-brand"

- Why is London So Rubbish at Football?

- Updated: QPR's Declining Championship Promotion Odds

- Flashback: Nigel Quashie Sold by QPR

- Stefan Bailey's New Club

- (Brief) Q&A With Ex-QPR (briefly) Matt Pickens

- Michel Salgado Signs for Blackburn. One Year Ago Today: Seemingly No Salgado to QPR

- Rating the Best Pies in English Football

- Ambitious Sheffield Wednesday Ground Development Proposal

- Portsmouth's Finances Examined

- Occurring in November: The 2009 Soccerex

- Sol Campbell to Notts County?

- Out Tomorrow: The Next Issue of AKUTRS


QPR VS NOTTINGHAM FOREST

- Previous QPR -v Nottingham Forest Previews

QPR Official Site - THE FRIDAY PREVIEW: FOREST
- Rangers will go gunning for their first victory of the Coca Cola Championship campaign when big-spending Nottingham Forest head to town tomorrow (Saturday).
- After two draws and a defeat from their opening three fixtures in the second tier, Jim Magilton's men will be keen to add a win to their tally, against a Forest side who have registered just a solitary point so far.
- The Reds will no doubt still be smarting from their 4-2 home defeat to Watford on Tuesday night, when goals from Danny Graham, Mike Williamson, Tommy Smith and Tom Cleverley handed the Hornets a comfortable away win.
- Team News
- Magilton is again without skipper Martin Rowlands and Angelo Balanta (both ankle), whilst Lee Cook (knee) also remains sidelined.
- Alejandro Faurlin, who played 86 minutes against Bristol City on Tuesday night, is likely to make his home debut in the heart of the R's midfield.
- Luke Chambers returns to the Forest squad following a three match ban, but Lewis McGugan is out with a fractured cheekbone.
- The Reds are also without Julian Bennett, Guy Moussi, Garath McCleary, James Perch and Kelvin Wilson, but former R's duo, Lee Camp and Dexter Blackstock, are likely to feature.
Star Man
Paul McKENNA - Midfielder
Forest's lengthy pursuit of experienced midfielder Paul McKenna came to a successful conclusion in July 2009 when Billy Davies finally got his man.
The Reds paid Preston £750,000 for the services of a player who has been one of the Championship's most consistent performers for a number of years.
McKenna joined Preston as a 14 year-old and made more than 460 appearances for the Club.
He openly admits, however, he had reached the stage where he wanted a new challenge and is relishing the opportunity to work under Davies for the second time at The City Ground.
McKenna signed a three-year Forest contract and was subsequently handed the Forest captaincy.
Previous encounter
- Nottingham Forest 2, QPR 2 - Saturday 7th February 2009 - Coca Cola Championship
Rangers stretched their unbeaten run to nine matches with a hard-fought 2-2 draw with a resurgent Nottingham Forest.
Matteo Alberti proved the hero, despite giving away the first half penalty that Lewis McGugan converted, equalising with the last kick of the first 45 minutes.
Seconds into the second period and he doubled his and Rangers' tally for the day with a fine run and a cool finish to give the travelling R's fans something to shout about.
However, the win was not to be, as Chris Cohen rose unchallenged midway through the second period to guide home the leveller.
Even with five added minutes, neither side could force a winner, despite Mikele Leigertwood's well struck drive from 20 yards bringing the best out of home custodian Paul Smith.
Match odds with Bet365 QPR win - 6/5 Draw - 11/5 Forest win - 12/5
Click here to back the R's!
Match Coverage
QPR Player will be providing live commentary of this fixture, as well as offering extended highlights next week.
Click here to join QPR Player. QPR


Nottingham Forest Official Site - Billy Davies ... Patience Required

Billy Davies has appealed for patience as the wait for Nottingham Forest's season to gather pace continues.

The Reds will tomorrow take their search for a first Championship win of the campaign to Loftus Road where they will meet Queens Park Rangers (kick-off 3pm).

