Chelsea - QPR Previews....Briatore's Future Steps

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- Briatore & QPR Future
- Briatore May be Going Nowhere
- Flashback I: QPR Take Issue With/Demand an apology From the Evening Standard
- Flashback II: Victory for John Gregory's First Game in Charge
- Helguson Having an MRI Scan
- Sol Campbell Leaving Notts County?


QPR Official Site - MATCHDAY PREVIEW: CHELSEA
- It's the one we've all been waiting for - the R's trip to Chelsea in the Carling Cup is finally here.

Ever since the draw for the third round took place last month, the fixture has been at the forefront of Rangers fans' thoughts, but now the waiting is nearly over.

Buoyed by Saturday's 2-0 victory against Cardiff City, which arrived courtesy of a Jay Simpson double, the R's head to Stamford Bridge in good spirits.

But it certainly won't be easy against Carlo Ancelotti's men, who have won every single fixture of their campaign so far.

The Blues currently top the Premier League with six victories on the spin and are already on their way in the Champions League, with a 1-0 victory over FC Porto.

Team News
Adel Taarabt could return to the R's starting XI following a bout of mumps, but Wigan loanee Ben Watson (Cup tied) will definitely miss out.

Fitz Hall (groin) has resumed light training but will not feature at the Bridge, whilst Matt Connolly has been ruled out with a virus.

Chelsea boss Ancelotti is expected to make wholesale changes for the visit of the R's.

In-form striker Didier Drogba (calf) is out, whilst Ricardo Carvalho and Nicolas Anelka are amongst those who will also be rested.

England international Joe Cole is penciled in for a return though, with the talented midfielder set to step up his comeback from a long-term knee injury.

Russian ace Yury Zhirkov could join him in the Chelsea midfield, whilst highly-rated youngster Daniel Sturridge is likely to start in attack.

Pre-match Talk
Jim Magilton...
"When you win a game of football life is rosy and when you lose it is pretty miserable. What we have to try and do is keep an even keel.
"When you're winning you've got to try and enjoy that. We've won one game against a good side. People are coming in buoyant and looking forward to a big game.
"We'll keep our feet on the ground and go there to enjoy the occasion and I hope our supporters do too.
"It's a great day out for the lads and our supporters and it's a game in which we have nothing to lose."
Ray Wilkins...
"There will be a few rested, but we have a large squad, so it's an opportunity to put them at Stamford Bridge in front of 38,000 where it will be an important game for us.
"QPR are coming off the back of a fantastic result on Saturday, so they will be coming with their spirits high."

Star Man
Joe COLE - Midfielder

Joe Cole is expected to make his first start of the season against the R's following a long-term knee injury.

The 27 year-old has been sidelined since January with a cruciate knee ligament problem, but looks set to make his long-awaited comeback at the Bridge.

A talented midfielder with bags of skill and ability, many expect Cole to board the plane for England's World Cup journey to South Africa this summer and the R's will certainly have to be wary of the threat posed by the former West Ham ace tonight.

Memorable Match
QUEENS PARK RANGERS 6, CHELSEA 0

Easter Monday, March 31st 1986 - Canon League Division One

A glorious Easter Monday as Rangers smashed home six goals to kill off Chelsea's League title hopes.

The R's went into this match in 14th place in the table. Chelsea were fourth and needed the points to rekindle their faltering challenge for the championship - especially after a 4-0 defeat against West Ham at Stamford Bridge on the Saturday.

It was a windy morning with intermittent rain showers peppering our Omniturf pitch, which had been much-criticised by Chelsea chairman Ken Bates earlier in the season.

For the first time in the history of this fixture, advance ticketing arrangements meant that there were no Chelsea fans infiltrating the Loft terrace. Cash admission was not permitted on the day so Rangers enjoyed terrific support from the all-ticket home end.

It took the Super Hoops only eight minutes to open the scoring. John Byrne's initial shot was charged down but Gary Bannister followed up to drill into the bottom right hand corner from an acute angle at the School End.

Cries of "Bann-is-ter...Bann-is-ter...Bann-is-ter..." (to the American marching tune) and "You're Not Singing Anymore..." rang out from the Loft terrace as the 4,000 Chelsea fans at the other end looked on in stunned silence.

Rangers doubled their advantage on 25 minutes. Byrne was involved again with a right wing cross, Terry Fenwick nodded the ball on and Bannister arrived in the six yard box to head home. A very noisy rendition of "Singing The Blues..." followed from the Loft.

A minute before the break, John Byrne picked up possession just inside the Chelsea half and lost his marker with a deft drop of the shoulder. He then dribbled past another four startled defenders amidst an orgy of skill before lashing into the net from just inside the box.

It was the most spectacular R's goal of the season and our fans rejoiced with versions of "John-ny Byrne, John-ny Byrne, John-ny Byrne" (against using the marching tune) and "Easy...Easy.."

