Sideways Sammy

This is not a season that will be defined by results against Leeds United and Ipswich Town, but, boy, those last two games have felt bruising. Gone is the image of a Coventry City side that maybe, just maybe, could be trusted to not give silly goals away, who could dig in for results. The only hope is that those back-to-back defeats were so chastening that lessons couldn’t not be learned from them.

This mid-week game against Queens Park Rangers feels like it could define whether those two heavy losses were one-offs or a signal that this team can forget about any end of season plans. With both teams having shaken off slow starts to the campaign to sit just three points off the play-offs with 15 games left, the victor here will be not just close down the gap to the top six but rob a competitor of the opportunity to do so.

Expected Line-Up

Frank Lampard named a team at the weekend that was a half-way house between full strength and rotation, the upshot being that several key players will have suffered a blow to confidence without a full suite of the first-choice having enjoyed a rest. Moreover, the ease with which a second successive opponent exploited the ocean of space between Coventry City’s wing-backs and centre-backs may force Lampard into a bigger re-think for this game than he bargained on making.

The key consideration here looks to be whether to stick with a back three that had worked until those last two games or swap to a back four to account for the flaws that have become apparent. That Lampard didn’t switch to a back four for the Ipswich Town game, when he had the perfect opportunity to do so amid rotating the starting XI, hints that maybe he sees the lack of a fit, senior left winger as the absolute centre-piece of any system involving four in defence.

Matt Grimes seems likely to come straight into the side here in order to be that point of freshness after back-to-back defeats. The concern with playing Grimes along with a back three is that his tendency to drop deep in possession will rob the team of attacking options, that could be accounted for with what was some very aggressive runs from the wide centre-backs in the Ipswich Town game – at one point, Liam Kitching nearly picked out Bobby Thomas with a cross in open play. Grimes is likely to take Jamie Allen’s place at the base of midfield, with Victor Torp and Jack Rudoni either side of him.

The return of Milan van Ewijk is a welcome one in adding pace – as well as the knowledge of how to play as a full/wing-back – to the back-line after the Ipswich Town debacle. That could leave a choice between Joel Latibeaudiere and Luis Binks, who were both shocking last time out, to take up the final place in the back three, that is, if Frank Lampard doesn’t move to a back four. The likelihood of Jake Bidwell not being available for this game, leaving Jay Dasilva as the only left wing/full-back option may steer Lampard further towards a back three.

Finally, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto struggling to do much from the start last time out is likely to make the decision to bring Ellis Simms back into the side and return to two up top that much easier for the head coach.

Last Time We Met

Both sides were struggling around the Championship relegation zone back in October when Coventry City made a midweek trip to Loftus Road. The Sky Blues made an excellent start, taking advantage of a fragile Queens Park Rangers side that simply refused to clear their lines, with Haji Wright eventually accepting the invitation to score. From then on, neither side looked like troubling the goal and Coventry looked on their way to a crucial win under Mark Robins.

When Brandon Thomas-Asante scuffed a great chance early in the second-half to kill QPR off, that was enough for the home side to sneak their way back into the game. An effort from youngster, Kieran Morgan, bounced awkwardly for Oliver Dovin to deal with to level the scores. That sparked Coventry into life, only for Ellis Simms to mess up a three-on-one, choosing to drag himself wide and fire straight at the goalkeeper instead of pass to one of his team-mates in open space.

The Opposition

The Manager – Marti Cifuentes

Queens Park Rangers were brave in sticking with Marti Cifuentes through a tough start to the campaign that had the club rooted to the bottom of the Championship for a spell and not showing much sign of life. The Hoops have improved massively since the back end of November, claiming 31 of their 41 points over their last fifteen league games.

Cifuentes is billed as an ideological manager associated with a possession-heavy style, but Queens Park Rangers have been at their best under the Spaniard when adopting a more solid approach and looking to break on opponents. QPR have one of the lowest average possession rates in the division, especially when it comes to the opposition’s defensive third. With skilful, quick attacking players at their disposal, they can be lethal when they have space to get in behind opponents.

Who To Look Out For?

Ilias Chair remains the conductor in chief at Queens Park Rangers but it is far from the one-man orchestra it used to be at Loftus Road. In Koki Saito and Rayan Kolli, QPR have a pair of very nimble dribblers who can open games up on their own, with the likes of Paul Smyth, Lucas Andersen and new Tottenham Hotspur loan signing Yang Min-hyeok. If all of the attention goes on stopping Chair, that leaves plenty of room for those other attacking players to exploit.

Finding a reliable first-choice striker has been something of a challenge for Queens Park Rangers this season. Michael Frey can play that role of holding off opposing defenders and being a penalty area presence fairly well but his goal threat has been intermittent. Summer signing, Zan Celar, has struggled to get going, allowing room for youngster, Alfie Lloyd to chip in with some valuable appearances off the bench and the odd goal.

In midfield, Sam Field plays a key role in screening the back four and is someone who loves to wear opponents down with niggly little fouls to remind them of his presence. Kieran Morgan, signed to play for the second-string team over the summer, has been a revelation this season with his energy and skill in the centre of the park, as that link between defence and attack.

At the back, Ronnie Edwards has made a huge impact after signing early in the January transfer window on loan from Southampton with his calmness both in and out of possession. That has dovetailed well with the experienced aggression of centre-back partner, Steve Cook, and the sturdiness of Jimmy Dunne at right-back to make a solid back-line.

Where The Game Will Be Won Or Lost

Queens Park Rangers will surely be licking their lips at the prospect of taking on a Coventry City that has seen its high defensive line absolutely ransacked over the past couple of games. The Hoops love playing on the counter-attack and have the ingenuity and pace in wide areas to take advantage of the yawning chasm the Sky Blues are leaving at the moment between their wing-backs and wide centre-backs. If that continues, Oliver Dovin is going to have to be in great form to keep the opposition out.

The hope for Coventry City here is that Matt Grimes coming in will offer the control in possession to prevent Queens Park Rangers having many opportunities on the counter-attack. This is going to be a big test of Grimes’ ability to manipulate possession in front of what could be a pretty impatient home crowd. Furthermore, the prospect of a midfield three of Grimes, Jack Rudoni and Victor Torp, while exciting with the ball could be disastrous without it against a fast-breaking opponent.

If Grimes can provide that control in midfield, it could assuage concerns over the touches of Ellis Simms and Brandon Thomas-Asante as a means to get the team up the pitch. Grimes could also allow Rudoni and Torp to float into wide areas and look to build overlaps to overwhelm Queens Park Rangers.