Showing posts with label Mick Harford. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mick Harford. Show all posts

Saturday's beauty

Sheff Utd 2 - 0 Bristol City

Sheffield United shrugged off a slow start to maintain their push for the Championship play-offs at Bristol City's expense.
Chris Iwelumo showed some promising early touches on his City debut, but United gradually grew in authority. 
City keeper Dean Gerken pulled off some excellent saves, but was powerless to stop Henri Camara's vicious second-half effort from nestling in the top corner. 
Darius Henderson nodded in Jamie Ward's cross on the hour to seal the points. 
The win, United's first in five games, leaves the Blades a point adrift of sixth-placed Leicester City, who have played two games fewer. 
City, meanwhile, are without a victory since mid-January and have now conceded 13 goals in their last six games.
Sheffield United manager Kevin Blackwell:
"I thought everyone played really, really well. 
"We used the ball intelligently and moved well off it. When you see us go out and look like that then it makes you realise our biggest problem this season is going to be keeping everybody fit. 
"If we can do that then we've got every chance. 
"We are trying to build something and the boys have shown out there what they can do." 
Bristol City manager Gary Johnson:
"We didn't do enough to give ourselves a chance to win the game and the the first goal killed us. 
"Our confidence is a bit low at the moment and it just seemed to drain - that's where we are. 
"We've been drawing a lot, especially away from home, and now we're getting our fair share of defeats. 
"But we've got two home games now and hopefully we can get a bit of confidence going with our fans behind us."

.

Coventry 1 - 0 QPR

Gary Deegan's early strike was enough to stretch Coventry's unbeaten run to five matches, while QPR are now nine games without a win in any competition. 
Deegan struck his first goal for the club early on, a shot into the bottom corner that left Rangers goalkeeper Carl Ikeme rooted to the spot. 
QPR pressed either side of half time, with Lee Cook forcing Keiren Westwood to save from a free-kick. 
Cook also flashed a shot across the goal, but the visitors could not level. 
Coventry manager Chris Coleman:
"I anticipated that it wasn't going to be a classic but we got the job done. 
"We said to them at half-time that it might be one of those games where we just had to dig in and get a result. 
"This win puts us within six points of the top six and eight points off the bottom three so we are on the up." 
QPR manager Mick Harford:
"You run out of words to say when you are on a run like this because you don't get the rub of the green. 
"You are always under pressure as a manager. You are judged on results. I would prefer to play poorly and win, that's what we need to do at the moment. 
"I don't think we deserved to lose because they had one shot on target in the whole game and it took a deflection. It's my job to pick the players up but the spirit is good."
www.bbc.co.uk

Coventry - QPR

Interesting things are happening in Coventry these days. They lost the key striker Leon Best (sold to Newcastle), but their results and performance are improving. I see two reasons. First, Chris Coleman is definitely a manager for Premier, not second tier. Second, selling Best was also a good move for the club. Coventry hadn’t score more with him in the squad just because lack of assistance passes in front. Antagonism between him and the other players, I’m not sure. But sure is Eastwood (especially) and Clinton Morrison (was in Best’s shadow) are great attacking force. In previous round, they defeated promotion chasers Nott.Forest (with a slight touch of luck, though), and their self confidence is additionally raised. Midfielder Aron Gunnarsson and center-back James McPake are facing a late fitness tests. New on loan signing, striker Freddie Sears, will take some part in this game. Coventry won four of last five home games in league and are unbeaten in five matches against QPR.

Situation in QPR could be described as at least chaotic. Briatore faced a hors of boos and left the stadium at the half time (Ipswich 1-2), chairman Gianni Paladini has offered his resignation, while team is in a freefall! They have four defeats in a row (two came from Scunthorpe and Peterborough), scored just one goal and they’re just two points far from relegation zone. New caretaker, Mick Harford (and his assistant Tony Coton), is not well appreciate from the players and the fans as well. Looking at their current situation, I’m much closer to think it will be the end of one era, instead they’ll improve somehow. They’re also lost one key player, Wayne Routledge (and also to Newcastle). Rangers are without on-loan striker Marcus Bent, while midfielder Mikele Leigertwood is suspended, but defender Peter Ramage is back after serving a one-match ban and left-back Gary Borrowdale has recovered from an injury. QPR have picked up one point out of a possible 15 since Mick Harford took over as care taker and they are without a win in seven away matches. 

I see some consistency in Coventry’s results and in my opinion is they’re clear favorites today. My only limitation is QPR’s bad habit to shine and put a Champions League performance when no one expect. However, in my opinion any positive reaction from the players today would be a first class surprise. Following all my reasons, only conclusion is a home win.

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