The fourth came on 58 when Bannister tore away from the shambolic Chelsea back line and sent a low bullet-like shot into the right hand corner. Even the QPR stewards on the side of the pitch at the Loft End jumped up and down to celebrate. Meanwhile, the electronic scoreboard declared: "GARY HAT-TRICK BANNISTER"

Then on 64 minutes, Bannister whipped in a low cross from the right and Byrne provided a crisp finish for goal number five with the Chelsea rearguard in shreds. The Loft boys bounced around in unison with chants of "Blame The Pitch, Blame The Pitch, Blame The Pitch..." directed at the ashen-faced Ken Bates in the main stand.

Chelsea had striker David Speedie sent off two minutes later for flattening Ian Dawes with his elbow. The Rangers fans waved theatrically while singing "Bye Bye Speedie, Bye Bye Speedie..." (to the tune of Auld Lang Syne) as he plodded dejectedly from the arena.

The sixth blue and white hooped goal in Chelsea's net came in the 82nd minute. Substitute Leroy Rosenior ran from the halfway line through a wide open defence before firing firmly past despairing goalkeeper Steve Francis. The jubilant Loft bellowed "We Want Seven...We Want Seven..." as the visiting fans headed for the exits.

Chelsea manager John Hollins said afterwards: "It's been a very bad Easter for us, but I want to give QPR full credit for their performance."

Match odds with Bet365
Chelsea win - 1/5 Draw - 5/1 QPR win - 14/1

Match Coverage
QPR Player will be providing live commentary of this fixture, as well as offering extended highlights later this week. Click here to join QPR Player. http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/Preview/0,,10373~1804708,00.html
QPR


[A very comprehensive preview on Chelsea's Official Site]

Chelsea Official Site -PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V QUEENS PARK RANGERS

Domestic cup action for the season begins with a second London derby in four days. Club historian Rick Glanvill and club statistician Paul Dutton have been studying the neighbours from the Bush.

TALKING POINTS

Chelsea have triumphed in this competition twice in the last five seasons, four times overall, and stand third on the list of all-time winners. Only Aston Villa (five times) and Liverpool (seven) have held the trophy more than the Blues. Arsenal and Manchester United have won it twice.

The tournament is obviously the fourth priority in terms of silverware at the start of the season. But the impact of a victory in the final in spring, just as the pressure mounts in league and Europe, should not be overlooked. Few Chelsea fans forget the great finals with Liverpool in Cardiff, during Jose Mourinho's first season, and Arsenal in 2007. Spurs in 2008? Not so much.

It's also the chance to provide experience for younger or less-used squad players and, thanks to the club's sensible pricing policy, in front of large crowds.

KEY STAT
Chelsea are looking to equal our 23-game unbeaten record, previously set between January and May 2007.

While some are gaining valuable experience on loan, such as Michael Mancienne (Wolves), Patrick van Aanholt and Jack Cork (both Coventry), and Miroslav Stoch (who netted both goals for Steve McClaren's FC Twente last weekend), others will hope for League Cup action here.

Manager Carlo Ancelotti has already mentioned some of the young players he would like to give opportunities to. Alongside Italian poacher Fabio Borini, who looked lively in his brief first appearance on Sunday against Spurs, the boss has talked about 17-year-old Jeffrey Bruma, an assured centre-back, and the two 20-year-olds, defender Sam Hutchinson and Daniel Sturridge, who grabbed a hat-trick last week against Ipswich (though injured at the weekend).

That was in a friendly arranged to assist the return of Joe Cole and Paulo Ferreira (Borini and Bruma also scored), but there is nothing like real competition against bitter rivals to test mettle.

Ray Wilkins has announced that Cole will start, the much-loved midfielder returning after nine months out with a cruciate ligament, then cartilage injury. The tip of a diamond midfield is a position he has been asked about many times, and tonight will be a useful audition ahead of him being eased back into Barclays Premier League matches.

Another welcome returnee is Yury Zhirkov whose last act in a Chelsea shirt was to smash in the 20-yard winner against Milan on the USA tour. Chelsea's big summer signing has become the forgotten man during his recuperation from injury, and the dazzling runs down the left flank that earned him Russia's Player of the Year award will be a welcome addition to the Blues' armoury.

Since our local visitors are a Championship side it's worth examining our record against lower league clubs like them in cup ties since 2003. In 22 match-ups Roman's Blues have only been defeated twice, by Barnsley and Burnley (on penalties), both in 2008.

These are the encounters.....

Two years on from QPR becoming the 'richest club in the world' with their buyout by the Flavio Briatore/Bernie Ecclestone/Lakshmi Mittal group, manager Jim Magilton's stated aim this season is to finish in the top six of England's second tier. The talk to begin with was Premier League by May 2010. Proof, again, that money doesn't guarantee you happiness.

Passions will be running high tonight among Rangers supporters at the chance to land a slap on their high-achieving neighbours, though it is a largely unrequited hatred. Fulham have been west London's second biggest club for a decade and most Chelsea fans don't really despise them either.

Magilton has been the incumbent on South Africa Road since June this year. Since he is the sixth man in the driver's seat since the takeover by Briatore et al there is no guarantee he will not be asked to crash his car if things are not going well again.

