In my weekly column on SWOL, I take a look back at the weekend's English Premier League and domestic cup action and the talking points that it throws up, as well as any significant news related to English football at large. Follow me @theredarmchair for regular updates throughout the week.
EPL Round 32 Recap: City Rouse, Villa Rise, Reading Ragged
Before we go further into the relegation battle, let's first reserve some praise for Manchester City.
French striker Loic Remy has only played eight matches so far this season for Queens Park Rangers, but while he hasn't been able to turn around the club's form, he has achieved an impressive five goals in eight league appearances.
Remy's prowess in front of goal is something to marvel, similar to Demba Ba's clinical scoring when he played with West Ham United even though he wasn't able to help them stay up two seasons ago.
Armand Traore of QPR is tackled by Glen Johnson of Liverpool (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
Few Premier League teams have put in a first-half display as abject and listless as the one Queens Park Rangers did against Liverpool in their 3-0 loss on Sunday.
That they did not concede more after going down by that scoreline within half hour was something of a small miracle, based on the way they the Hoops performed in the first-half.
QPR midfielder reveals Barcelona and Anzhi's interest in him - originally posted on Soccerlens.com
QPR midfielder Adel Taarabt has revealed that Barcelona and Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala haveinquiredabout him, but the Moroccan international stated that he is happy at the club.
Taarabt was the hero QPR's win over Fulham last weekend.
Newcastle United enter their weekend clash against Queens Park Rangers at St. James' Park riding a series of excellent performances against relegation stricken QPR, having not lost in the last six Premier League matches against Harry Redknapp's newly aquired side.
Adel Taarabt of Queens Park Rangers (Photo by Paul Gilham/Getty Images)
Now is the winter of our discontent, but one thing SWOL most certainly isn't dissatisfied with is the amount of action that the Premier League continues to produce, with Week 17 no different.
In its ever-changing metamorphosis, the English top flight once again underwent massive change over the weekend and with Arsenal still set to play Reading on Monday evening, could shift some more in the next 24 hours.
1. There were some unbelievable Bentekkers on display in the Liverpool vs Aston Villa match. Two goals and a crazy backheel assist for Villa's young Belgian striker. 2. Kolo Toure has finally come clean and told Roberto Mancini that he's a footballer, not a car salesman, and is promptly flavour of the month.
At 15.45 last Sunday it was all pretty much over. Despite a valiant park-the-bus effort, my
beloved Queens Park Rangers were a goal down at Manchester City. And, horror of horrors, Bolton had
come from a goal behind to lead at Stoke. At Stoke! But no-one ever comes from behind at the
Britannia. The superhoops were as good as down.
After another disappointing performance and outcome for Tottenham Hotspur Ciaran Griggs
steps up to give THFC1882 his report and thoughts.
Sigh. We can't go on like this.
Spurs continued their alarming run of form with a dismal 1-0 defeat to QPR. Coming into the
match, Spurs were expected to arrest their slide against one of the Premier League's new boys.
Newcastle United get themselves back in the Champions League zone after successfully beating
Stoke City 3-0, leaving their rival Tottenham Hotspurs behind, as Harry Redknapp's boys picked up
another defeat on the weekend, this time against Queens Park Rangers.
French midfielder, Yohan Cabaye, put on a classy performance on the day as he bagged a brace and
also assisted Pappiss Demba Cisse for the other goal, putting Newcastle on a potential surprise
Champions League inclusion thins summer.
Queens Park Rangers vs Tottenham Hotspur, Saturday 21st  April, Loftus Road, 530pm kick
off ESPN 1 & HD
THFC1882 is very thankful to Ciaran Griggs who has the unenviable task after last
Sunday's game, of previewing the massively important QPR match this Saturday evening.
Arsenal forward Marouane Chamakh has stirred up some controversy after being photographed
smoking, or rather holding, a shisha pipe with QPR's Adel Taarabt after the Gunners 2-1 defeat at
Loftus Road on Saturday. Chamakh and Taarabt, both of Morocco, were shown with pipes in the
published photo which has supposedly infuriated Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
QPR's 2-1 victory over Arsenal on Saturday has given them an excellent chance of retaining their
Premier League status. With Blackburn due to host Manchester United on Monday evening, four teams
are currently within one point of each other above the doomed Wolverhampton Wanderers.
It was Rangers' finest performance of the season and finally gave supporters a taste of what
Mark Hughes and his expensively assembled squad might bring to the club.
Arsene Wenger confesses that there was something missing in his side's performance during
today's 2-1 derby defeat to QPR and does not dismiss that complacency could be the cause.
Having won seven consecutive Premier League matches preceding their visit to Loftus Road, the
Gunners were outplayed as goals from Adel Taarabt and Samba Diakite deemed Theo Walcott's equalizer
a mere consolation.
Manchester City FC's perfect home Premier League record has ended as they needed two late goals
to draw 3-3 with Sunderland while Wolves looked a certainty for the drop after losing at home to
fellow strugglers Bolton.