They will head down the M1 still smarting after their 4-2 home defeat at the hands of Watford on Tuesday but Davies refutes suggestions that confidence may have been dealt a severe blow.

"I don't think it will have been," the manager told Forest Player. "Look at our opening three games: Reading excellent, Bradford excellent and West Brom excellent.

"If that was a report card it would read very well.

"I've been here before, at the start of seasons both at Preston and Derby where we didn't get off to flying starts and weren't sitting in the top six after seven or eight games.

"There was doom and gloom all over the place but it was a different situation come the end of the season.

"With calm heads, hard work and patience we got to a play-off final, a play-off semi-final and promotion.

"I say again to the fans and everyone at this club: stay calm, stay composed because there's lots to play for.

"There's no doubting we've had one disappointing performance at home but we've got a whole new group of players. It will take time to gel and we've got a makeshift back four that needs time to be sorted.

"But there are lots of positives. The fans have got to remain firmly behind these players and not give the opposition a lift.

"I felt the other night the fans showed a little bit of impatience and that certainly made us a little bit nervous." Nottingham Forest



Nottingham Evening Post
Forest striker Adebola seeks change of fortune at QPR

IN the aftermath of a demoralising home defeat to Watford, it was difficult for Dele Adebola to celebrate netting his first Nottingham Forest goal.
For a moment, the 87th minute strike to pull matters back to 3-2 looked like being the catalyst for snatching a late point.
But after galvanising the home crowd, all hope vanished as Forest's shaky defence proved their undoing as Tom Cleverley fired an injury-time goal to wrap up a 4-2 victory.

While Adebola and fellow striker Dexter Blackstock had broken the Reds duck in the Championship in front of goal, all talk had reverted to the makeshift defence.
Previously only conceding once in three matches, any argument that the depleted rearguard did not need an instant boost was blown away on Tuesday night at the City Ground.
And after two defeats on home soil and only a point from three games, the optimism and feel-good factor on the red side of the Trent has suddenly diminished.

Adebola is a veteran of the game at this level and knows there is no need to panic, pointing to the fact it will take time for nine new signings to gel.
He also accepts that a patched-up defence, with the likes of midfielder Chris Cohen at left back, is not the best foundation for success.

But the 34-year-old striker, who signed on a free transfer in the summer after deciding to quit Bristol City, is now drawing on his experience ahead of a difficult trip to QPR tomorrow.
That, coupled with a home match with local rivals Derby a week later, is Forest's only hope of salvaging a respectable points tally prior to the early international break.
While Luke Chambers is now back from suspension, Forest are still without the injured Kelvin Wilson, James Perch and Julian Bennett as Davies continues his pursuit of a top central defender.
But Adebola is keen to draw on their attacking prowess as they look for a first league win, at Loftus Road tomorrow.

Despite failing to score in their opening two league games, the Reds have impressed going forward as Davies continues to rotate his forwards.
And in midweek, Blackstock grabbed his second goal after scoring in the Carling Cup win against Bradford while Adebola scored with a neat finish.
Now he wants them to utilise that strength to grab a much-needed three points in London.
"In the forward line, the strikers are looking dangerous," Adebola said. "Dexter scored a great goal, Earnie has had chances and you can see all the forwards are looking good.

"Nobody has played more than two games but when we get full fitness it will look good.
"There are six of us and it will be difficult to accommodate everyone but you can see the hunger when everyone gets on. Everyone wants to score.
"Everyone can play together quite comfortably and all the strikers would get into most Championship sides."
While that is the positive to be drawn, Adebola knows it would be foolish to try to gloss over the defensive problems that proved their undoing against Watford, especially in the latter stages.
But he also feels there is enough quality to bounce back quickly and ensure they can be solid at the back tomorrow and give the team the base to collect three points.

"The manager will work with us and get us right again," said Adebola.
"Nobody knows how quick the transition will be but there will be a transition period. We have Chambers back at centre half so maybe we can get a more regular look to our defence now and push on from there."