He didn't have a great start in the league, drawing three and losing one of the opening four matches, but since then, with some clever loan deals, results have picked up. The win at Cardiff City was their second in three games. Although City are suffering what we doctors call 'new stadium syndrome' - boos rang around their sparkling new stands at the close of both halves - QPR's 2-0 win was impressive.

Their progress in this competition has been solid: a 5-0 win over League One Exeter and 2-1 victory over League Two Accrington Stanley. Last season at this stage of the League Cup they beat a weakened Aston Villa 1-0. Despite disappointment here in the FA Cup 18 months ago, they will fancy their chances of another upset tonight.

If the scores are level after 90 minutes, 30 minutes' extra time will be played. If there is still no winner the tie will be decided on penalties.

The draw for the Carling Cup fourth round is live on SkySports News on Saturday at 12.15pm.

Click on tabs above for more briefing.

Anyone not at the game won't have to wait long to watch full coverage as Chelsea TV will be replaying the match at 10.15pm.


Chelsea Official Site - PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V QUEENS PARK RANGERS

TACTICAL BRIEF

Rangers have looked nervous and hesitant at home and play with more freedom away. However, Jim Magilton may choose to play things safe and opt for a 4-5-1 to his preferred 4-4-1-1 formation.

He has recently enjoyed success using loanee Adel Taarabt or former Birmingham City man Rowan Vine as a deep-lying forward but may elect to match Chelsea for numbers in the main battleground.

Spurs flop Taarabt, who was suffering with mumps, has returned to full training and will probably play behind on-loan Arsenal striker Jay Simpson, who scored both goals in Rangers' win at Cardiff. Simpson is already telling his manager where to play him - typical Gooner.

Other forwards include much-travelled Italian lower league man Alessandro Pellicori and Patrick Agyemang, a former Ghana international who has played alongside Michael Essien.

QPR's midfield provides width to attack through journeyman Wayne Routledge on the right and, down the left, Akos Buzsaky, Hungary international and Rangers' no.10, whose curling shots from distance with either foot have earned the sobriquet the 'magical Magyar'.

Centre of the field is more of a problem for manager Magilton as Ben Watson, who takes corners and free kicks, is cup-tied: he lost to Blackpool with Wigan in an earlier round. Argentinean Alejandro Faurlín is likely to take over Watson's duties, with former Watford battler Gavin Mahon stepping into the holding role.

An alternative would be for Mikele Leigertwood , who has been playing right-back recently, to move to centre midfield and Peter Ramage - who at 6ft 1in brings useful height at set-pieces - to full-back. Skipper Martin Rowlands completes the heart of the Rangers team.

Along with either Ramage or Leigertwood, the visitors' defence will feature Damion Stewart (whose facebook profile picture has him competing for possession with Didier Drogba in 2008) and Kaspars Gorkss, the Latvia international and aerial threat, in the centre. Gary Borrowdale should play at left-back. Rangers' most accomplished defender Matthew Connolly has a virus and looks unlikely to figure. Veteran Fitz Hall has a groin injury.

Goalie Radek Cerny's most recent visits to Stamford Bridge, both with last weekend's slaughtered opponents Spurs, have been memorable occasions. In March 2007 he was part of the team that drew a remarkably open match 3-3 in the FA Cup (he missed the Blues' 2-1 win in the replay).

Almost a year later in the league he faced Nicolas Anelka making his Chelsea debut, but the game is remembered for the ferocious 30-yard Goal of the Season that Juliano Belletti sent fizzing past Rangers' current no.1.

He will hope to perform better than poor Lee Camp did during Rangers' last match here in January 2008. The keeper dived full-length but missed a low Claudio Pizarro shot (pictured) which rebounded off a post and his head to give Chelsea a well-deserved win.

The side Carlo Ancelotti picks will no doubt be a blend of youngsters, seniors returning from injury and regular starters. It makes the reports from his scouts all the more difficult for Magilton to analyse Chelsea


PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V QUEENS PARK RANGERS

WE HAVE HISTORY

Manager Jim Magilton played 12 times against Chelsea for Oxford United, Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Ipswich (pictured below), ending on the winning side just once, when he scored for Oxford in a shock 3-1 FA Cup win at the Bridge in January 1991.

The Blues are hoping to extend our unbeaten record at Stamford Bridge against QPR to 12 games in all competitions. The full record is played 11, won seven, drawn four, lost none, goals scored 16, goals against six.

The two sides have only been drawn together once before in this competition, back in the days of Dixon-Speedie-Nevin and the notorious plastic of Loftus Road (the pitch, not the support).

In front of a full house of 27,000 Pat Nevin equalised Rangers' early strike from pesky John Byrne, the Scottish winger touching home a Colin Lee header from Jerry Murphy's corner. The Blues, though, were grateful for Gary Bannister's miss when one-on-one with Eddie Niedzwiecki, and Keith Dublin cleared another Byrne effort off the line. Kerry Dixon's late strike was ruled offside.

Chelsea went into the replay with some confidence, having only lost to Manchester Utd all season at the Bridge, but minus Dixon, injured in an FA Cup defeat by Liverpool at the weekend. The winners of the London derby would face the same Reds in a League Cup semi-final. The game, played in freezing conditions, was dominated by a Chelsea side lacking the cutting edge and remained a stalemate until extra time, when Alan McDonald stole in to head Rangers in front.

