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Saturday, July 28, 2007

Wycombe Look at QPR....QPR Look at Wycombe

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QPR travel to Wycombe today for a pre-season friendly against a club John Gregory used to manage. Also on the QPR coaching staff are two former Wycombe coaches, Steve Brown and Keith Ryan, recently released by Wycombe. Wycombe almost signed QPR's Tommy Doherty until appendicitis kod the deal. Wycombe's latest signing is former QPR loanee Tommy Williams (of playoff final fame). Wycombe of course are hosts to former QPR 'tennant", The Wasps!
QPR have played Wycombe in pre-season friendlies previously: July 1996 vs Trevor Sinclair's QPR! and a year laterJuly 1997 Wycombe vs John Spencer's QPR!
QPR's first League game against Wycombe was in August 2001, where Laurie Sanchez's Wycombe (Sanchez having previously been wanted by QPR) inflicted QPR's first defeat of the season - QPR's team: Day, Forbes, Askar, Palmer (c), Bignot, Ebeli M'bombo, Perry, Bonnet, Connolly (Warren 80), Thomson, McEuuen (Pacquette 74). Subs not used: Ball, Wardley, Barr Match Report
A year later, August 2002 Wycombe crushed QPR 4-1 with four players sent off:
QPR's Team: S Royce, M Rose, S Palmer, D Shittu, T Forbes, T Williams, R Langley (E Doudou 90), M Bircham, K Gallen, K Connolly (Bean 69). Report
And March 2004: QPR came from 0-2 down to draw 2-2 - QPR: L Camp, A Gnohere, C Carlisle, T Forbes ( R Edghill 46), M Bircham ( M Bean 86), R Johnson, M Rowlands, K McLeod ( J Cureton 75 ), P Furlong, K Gallen, T Thorpe Report

QPR OFFICIAL SITE - STERN TEST
On Saturday afternoon, QPR travel to Wycombe Wanderers for their second friendly of the pre-season campaign.
Although results aren't important at this stage, manager John Gregory will be hoping for a positive outcome at Adams Park.
While many changes were made during the match against Celtic earlier this month, Gregory is planning to field a strong side for this fixture where a large number of the players will be expected to complete 90 minutes.
Meanwhile, Ben Sahar and Michael Mancienne - who officially join on loan from Chelsea at the start of next month - have been given permission by their parent club to take part in this fixture.
No fewer than nine players have joined Wycombe in the summer and, with this weekend's match their only home friendly of the pre-season, Wanderers fans are likely to be out in their numbers.
And it is a game that Gregory is looking forward to.
"After all the activity off the pitch in the last four weeks, I am getting closer now to a starting line-up for the forthcoming season," he said.
"I will be taking a 20-man squad to Adams Park and I am thoroughly looking forward to the game. It will be a very stern test for us."
The Rangers boss, who managed Wycombe between 1996 and 1998, added:
"It will be nice for me to go back there and see a lot of old familiar faces, although, fortunately, Brownie and Rhino will not be playing against us!" QPR

