[themaclad]

Preston North End v Queens Park Rangers
Deepdale 1/12/2023 2000 hrs

Likely conditions



It's on the box

LAST TIME OUT



Ben Pearson oops



FORM GUIDE

PNE 8 QPR 6

NEWBIES



IN FORM

https://i.ibb.co/vBBwFSS/Screenshot-2023...144614.png

MANAGER

Martí Cifuentes Corvillo (Spanish pronunciation: [maɾˈti θiˈfwen.tes koɾˈβi.ʎo]; born 7 July 1982) is a Spanish football coach who is the head coach of EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers.

Cifuentes had short spells coaching in the youth departments of Ajax and Millwall.[2][3] He began his managerial career in Segunda División B club Sant Andreu in 2014, He went on to fellow Segunda División B club Hospitalet ahead of the 2015–16 season. In 2018, Cifuentes moved to Sweden to be in charge of AIK's reserve team and academy.[4]

Sandefjord
On 31 May 2018, Cifuentes was announced as Sandefjord's new head coach on a contract that would keep him at the club until the end of the 2020 season.[5][4] He took over mid-season a team that had gained only five points in their first twelve games in the 2019 season. The results improved during the rest of the season, but Sandefjord was relegated from Eliteserien on 11 November with one game to spare, although they lost only six of 18 games after Cifuentes took over.[6] In the following 2019 season, Cifuentes' first full season in charge, Sandefjord finished the 1. divisjon in second place and were promoted back to Eliteserien.[7] In 2020, Sandefjord finished in eleventh place in the top tier, eight points clear of the relegation zone, the club's best result in eleven years.[2]

AaB
On 28 December 2020, Cifuentes was announced as AaB's new head coach from 1 January 2021 on a contract that would keep him at the club till summer of 2023.[8] He led the club in 37 Danish Superliga fixtures, averaging 1.51 points per game. When he left the club halfway through the 2021–22 campaign, AaB was placed fourth in the table after 17 rounds.[9]

Hammarby IF
On 12 January 2022, Cifuentes was appointed as the new head coach of Hammarby IF. He signed a three-year deal with the Swedish club, after they had activated a release clause in his contract with AaB.[10][11] The transfer officially came to effect on 24 January, after further negotiations between the two clubs regarding his notice period at AaB.[12]

Cifuentes had a strong opening to the 2022 season, leading the side to five straight league wins, awarding him Allsvenskan Manager of the Month in April.[13] The club also reached the final of the 2021–22 Svenska Cupen, but lost by 4–5 on penalties to Malmö after the game ended in a 0–0 draw.[14][15] In August, Cifuentes won the award Allsvenskan Manager of the Month for the second time during the season.[16] Eventually, Hammarby finished third in the table, thus qualifying for the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League.[17]

In 2023, Hammarby had a tough first half of the season, being placed eighth in the Allsvenskan table after 15 rounds.[18] The side eventually picked up form and only lost one out of 12 league games between round 17 and 28.[19] In the second qualifying round of the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League, Hammarby lost 1–2 on aggregate, after extra time, to Dutch Eredivisie club Twente.[20] On 30 October 2023, with two fixtures left of the season, he left the club with immediate effect, after Hammarby had reached an agreement with Queens Park Rangers for his transfer.[21]

Queens Park Rangers
On 30 October 2023, it was announced that Cifuentes had been appointed the new manager of EFL Championship side Queens Park Rangers.[22][23]

https://www.qpr.co.uk/

https://www.wearetherangersboys.com/foru...l/qpr-fans

https://www.not606.com/threads/preston-n...pr.409868/

Who’s Available?

After making his return from injury and Preston North End debut on Tuesday night, Calvin Ramsay will be pushing for his first start on Friday evening.

PNE will also be boosted by the return of Ali McCann and Greg Cunningham, who manager Ryan Lowe says will “definitely be in the squad”, while Emil Riis is getting closer and is expected to be back over the Christmas period.

Liam Millar should also be fine for a return after missing the Middlesbrough game, and Milutin Osmajić – who went off injured at the Riverside – will be monitored and given the best possible chance.

Opposition Focus

Following a poor start to the season, former PNE man Gareth Ainsworth was let go in October and was replaced by head coach Martí Cifuentes.

The Spaniard – who has previously managed Norwegian club Sandefjord and Danish side AaB, among others – began his reign with two draws and a defeat on the road to Norwich City.