The killer second was controversial. While Chelsea poured forward for an equaliser Niedzwiecki was stretching the leg of prone cramp victim Micky Robinson. A few minutes later the Good Samaritan keeper fluffed a clearance straight to the Rangers midfielder he had assisted, who launched the ball 55 yards into an empty net to make it 2-0. Remember that one tonight.


Previous League Cup meetings

Quarter-final 22 Jan 1986 Loftus Road
QPR …………………1 Chelsea……………1
Byrne Nevin

Quarter-final replay 29 Jan 1986 Stamford Bridge
Chelsea………….0 QPR…….……………. 2 (after extra time)
Chelsea Niedzwiecki; Wood, Dublin (Hazard), Pates (c), Rougvie, Bumstead, Nevin, Spackman, McAllister, Speedie, Murphy.
QPR Barron; McDonald, Dawes, Neill, Wicks, Fillery, Robinson, James, Bannister, Byrne (M Allen), Fereday. Scorers: McDonald, Robinson


Other cup meetings
Feb 21 1970 FA Cup 6th round
QPR 2 (Venables pen, Bridges) Chelsea 4 (Webb, Osgood 3)

Jan 5 1974 FA Cup 3rd round
Chelsea 0 QPR 0

Jan 15 1974 FA Cup 3rd round replay
QPR 1 (Bowles) Chelsea 0

Jan 29 1996 FA Cup 4th round
QPR 1 (Quashie) Chelsea 2 (Furlong, Peaco**)

Jan 5 2008 FA Cup 3rd round
Chelsea 1 (Camp og) QPR 0

The last 10 meetings between Chelsea and QPR
Aug 29 1992
FAPL (h)
Chelsea won 1-0

Jan 27 1993
FAPL (a)
Drew 1-1

Aug 25 1993
FAPL (h)
Chelsea won 2-0

Apr 13 1994
FAPL (a)
Drew 1-1

Mar 221995
FAPL (a)
QPR won 1-0

Apr 29 1995
FAPL (h)
Chelsea won 1-0

Jan 2 1996
FAPL (a)
Chelsea won 2-1

Jan 29 1996
FAC (a)
Chelsea won 2-1

Mar 23 1996
FAPL (h)
Drew 1-1

Jan 5 2008
FAC (h)
Won 1-0


OUR MOST RECENT MEETING
Chelsea 1 Queens Park Rangers 0
FA Cup third round, Saturday January 5th 2008 at Stamford Bridge
Referee Mike Dean
Crowd 41,289

Chelsea
Manager Avram Grant
Hilario

Ferreira Alex Ben-Haim A Cole (c)

Sidwell Mikel

Wright-Phillips Pizarro Sinclair

Kalou

Substitutes

Drogba for Sinclair (59), Ballack for Pizarro (71),
J Cole for Wright-Phillips (78)

Scorer Camp og (28)
Booked None

Buzsaky Blackstock

Ephraim Rowlands (c) Mahon Ainsworth

Barker Hall Stewart Connolly

Camp

Manager Luigi De Canio

QPR

Substitutes
Agyemang for Ainsworth (h/t), Lee for Buzsaky (50)
Balanta for Ephraim (65)
Booked Hall


Chelsea v QPR in all competitions
Games played47
Chelsea wins17
Rangers wins13
Draws17

Biggest win at Stamford Bridge for each team
Chelsea 3-1 QPR 02/05/1978 and 01/01/1987
Chelsea 0-3 QPR 28/12/1974

CHELSEA STATS
Chelsea's next goal will be our 300th in the League Cup in our 170th match.

Chelsea won the League Cup in 1965, 1998, 2005 and 2007.

Last five seasons in the League Cup

2004/05
Winners

2005/06
3rd round

2006/07
Winners

2007/08
Runners-up

2008/09
4th round

Chelsea are unbeaten in 21 games at Stamford Bridge since losing to Arsenal in November 2008.

Last six results

Aug 18
Sunderland (a)
W 3-1

Aug 23
Fulham (a)
W 2-0

Aug 29
Burnley (h)
W 3-0

Sep 12
Stoke (a)
W 2-1

Sep 15
Porto (h)
W 1-0Champions League

Sep 20
Tottenham (h)
W 3-0

2009/10 scorers
Drogba 5, Anelka 3, Ballack 3, A Cole 2, Lampard 2 (1 pen), Carvalho 1, Deco 1, Malouda 1. Total 18.

MILESTONES
Frank Lampard needs one goal to become our clear fifth all-time scorer ahead of Jimmy Greaves. They both have scored 132 goals.


RANGERS STATS

QPR's cup results against top-flight teams since their relegation from the Premier League in 1996.

