Pope John XXIII
Vital Football Legend
Beating QPR takes on heightened significance today. Doing so is not only a chance to wipe the smug grin off probably the manager I have liked the least in all my time as a forest fan, but the points would make us effectively safe with 6 games to go. For that reason, the importance of doing our job today cannot be overstated. 48 points with 6 games to go is massively different to 45. We'll probably be ok in any case, but the pressure difference is huge.
QPR are four places and 8 points above us, largely as a result of excellent form since Charlie Austin came in and scored 6 goals for them. They have been very "meh" over the season, never bothering the top six and always floating clear of the bottom three; the epitomy of a mid table side.
Compared to us, they have slightly more possession per game (51%-49%). They have almost the same passing accuracy (75.4% compared to our 74.5%). They are slightly more successful in the air.
In terms of strengths and weaknesses, they are a bit meh as well; any side whose key strength is defending set pieces will find the skill wasted when our best taker is Sammy Ameobi, would wouldn't score a free kick if he took a million of them.
Warburton, true to form, has tried NINE different formations this season (compared to our five). Most common is the classic 4-2-3-1 but since signing Austin he has been fiddling with three at the back, with either two or three up front. This is working for them, although in most games it's not an abundance of goals. This is their formation against Coventry, which they won 3-0.
Unusually for a Warburton team, their highest rated players are all defenders. They have conceded four goals more than us, which is good going for a Warburton side ( they have, like everyone, scored quite a few more).
Their defence is pretty key, but attacking wise you need to stop Elias Chair, the bloke who gave them an undeserved win over us at the start of the season.
Chair is their top scorer and sits in the attacking midfield berth. Charlie Austin has come in and got six, and will no doubt want to score against his old club forest where he spent so many happy seasons. Lyndon Dykes is the other striker, a Scot often played on his own and who has six over the whole season. Imagine having a striker who could manage 6 goals in the season?
Their form has been strong recently, though more at home than away
But when you look at it, they have had a dream run; the chance to play Bristol away at the moment is a golden one; they have lost the games against decent teams and been shithoused by Huddersfield; Millwall, a fellow mid table team, is about the most impressive result here.
I suspect they will come out very attacking early on, knowing how getting the first goal virtually guarentees a team points against us. They have got the City Ground monkey off their back, but a win at our ground is still very rare and I wouldn't want them to get used to it
QPR are four places and 8 points above us, largely as a result of excellent form since Charlie Austin came in and scored 6 goals for them. They have been very "meh" over the season, never bothering the top six and always floating clear of the bottom three; the epitomy of a mid table side.
Compared to us, they have slightly more possession per game (51%-49%). They have almost the same passing accuracy (75.4% compared to our 74.5%). They are slightly more successful in the air.
In terms of strengths and weaknesses, they are a bit meh as well; any side whose key strength is defending set pieces will find the skill wasted when our best taker is Sammy Ameobi, would wouldn't score a free kick if he took a million of them.
Warburton, true to form, has tried NINE different formations this season (compared to our five). Most common is the classic 4-2-3-1 but since signing Austin he has been fiddling with three at the back, with either two or three up front. This is working for them, although in most games it's not an abundance of goals. This is their formation against Coventry, which they won 3-0.
Unusually for a Warburton team, their highest rated players are all defenders. They have conceded four goals more than us, which is good going for a Warburton side ( they have, like everyone, scored quite a few more).
Their defence is pretty key, but attacking wise you need to stop Elias Chair, the bloke who gave them an undeserved win over us at the start of the season.
Chair is their top scorer and sits in the attacking midfield berth. Charlie Austin has come in and got six, and will no doubt want to score against his old club forest where he spent so many happy seasons. Lyndon Dykes is the other striker, a Scot often played on his own and who has six over the whole season. Imagine having a striker who could manage 6 goals in the season?
Their form has been strong recently, though more at home than away
But when you look at it, they have had a dream run; the chance to play Bristol away at the moment is a golden one; they have lost the games against decent teams and been shithoused by Huddersfield; Millwall, a fellow mid table team, is about the most impressive result here.
I suspect they will come out very attacking early on, knowing how getting the first goal virtually guarentees a team points against us. They have got the City Ground monkey off their back, but a win at our ground is still very rare and I wouldn't want them to get used to it
