AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth will be hoping to get back to winning ways when they meet fellow Championship high-fliers QPR on Bank Holiday Monday (5.30pm kick-off).
The Cherries head to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium bidding to register a first win in seven games after drawing three and losing three of their past six matches.
QPR have not played since December 5th when they suffered a 2-0 defeat at the hands of Stoke City, only a second home reverse of the season in the Championship.
The West Londoners had their next two fixtures – against Sheffield United and Swansea City – postponed due to a number of positive COVID-19 cases in their first-team squad.
Goals from Jaidon Anthony and Dominic Solanke saw the Cherries end QPR’s unbeaten start to the season in September, the Hoops losing their first home against Bristol City just four days later.
Since then, they have beaten Birmingham (2-0), Preston (3-2), Blackburn (1-0), Luton (2-0) and Huddersfield (1-0) on home turf and won away at Cardiff (1-0) and Derby (2-1).
Currently fifth but with a couple of games in hand on the four teams above them, Mark Warburton’s team recorded a hat-trick of league wins before going down to the Potters earlier this month.
Warburton piloted them to ninth place last season, their highest finish since they were relegated from the Premier League in 2014/15.
Ahead of the clash, afcb.co.uk caught up with freelance journalist Ben Kosky who edits the club’s matchday programme and reports on QPR for West London Sport. Ben is also the author of Are You Rangers In Disguise?
QPR PROFILE
Ground: Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium
Nickname: Rangers/The Hoops
Head coach: Mark Warburton (appointed May 2019)
Club captain: Stefan Johansen
Current league position: Fifth
Leading goalscorer 2021/22: Ilias Chair and Lyndon Dykes (six in Championship)
Last game: QPR 0-2 Stoke City (Championship)
afcb.co.uk: How would you sum up the season so far for QPR?
BK: I think everyone would agree it’s gone fairly well and it’s been a pleasant change to have the team competing at the top end of the table.
There’s a lot of confidence that this squad is good enough to compete with most teams in the league.
Until recently, they had scored in every game and had tightened up defensively since the start of the season. So far, so good would sum it up.
afcb.co.uk: Have expectations of supporters changed during the course of the season?
BK: Supporters can have a tendency to get carried away with a good start.
In all honesty, there was optimism at the start of the season that the team would be able to challenge for a play-off place and it’s probably not changed that much.
It’s often the way with fans that a couple of good results and you’re the best team in the league, a couple of bad results and there’s a crisis on.
Maybe to an element, expectations have grown but, by and large, it’s pretty much as you were.
There was optimism about a play-off challenge and I think that’s still the case.
I think you’d have to be very optimistic to see the team challenging for the top two but, with that said, the gap has narrowed recently so who knows.
afcb.co.uk: What’s the latest on the COVID-19 situation?
BK: As far as I’m aware, the expectation is that Monday’s game will go ahead.
The players who have been hit by COVID and were isolating are all on track to be able to play again.
Without tempting fate, the only thing that could scupper the game would be a problem at the Bournemouth end but hopefully that won’t happen.
afcb.co.uk: Give us a word on the job Mark Warburton (pictured above) is doing at the club?
BK: You can sum up the job he’s doing by the fact he’s the first QPR manager in nearly 20 years to even be offered a new contract.
If you look at the past year in particular, this time last year, the team were looking over their shoulder and worrying about how they were going to get away from the relegation zone.
That has turned around completely in the past 12 months. Mark Warburton has managed to get the best out of players.
He’s stuck to a system which has worked by and large and he’s kept a level head when there’s been the odd setback.
I don’t think you would find many people among the fan-base who would disagree he has done a brilliant job so far.
afcb.co.uk: Who is QPR’s one to watch?
BK: Ilias Chair. He’s got such quality on the ball and he makes things happen.
He’s a free-kick specialist, a good crosser of the ball and is very tricky for defenders to deal with.
If Rangers put good attacks together, he’s usually at the heart of them.
He’s been named in the Morocco squad for the African Cup of Nations and will be a big miss if that goes ahead.
afcb.co.uk: Who is QPR’s unsung hero?
BK: Jimmy Dunne (pictured above). He had to wait for his chance but he got his opportunity through injuries and has really looked the part.
He plays in the middle of a back three and is everything you would expect from a centre-half.
He’s good in the air and a good tackler but he’s also got an eye for a pass.
The number of goals conceded has decreased since he’s been in the team and I don’t think that can be coincidental.
He’s one Bournemouth are going to have to get past.
afcb.co.uk: Are any key players either suspended or injured against the Cherries?
BK: There are no suspensions. A few players have been injured recently and could be back.
Sam McCallum, who scored for Rangers at Bournemouth in September, is out with a hamstring injury until the new year.
Lyndon Dykes hasn’t played since the beginning of November with an ankle problem but they are hoping he could be available.
Albert Adomah and Moses Odubajo have also been out recently but could be ready to return.
afcb.co.uk: What’s your score prediction?
BK: Bournemouth haven’t been in great form of late and Rangers lost last time out as well so I’ll go with a 1-1 draw.
You can follow Ben on Twitter – @BenKosky1
Officials: Keith Stroud (referee), Sam Lewis (assistant), Akil Howson (assistant), Tim Robinson (fourth official).
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