1997
FAC
Wimbledon (a) L 1-2

1998
LC
Charlton (h) L 0-2

1998
LC
Charlton (a) L 0-1

2001
FAC
Arsenal (h)L 0-6

2003
LC
Man City (h) L 0-3

2004
LC
Aston Villa (a) L 1-3

2006
FAC
Blackburn (a) L 0-3

2008
FAC
Chelsea (a) L 0-1

2008
LC
Aston Villa (a) W 1-0

2008
LC
Man Utd (a) L 0-1


Jim Magilton is Rangers' seventh full-time manager in the last three-and-a-half years.
QPR have lost one game in nine this term and are unbeaten in the last five.


Last five seasons in the League Cup

2004/05
2nd round

2005/06
1st round

2006/07
2nd round

2007/08
1st round

2008/09
4th round

Rangers have won the League Cup once in their history beating West Brom 3-2 in 1967. They were beaten finalists in 1986 to winners Oxford United.

Manager Jim Magilton
Days in charge: 112
Played 9
Won 4
Drawn 4
Lost 1

MOST RECENT LINE-UP
Cardiff City 0 QPR 2
Coca-Cola Championship Saturday September 19, 2009

Cerny

Borrowdale Gorkss Stewart Leigertwood

Routledge Rowlands (c) Watson Buzsaky

Simpson Vine

Substitutes
Pellicori for Simpson (77), Agyemang for Vine (82),

Scorers Simpson (19, 40)
Booked Stewart, Pellicori

2009/10 results ....

2009/10 scorers
Routledge 5, Ephraim 2, Simpson 2, Helguson 1, Leigertwood 1, Pellicori 1, Ramage 1, Taarabt 1. Total 14.


DAYS SINCE
Chelsea won the League Cup: 941
QPR won the League Cup: 15,534
Arsenal won a trophy: 1,586
Liverpool won a trophy: 1,137


WINDOW WATCH

Rangers' major completed summer transfers

In Alejandro Faurlin (Instituto Cordoba, £3.5m), Tom Heaton (Man Utd, loan), Alessandro Pellicori (Avellino, free), Jay Simpson (Arsenal, loan), Adel Taarabt (Tottenham, loan), Ben Watson (Wigan, loan).
Out Dexter Blackstock (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), Lee Camp (Nottingham Forest, £100,000), Damien Delaney (Ipswich, undisclosed), Heidar Helguson (Watford, loan), Jordi Lopez (Swansea, free), Zesh Rehman (Bradford City, free),

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Mike Jones is in his second Select Group season but has never previously refereed a Chelsea match. His last QPR game was a goalless draw at Southampton in March.

OTHERWISE ENGAGED
There are no suspensions on either side. QPR's Ben Watson is cup-tied.

OUR MOST RECENT MEETING
Chelsea 1 Queens Park Rangers 0
FA Cup third round, Saturday January 5th 2008 at Stamford Bridge
Referee Mike Dean
Crowd 41,289


Chelsea

Manager Avram Grant

Hilario

Ferreira Alex Ben-Haim A Cole (c)

Sidwell Mikel

Wright-Phillips Pizarro Sinclair

Kalou

Substitutes

Drogba for Sinclair (59), Ballack for Pizarro (71),
J Cole for Wright-Phillips (78)

Scorer Camp og (28)
Booked None

Buzsaky Blackstock

Ephraim Rowlands (c) Mahon Ainsworth

Barker Hall Stewart Connolly

Camp

Manager Luigi De Canio

QPR

Substitutes
Agyemang for Ainsworth (h/t), Lee for Buzsaky (50)
Balanta for Ephraim (65)

Booked Hall


Chelsea v QPR in all competitions
Games played47
Chelsea wins17
Rangers wins13
Draws17

Biggest win at Stamford Bridge for each team
Chelsea 3-1 QPR 02/05/1978 and 01/01/1987
Chelsea 0-3 QPR 28/12/1974


PRE-MATCH BRIEFING: CHELSEA V QUEENS PARK RANGERS

CHELSEA STATS
Chelsea's next goal will be our 300th in the League Cup in our 170th match.

Chelsea won the League Cup in 1965, 1998, 2005 and 2007.

Last five seasons in the League Cup

2004/05
Winners

2005/06
3rd round

2006/07
Winners

2007/08
Runners-up

2008/09
4th round

Chelsea are unbeaten in 21 games at Stamford Bridge since losing to Arsenal in November 2008.

Last six results

Aug 18
Sunderland (a)
W 3-1

Aug 23
Fulham (a)
W 2-0

Aug 29
Burnley (h)
W 3-0

Sep 12
Stoke (a)
W 2-1

Sep 15
Porto (h)
W 1-0Champions League

Sep 20
Tottenham (h)
W 3-0


2009/10 scorers
Drogba 5, Anelka 3, Ballack 3, A Cole 2, Lampard 2 (1 pen), Carvalho 1, Deco 1, Malouda 1. Total 18.

MILESTONES
Frank Lampard needs one goal to become our clear fifth all-time scorer ahead of Jimmy Greaves. They both have scored 132 goals.

RANGERS STATS

QPR's cup results against top-flight teams since their relegation from the Premier League in 1996.

