MY ACCOUNT
QPR have had a mixed bag of results, posting one win, one draw and one defeat from three Championship matches, but they will be targeting three points against Blackpool at Loftus Road on Tuesday.
The R’s opened up with a 1-0 loss at Blackburn, but they have responded well by winning 3-2 at home to Middlesbrough and coming from two goals behind to draw 2-2 at Sunderland.
Blackpool started the season with a 1-0 success at home to Reading, but they have failed to add anymore points or goals in the games that followed.
Michael Appleton’s side subsided to a 2-0 defeat at Stoke, where they failed to register a shot on target, and lost 1-0 at home to Swansea at the weekend.
Team news
QPR manager Michael Beale has a big selection call to make over key attacker Chris Willock, who was the star of the R’s 3-2 victory at home to Middlesbrough 10 days ago.
Willock returned from an injury layoff to feature against Boro and lasted 73 minutes, but he was not involved in last Tuesday’s EFL Cup tie at Charlton, which QPR drew 1-1 and lost 5-3 on penalties, or Saturday’s draw at Sunderland.
However, Beale suggested in the build up to the Sunderland game that the issue with Willock was merely one of fatigue and that he was planning to use the player against Blackpool.
As for Appleton, he has a few tactical decisions to consider as his team attempt to find the net for the first time since the opening game.
Half-time substitute Shayne Lavery was part of an improved second-half performance against Swansea on Saturday and will be pushing to start.
The stats
QPR defeated Middlesbrough in their first home game of the season, but they struggled in their final five home fixtures of last season, losing four of them.
Blackpool have failed to score in their last three matches, which included an EFL Cup first-round exit at home to League Two Barrow when they drew 0-0 and lost 4-3 on penalties.
The Seasiders have lost three of their last four Championship fixtures without scoring.
Prediction
QPR are showing some positive signs under their new manager, Beale, and may be too strong for the struggling Seasiders.
The R’s best performance of the season was the well-deserved success over Middlesbrough when Willock played a starring role.
Willock’s superb opener against Boro is an early candidate for goal of the season, and the 24-year-old was hugely influential last season, contributing 11 assists and seven goals.
The talented attacker has had a few fitness issues this season but he is one of the most exciting players in the division and somebody who could make the difference against a Blackpool team low on confidence.
Blackpool’s priority in London will be the avoidance of defeat but they may lack the defensive nous to get a result.
The Tangerines have lost back-to-back away games – scoring no goals and conceding seven – and they appear likely to suffer a third successive league defeat.