WYCOMBE OFFICIAL SITE - LIVE & EXCLUSIVE: WYCOMBE VS QPR
If you can't make it to Adams Park tomorrow then don't forget that you can keep in touch with all the action live and exclusive on Wanderers World.
Our Match Live console will be broadcasting a full commentary as the Blues face Queens Park Rangers in their first pre-season friendly on home turf..
It's been three months since Paul Lambert's side appeared at Adams Park, and after making wholesale changes to his squad over the summer, the 'gaffer' is looking forward to tomorrow's encounter...:
The 'gaffer' has signed ten new players this summer, all of whom are likely to feature tomorrow afternoon against the Rangers, and Lambert feels that the new arrivals are bedding in well:
"When you get so many new players you need them to settle in and gel quickly. We needed lads who'd played a lot of games and had a lot of experience, and that's what we've got which should stand us in good stead. I've got an idea of my starting line-up for the Accrington game but the ones who aren't involved are just as important - it's a squad game."
"We've got the luxury of back-up throughout the squad. If anything happens to one of the players, we've got strong enough lads to cope. We'll be playing a massive amount of matches this season and we'll need a big enough squad to see us through."
"Some of the lads might play for an hour or so against QPR. We'll try to change it around and let the lads get match fitness under their belts. QPR have got a decent side, and John Gregory has got them going well. They're a Championship side so it'll be difficult for us, but I'm looking forward to it."
And the manager has issued a rallying call of support to everyone involved with the club to help the team push towards promotion this season:
"The most important people in this club are the players and the people that watch the team. The fans will play a massive part and if we can all pull in the same direction then we won't be far away at the end of the season."
New signing Gary Holt could be forced to sit out the clash with John Gregory's side due to the wrist injury he sustained on the pre-season tour of Germany. However, midfield duo Chris Palmer and Matt Bloomfield, who have recently been recovering knocks, have returned to full fitness and should feature in the friendly.
Long term absentees Mike Williamson and Will Antwi are the only players definitely missing from tomorrow's squad, and summer arrivals John Sutton, David McCracken and Martin Bullock are all set to appear at Adams Park for the first time.
For the Rangers, new loan signing Ben Sahar could make his first appearance in the Hoops following his move from Chelsea. The Israelian international could be joined by fellow new arrivals Daniel Nardiello and John Curtis as the R's take part in their second friendly, following a 5-1 defeat at the hands of Glasgow Celtic.
To follow the clash, tune into Match Live and join Matt Cecil and Ross Jeavons from around 2.55pm, and all the team news and full commentary with follow....
. Wycombe

WILLIAMS MAKES IT A PERFECT TEN
Posted on: Thu 26 Jul 2007

Blues have captured their tenth signing of the summer in the form of left-sided player Tom Williams, subject to international clearance.
The 27-year-old, who can list Birmingham and West Ham amongst his former clubs, has put pen to paper on a two-year-deal with the Wanderers and brings to an end Paul Lambert's long search for new players:
"That's my ten signings completed," the Blues' boss told wwfc.com. "We've got a very strong squad now and we're going to give it a really good go this season to try and get out of this league."
Lambert declared at the beginning of the summer that he was looking to bring in ten new faces to bolster his squad, and following the arrivals of Martin Bullock, Craig Woodman, Scott Shearer, David McCracken, Leon Johnson, Derek Duncan, John Sutton, Jack Obersteller and Gary Holt, the signing of Williams completes the set.
The Carshalton-born player can be classed as an international, having made one appearance for the Cyprus national team in 2006 courtesy of his mother's nationality. He began his career at non-league Walton & Hersham before being snapped up by West Ham United for a fee of £40,000.
However, Williams left the Hammers in 2001 without making an appearance, moving to Peterborough United on a permanent basis after a successful loan spell. The following year, he made the switch to Birmingham City for £350,000, again after a stint on loan, but was loaned out to QPR on two separate occasions.
Another brief loan period at Peterborough was followed by a free transfer to Barnsley, where he made 39 appearances. After one season with the Tykes, Williams returned down south to play for Gillingham, appearing alonside new Wanderers recruit Leon Johnson, before moving to Swansea City last summer.
A change in management at the Liberty Stadium towards the end of the campaign resulted in Williams' release from the Swans in May, and after a long process, Paul Lambert is thrilled to have got his man:
"I'm absolutely delighted at signing him. We've been trying to get him all summer, and there's been a lot of to-ing and fro-ing. He's a terrific player who's played a lot of games at a higher level.
"I saw him play against us for Swansea in the Carling Cup last season and was impressed with him, and I'm very happy to have signed him."
Williams passed his medical on Thursday evening and is now awaiting the minor formality of international clearance to complete his move, having most recently played in Wales. Wycombe