1997
FAC
Wimbledon (a) L 1-2

1998
LC
Charlton (h) L 0-2

1998
LC
Charlton (a) L 0-1

2001
FAC
Arsenal (h)L 0-6

2003
LC
Man City (h) L 0-3

2004
LC
Aston Villa (a) L 1-3

2006
FAC
Blackburn (a) L 0-3

2008
FAC
Chelsea (a) L 0-1

2008
LC
Aston Villa (a) W 1-0

2008
LC
Man Utd (a) L 0-1

Jim Magilton is Rangers' seventh full-time manager in the last three-and-a-half years.

QPR have lost one game in nine this term and are unbeaten in the last five.

Last five seasons in the League Cup

2004/05
2nd round

2005/06
1st round

2006/07
2nd round

2007/08
1st round

2008/09
4th round

Rangers have won the League Cup once in their history beating West Brom 3-2 in 1967. They were beaten finalists in 1986 to winners Oxford United.

Manager Jim Magilton
Days in charge: 112
Played 9
Won 4
Drawn 4
Lost 1


MOST RECENT LINE-UP
Cardiff City 0 QPR 2
Coca-Cola Championship Saturday September 19, 2009

Cerny

Borrowdale Gorkss Stewart Leigertwood

Routledge Rowlands (c) Watson Buzsaky

Simpson Vine

Substitutes
Pellicori for Simpson (77), Agyemang for Vine (82),

Scorers Simpson (19, 40)
Booked Stewart, Pellicori


2009/10 scorers
Routledge 5, Ephraim 2, Simpson 2, Helguson 1, Leigertwood 1, Pellicori 1, Ramage 1, Taarabt 1. Total 14.

DAYS SINCE
Chelsea won the League Cup: 941
QPR won the League Cup: 15,534
Arsenal won a trophy: 1,586
Liverpool won a trophy: 1,137

WINDOW WATCH

Rangers' major completed summer transfers

In Alejandro Faurlin (Instituto Cordoba, £3.5m), Tom Heaton (Man Utd, loan), Alessandro Pellicori (Avellino, free), Jay Simpson (Arsenal, loan), Adel Taarabt (Tottenham, loan), Ben Watson (Wigan, loan).
Out Dexter Blackstock (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), Lee Camp (Nottingham Forest, £100,000), Damien Delaney (Ipswich, undisclosed), Heidar Helguson (Watford, loan), Jordi Lopez (Swansea, free), Zesh Rehman (Bradford City, free),

THE MAN IN THE MIDDLE
Mike Jones is in his second Select Group season but has never previously refereed a Chelsea match. His last QPR game was a goalless draw at Southampton in March.

OTHERWISE ENGAGED
There are no suspensions on either side. QPR's Ben Watson is cup-tied
http://www.chelseafc.com/page/TalkingPoints/0,,10268~50795,00.html


Chelsea Official Site 0 GILES SMITH’S MIDWEEK VIEW
Posted on: Wed 23 Sep 2009

The trophy with the big ears can wait for later. Today's Giles Smith column covets the cup with the three handles.

Up for the Carling? I am. England's second oldest club knock-out competition has always found a welcome in this column and always will.

Others may deride the trophy as 'a tournament too far' and an opportunity to give a couple of the ballboys and the car park attendant a run-out.

But we continue to cherish it for its history, its grandeur and its gilded and beautifully stitched place in the tapestry of our national game. Also for its astonishing brevity. (Five games buys you an afternoon at Wembley? By February? Bargain!) If no one else wants it, I'll stage it in my garden. (It may yet come to that.)

But tonight's match will be Mr Ancelotti's first taste of the magic which is the Carling - or, as some of us, even now, continue to think of it, 'the Fizzy' (the legacy of its golden days under the sponsorship of Coca-Cola). And we're not yet sure what the manager's approach will be.

We know him to be a man of vast experience, and, accordingly, hugely adaptable in his thinking. But has he ever competed for a trophy with three handles before? Two handles, obviously. But three? As hundreds of thwarted managers will attest, from down the years, the additional handle brings its own complications.

Mr Ancelotti will at least, we imagine, be aware of Chelsea's traditional approach to the tournament, which is to field a steamingly strong side, even if it's only (for example) QPR at home. It's what marks us out from clubs with no respect for history, such as Manchester United.

There's potentially more face to lose, obviously. Contrast Arsene Wenger's cowardly wheeze of sending out the youth team - a contemptuously risk-free device, given that there is no shame attached to the youth team losing, and only a rather unpleasantly mocking credit if they don't.

But even in the event that it all goes wrong and you end up losing on penalties to Burnley (which can happen, apparently), at least you get to leave the stadium knowing that your club behaved honourably and within the spirit of the competition, according to the intentions of its founding fathers.

Interestingly, with Yury Zhirkov and Joe Cole approaching fitness, far from sending out a weakened side, Mr Ancelotti could well be picking tonight from the strongest squad he has had all season. Let's hope so. And let's hope he doesn't go in for too much 'resting' people. The Carling is no time to be resting. The Carling is the time to be wide awake, with all sinews straining to be unleashed.