He claimed his first victory at the helm on Tuesday night and in style too, beating Stoke City 4-2 on home turf, and they’ll be hoping that can kickstart an upturn in form to take them out of the relegation zone.

Match Officials


Referee: Josh Smith
Assistant Referees: Matthew Jones and Sam Lewis
Fourth Official: Matthew Donohue

Josh Smith, who has already taken charge of two PNE matches so far this season, will referee Friday night’s game.

He has shown 66 yellow cards and three reds in 17 games this campaign.


MACS VIEW

After Tuesday's shambles this is no easy game against a Rangers side who might just have turned the corner, looks like we have players returning, certainly needs some changes from the Riverside game, another defeat and the vultures may start to circle Mr Fantastic, who if we win will take the credit but throw the players under the bus if we lose

Promises to be very cold which mean a few who usually attend will watch it on the box

[themaclad]

Preston N0rth End 0 Queens Park Rangers 2 Smyth,Willock

PNE line-up: Woodman; Ramsay (Stewart, 87), Storey, Lindsay, Hughes; Browne, Whiteman (McCann, 73); Holmes, Keane (Millar, 45), Frøkjær (Woodburn, 73), Evans. Subs not used: Cornell, Cunningham, Brady, Ledson, Best.

QPR line-up: Begović; Cannon (Kakay, 65), Dunne, Salter-Clarke, Paal; Field, Colback (Chair, 45); Smyth (Dixon-Bonner, 65), Dozzell (Larkeche, 79), Willock (Kelman, 90+2); Dykes. Subs not used: Archer, Cook, Duke-McKenna, Drew.

Attendance: 14,280 (542 QPR fans)

Referee: Mr J Smith.

Firstly credit to the Rangers fans who made it to the Nortern frozen part of England and also to Rangers manager who has only been in teh country a few weeks and already sussed out that if you sit deep against us, we will create all of sod.
Liked the first interview the guy gave doen't want draws wants to win all games, compare that to Mr Fantastic who seems to think if we can't win ensure you don't lose.
The fist period will go down as being totally forgetable apart from Dykes clattering Hugejs with his fist going for a header, possible red Mr Smith gave yellow probably right. Better side for 20 minutes created nothing, Rangers then got more into the game like us never looked like scoring apart from one effort which Woodman watched going wide.
Suspect many of those at home probably by half time had switched over to watch Mrs Brown's Boys on loop.
Chair came on at half time made the difference, ran at players caused problems, we have a similar type f player in Frokjaer but we stick him on the wing and starve him of the ball.
Ten minutes into the second half deadlock broken, guy on the left looked offside not given eventually ball crossed to the far post Smyth showed more determination than Hughes and Woodman, back flips from Smyth the last one taking him over the Sir Tom Finney stand and having him land in the car park, soon after he was substituted.
Easy for Rangers didn't really have to do anything as we went down blind alley after blind alley, as it gotcolder people's lives began to ebb away realising this was 90 plus minutes they woulld never see again, those that were left saw Chair cross from the left to Willock at the back post and it was two. Thoroughly deserved many on the ground think that one course of action should be taken, time for the exit door for Mr Fantastic

Preston boss Ryan Lowe told Sky Sports:

"Both teams were probably not what they wanted to be. I didn't think there was much in the game until we let a ball go across and don't deal with it. Then the second goal comes from the same situation.

"I'm obviously disappointed. I thought both teams were sloppy, giving the ball away, and fair play to Queens Park Rangers, they went on and won it.

"I'm always going to back my players. I know there's groans and moans from sections and that's fine - that's football and it happens up and down the country.

"I've got to have full belief in my players and we've got to find solutions. It's not a case of just downing tools. The last time we lost three on the bounce we went on and got some good results against some good teams.

"So I believe in the group. We can go and do it. But it is a tough time at the moment and you've got to try to get through it."

QPR boss Marti Cifuentes told Sky Sports:

"We still want more, but I think this is a good way to show that the team are progressing.

"The hard work that the boys are putting in in training is paying off. We were not only looking for the victory, but after scoring the first goal we chased the second and those for me are encouraging signals.

"Both Ilias and Chris [Willock] are very important players for us and we want them fresh for us so that they can make a difference.

"I think the plan worked very well - not because I'm a genius but because they are a very good players. That's a fact."

Apparently we had a shot on target must have missed it

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Ched can see what Lowe cannot