Blackstock has already discovered his goalscoring ways at Forest as he heads back to his old club this weekend.
He was QPR's top scorer last season but internal politics saw him sent out on loan to the City Ground towards the end of the last campaign.

That move was made permanent, as was the deal for Lee Camp who fell out of favour with the Loftus Road hierarchy after being an ever-present in his first full season and a firm fans' favourite.
The pair will hope to start and while they have their own personal reasons for wanting to do well, Adebola said it is imperative Forest pull together as a team to record a first victory of the Championship season.

He added: "They will have their own personal battles.
"But everyone will be focused on putting in a strong performance to rectify what went on against Watford."
And if Adebola gets on the scoresheet again tomorrow, he will hope it leads to a memorable win so he can celebrate a goal, rather than fielding questions about Forest's frailties. Nottingham Evening Post


Nottingham Evening Post
McKenna calls for calm at Nottingham Forest

PAUL McKenna has told his Nottingham Forest team-mates to stay calm and not panic after a slow start to the new campaign.
The Reds opened the season with a 0-0 draw at Reading before defeats to West Brom and Watford on home soil.
The 4-2 loss in midweek reiterated the need to strengthen at the back with Forest forced to field a makeshift rearguard.
McKenna has been in a similar position with Preston, starting slow under Billy Davies but going on to make the play-offs.
And he insists there is no cause for alarm at the City Ground.
The 31-year-old said: "I have been in a lot worse situations than we are at present, so from the camp, on the inside, we know not to panic.

"The gaffer reiterated that to a lot of the young lads who are maybe getting a bit down.
"It is a long season and as long as we keep doing the right things, pulling in the same direction, I am sure it will be fine.
"If we had been getting thumped every week it would probably send alarm bells ringing."
He also felt the impressive performance against West Brom deserved a better outcome than a 1-0 defeat.
"We had a goal disallowed against West Brom which would have made it 1-1," he said.

"There are incidents and we could have been stood here with a minimum five points in the bag.
"It is those fine margins that differentiate between winning and losing and I am sure over the course of the season there will be times we don't deserve to win but come away with all three points.
"the gaffer will keep his finger on the pulse and he knows what it is all about."

Forest welcome back centre half Luke Chambers from suspension for tomorrow's game at QPR, although Kelvin Wilson has suffered a setback with his ankle injury and could be out until the start of October.

"We have to look ahead and it is all about QPR and they have players who are experienced and it is a tight little ground," said McKenna.
"We want to get out of the blocks as quick as we can and once you get that first three points it will settle everybody's nerves.
"But everyone knows it is a long nine or ten months. You need to stay within touching distance of the top pack if you want to do anything so there is pressure. But it comes with the job and you have to deal with that." Nottingham Evening Post


FOOTBALL FAN CENSUS
- "Dear QPR fan
How happy are you with the state of your club - ecstatic, miserable as sin, somewhere in between? We'll be reporting on how fans feel about the running of their clubs throughout the course of the season and it would be great to get your views. Click here to have your say

To participate in this survey you have to be registered with the FFC which, if you haven't done previously, you can do at the end of this survey and register the team you support.

Q1. How do you rate the current state of each of the following in relation to your club?
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Chairman & Board of Directors
Ambition of club
Club website
Relationship with fans
Transport to / from ground
Stewarding at ground
Levels of club coverage in national media
Levels of club coverage in local media
Ticketing arrangements
Club community initiatives
Youth policy / academy set up
Club finances
Manager
Financial stability of club

Q2. Is there anything - off the pitch - that you feel that your club is doing particularly well at the moment? (optional answer)

Q3. Is there anything - off the pitch - that you feel that your club is doing particularly poorly at the moment? (optional answer)


Q4. Which league position do you feel that your club will finish in this season? (answer includes 24 places for English Football League clubs)
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Email address - Football Fan Census


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