We do know, however, that Didier Drogba won't be playing. My favourite memory from Sunday's co**le-warming demolition of poor old Spurs is of the Drog charging onto that through-ball and continuing almost into the back of the net, in a manner which suggested that his body composition right now is 85 percent muscle and 15 percent carbon fibre.

My least favourite memory is of the same player leaving the pitch on a stretcher. Mind you, it says a lot about the Drog's, shall we say, slightly theatrical nature that the cause of his visible distress could have been either a career-threatening injury or just a touch of cramp, and none of us would have been any the wiser.

Also that afternoon we experienced the conflicting feelings that inevitably followed from happily welcoming back Carlo Cudicini - and then watching him concede three goals. In the abstract, there's no goalkeeper in the Premier League that we would less wish that outcome upon. 'Carlo,' as the singing from the Matthew Harding on Sunday emphatically stated, 'is a Chelsea boy.'

On the other hand, he was playing for Spurs, so we had no option but to do the decent thing: to bite back our sorrow and get used to it. And I think most of us will feel, with hindsight, that we did a fairly respectable job of that. We managed, let's say.

Mind you, it was just as confusing for Arsenal fans, by all accounts, who knew the dizzyingly mixed emotions of seeing Ashley Cole score against Spurs and have not quite known where to put themselves ever since, apart from into therapy.

But, hey: it's why we love football, isn't it?

Incidentally, on the controversial matter of the nailed-on penalty that wasn't given, I think we can probably afford to cut Howard Webb, the referee, some slack. That Frank Lampard free kick was really rocketing and it wasn't straightforward to spot the hand rising above the Tottenham wall and blocking it.

As for the half-hearted claims for a pen at the other end, I agree with Harry Redknapp, who said afterwards that, if it wasn't a penalty, then he couldn't understand why Robbie Keane didn't get booked. The Spurs boss is absolutely right: Keane should have been given a yellow. But maybe, if Harry is willing to take up the case, something can be done by the FA on review. That kind of thing is all the rage these days.

It's over to Harry on this one, though. We're too busy, I'm afraid. We've got the Carling Cup to think about.
http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~1805381,00.html


Chelsea Official Site - WILKINS: OPPORTUNITY TO IMPRESS
Posted on: Tue 22 Sep 2009

Ray Wilkins has confirmed that both Joe Cole and Yury Zhirkov will start Wednesday's Carling Cup tie with QPR.
The assistant manager was speaking ahead of the third round clash at Stamford Bridge, which provides manager Carlo Ancelotti with an opportunity to test some of his periphery figures while welcoming back key first-teamers from injury.\
Cole has not featured in the first team since his cruciate ligament injury in January, while Zhirkov is still awaiting his debut after a summer switch from CSKA Moscow.
'We haven't finalised the side yet but Joe Cole and Zhirkov will start, so that's good news for all concerned. They will be very important players as the season progresses so it's nice that they will come back in,' said Wilkins.
'When you can't use a player of Joe's ability, any side in the country would miss him, because he has that bit of fantasy that can open up defences. We have missed him but we have a squad that can compensate for such a loss.'
Asked how he would describe Zhirkov, Wilkins added: 'A very fluid footballer, left-sided, which is always very pleasant, a great mover and a great footballer.
'He has been out now for quite a period so it will be lovely to see him back out demonstrating what he can do, because if he demonstrates half of what he has shown in training we have a very pleasant player on our books.'
Also in the squad will be Paulo Ferreira, another cruciate ligament victim, and a number of young players, including Fabio Borini who made his debut on Sunday as a late substitute.
'Paulo will come back into the squad, whether Carlo decides to use him initially is another matter, but it's a chance to use the squad in the Carling Cup. We have a large squad here, and that's what we will do tomorrow night,' Wilkins explained, before discussing the promising youngsters that have been around the first team squad recently - Borini, Sam Hutchinson, Jeffrey Bruma and Gael Kakuta.
'They are all players that have impressed Carlo, he has watched the majority of reserve games since he has been here. It gives us an opportunity to bring these young men in and hopefully use them later in the season.

'If we progress in the Carling Cup then I am sure we will see a large number of these players used. [The transfer ban] is a great opportunity, and we will appeal against the ban, but it is a great opportunity for the young players to push themselves forward so the manager can see.
'There will be a few rested but we have a large squad, so it's an opportunity to put them at Stamford Bridge in front of 38,000 where it will be an important game for us.'

Wilkins is a former player and manager of QPR, and remembers his time at Loftus Road well.
'It was a very enjoyable stage in my career at a great little club and I enjoyed it, it was good fun. It has changed, they do have financial backing now but they are still the same club on the footballing side, they have always tried to play football. The managers they had always wanted to play football and Jim [Magilton] is the same.
'They are coming off the back of a fantastic result on Saturday (a 2-0 win away at Cardiff), so they will be coming with their spirits high and looking forward to a game at Stamford Bridge.
'It is always good to be drawn against a team in a higher league to see what you can go and do against them. I think they will bring 6,000 so they will be looking forward to it and it's up to us to make it an unhappy evening for them
http://www.chelseafc.com/page/LatestNews/0,,10268~1804808,00.html


Telegraph/Tom Cary - Flavio Briatore considers fighting lifetime ban from Formula One
Flavio Briatore is reportedly considering legal action in an attempt to overturn the 'lifetime ban' from motorsport that he was handed on Monday by the World Motor Sport Council for his role in the Renault race-fixing scandal.
- As the fallout from the Paris hearing continued on Tuesday, reports in Italy quoted the former Renault team principal as saying he was "distraught" by his ban, which was described by Carlos Gracia, the head of Spain's motor sport federation and an FIA World Council member, as "excessive" and "disproportionate".
- "There was no clear evidence to indict, and he was also unable to defend himself," Gracia said. "Moreover, I would not rule out him using the regular courts as he has been left without a means of earning a living. I insist, what has happened to Briatore seems disproportionate."
- Briatore has always maintained that he is innocent of ordering Piquet Jnr to crash his car and even told reporters at the Italian Grand Prix in Monza two weeks ago that he had launched criminal proceedings in Paris against the Brazilian and his father, Nelson Piquet Snr, for "attempted blackmail" and "false allegations". It is still unclear whether Briatore is pursuing those claims.
- Renault's former director of engineering Pat Symonds, meanwhile, who was also implicated by Piquet Jnr and who was handed a five-year ban by the WMSC on Monday, claimed in his interviews with FIA investigators that it was the Brazilian who first came up with the idea of crashing deliberately. The Brazilian denied the claims.
- Their statements were rendered irrelevant when Renault decided it would not back its F1 team against the charges and both Briatore and Symonds departed under a cloud last week, with neither man available for further questioning in Paris on Monday.
- Legal experts told The Daily Telegraph that the Italian stood a strong chance of limiting the punishment since life bans "don't generally work in sport" but advised that since Briatore is "not a sportsman and can earn a living elsewhere, he might have difficulty relying on the precedents from athletics and swimming".
- Gracia also echoed the sentiments of many in the sport when he said he was appalled that Piquet Jnr, who was granted immunity from prosecution in return for his testimony, had been allowed off the hook in such a manner.
- "[FIA president Max] Mosley has labelled the plot a criminal act, so I don't understand how the can be pardoned," Gracia said. "Even [Bernie] Ecclestone defended the matter, alleging that he was a boy who was enduring a lot of pressure.
- "But my opinion is different. He's as responsible as anyone for the scandal, and if he's not ready to handle situations with pressure, then maybe he chose the wrong job."
- It remains to be seen whether Piquet Jnr can resurrect his Formula One career. In a heartfelt statement released in the wake of the WMSC's verdict, the 24-year-old Brazilian – runner-up to Lewis Hamilton in GP2 in 2006 – said that he did "not expect this to be forgiven or forgotten" and added that he realised he must start his career "from zero".
- The consensus within the sport is that Piquet Jnr is an inconsistent driver but that since there are so many new teams on the grid for next season and since young drivers with experience of F1 are rare, he stands a good chance of getting a race seat if a team owner is prepared to accept his excuses. Telegraph


Mirror - SHAMED BRIATORE PLOTS F1'S DOWNFALL By Byron Young 23/09/2009
- Shamed Grand Prix boss Flavio Briatore is plotting his revenge after being hit with a lifetime ban.
- Sources in his native Italy yesterday revealed the 'distraught' multi-millionaire, 59, is now considering a rival series to Formula 1, which he has often said has lost its way and its fan base.
- The flamboyant former Renault boss was banned from motor sport on Monday after the governing body - the FIA - ruled he fixed the result of last year's Singapore GP.
- In the biggest punishment dished out to an individual in the sport's history he was also barred from running any FIA-sanctioned racing series, attending races and managing teams or drivers in a ruling that will cost him around £10million a year.
- Yesterday though he was in hiding in Europe and said to be contemplating legal action against the FIA. Mirror




- "Please Come and Save Queens Park Rangers Mr. Mittal"

- Q&A With Vital Football QPR's Adam Boxer

- "Versatile-as-an-egg" Ray Wilkins Previews Chelsea-QPR Game


- Study Shows Manchester United DO seem to get extra time to win Games!

- Watford's Mackay Praises Helguson

- What REALLY Happened when QPR Played Sunderland back in 1973 and Stan Bowles supposedly knocked the FA Cup Over.

- "Football for Heroes" Announced as League Official Charity Partner in 2009/10


Rob Huges/New York Times September 23, 2009 - Briatore Poses a Problem for English Soccer http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/23/sports/soccer/23iht-SOCCER.html?_r=1&hpw=&pagewanted=print

- Post-Crashgate Speculation about Briatore's QPR Future and Football League Consideration

- Post F1/Briatore "Verdict:" Analyses relating to Briatore and QPR

Taking a brief "time out" before returning to the world of "crashgate" and boardroom fights and big games against Chelsea....

Marking a Quarter Century Since The Great QPR 5 Newcastle 5

- The Ref for the Chelsea Game is M J Jones

- Past QPR-Chelsea Results and Shared Players (and Managers)

- Flashback: When Paladini and Gregory Built a "Thriving" QPR-Chelsea Relationship