City fell behind to a Sebastian Larsson strike on 31 minutes, but Mario Balotelli levelled from
the spot but Nicklas Bentner headed Sunderland back in front before the break in a pulsating
first-half in Manchester.
Manchester City FC's perfect home Premier League record has ended as they needed two late goals
to draw 3-3 with Sunderland while Wolves looked a certainty for the drop after losing at home to
fellow strugglers Bolton.
City fell behind to a Sebastian Larsson strike on 31 minutes, but Mario Balotelli levelled from
the spot but Nicklas Bentner headed Sunderland back in front before the break in a pulsating
first-half in Manchester.
QPR last night completed the signing of exorcist Derek Acorah after defender Clint Hill revealed he
had been haunted by his ‘ghost' goal. The veteran player was denied a first Premier League goal
at the weekend after officials failed to see that his header had crossed the line in QPR's match-up
with Bolton.
QPR will find it nearly impossible to survive in the Premier League, but Harry Redknapp's men took one small step to safety with a 2-1 away win last time out against Southampton. Can they beat the teams around them and ... Continue reading →
Big transfer news in London today and it doesn't involve Chelsea, Arsenal or Tottenham. It's the 'wheeler and dealer' Harry Redknappdoing some significant work in the transfer market acquiring the French international Loic Remy from Marseille. Apparently, Remy ... Continue reading →
Loic Remy of Queens Park Rangers and James Tompkins (L) of West Ham United-Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
QPR visited Upton Park having held their opponents scoreless for two matches running, while the Hammers had earned just 4 points from their previous 5 matches coming in. The West Londoners were hoping to build on their platform of recent defensive stability to claw their way out of the bottom of the table, while the East Londoners were hoping to halt their slide down the league table with a good home performance.
- QPR History in Photos: From the 1880s to the 21st Century - The Bushman QPR Photo Archives
- QPR REPORT MESSAGEBOARD
- QPR REPORT on TWITTER! _____________________________________________________ -Past QPR Christmas and Boxing Day Games
- Boxing Day Game Last year (Played December 27): QPR Drew at Swansea - Match Reports and comment Paddy Kenny, Clint Hill, Shaun Derry, Fitz Hall, Adel Taarabt, Alejandro Faurlin, Jamie Mackie, Armond Traore, Joey Barton (capt), Luke Young, Heidar Helguson.
Harry Redknapp gets a lot of grief for not caring much about tactics and his inability to spell, use a computer or write above the level of a two-year-old. But after getting QPR their first win of the season, Adel Taarabt reveals the secret of Redknapp's managerial success.
Queens Park Rangers 1-3 Southampton Premier League 17th November 2012
After seeing his struggling QPR side produce a quite appalling performance at home to Southampton on Saturday, Hoops' boss Mark Hughes vowed to fight on.
Facing Rangers were a side still looking for a Premier League win this season, but Nigel Adkins' men were by far the better side on Saturday and thoroughly deserved the three points.
- QPR REPORT MESSAGEBOARD - QPR REPORT on TWITTER! - QPR History in Photos: From the 1880s to the 21st Century - Bushman QPR Photo Archives________________________________________________________________________________
- Next: Southampton: Old Progammes/Past Results
- Adel Taarabt Being Sponsored by Zoom Technology
- 18 Year Ago Today: Ray Wilkins Takes Over at QPR
- 9 Years Ago Today: Comprehensive Report on QPR's Top Brass Meet With QPR1st - Discussing Takeover Bids (Including Peter Ridsdale!
Arsenal's tiny London rivals QPR may be at the bottom of the League without a win so far this season, but after an improved performance in yesterday's 1-1 draw with Everton, Adel Taarabt believes that they can now build on that against Arsenal next week.
"We have a tough game at Arsenal on Saturday," he said.
As substitutions go, Mark Hughes' decision to bring Adel Taarabt off the bench against West Ham last night was a pretty good one. QPR were losing 0-2 and showing little sign of getting back into the game when Taarabt came on early in the second half. A mere 81 seconds later he produced the goal [...]
Is it time to start the Mark Hughes firing watch? Despite spending a ton of money on new players this summer, QPR find themselves bottom of the league after West Ham beat them 2-1 win at Loftus Road on Monday.
Video: QPR 1 West Ham 2
Big Sam's West Ham side are up to seventh after first-half goals from Matt Jarvis and Ricardo Vaz Te was enough put the Hammers firmly in control.
QPR were embarrassed 5-0 last weekend against Swansea. And The Hoops are on the road again, this
time at Norwich. That's the bad news. The good news? Norwich kept only 3 clean sheets at Carrow
Road last season, and conceded ... Continue reading →
Scandal! Round up the children! Release the honey badgers! Alert the President!
No, we're not talking about Chamakh's increasingly disgusting placenta-slathered
hair, but the fact that he and his Moroccan chum Adel Taarabt have been photographed
huffing on (perfectly legal) sisha pipes in a London bar MERE HOURS after QPR's 2-1 win over
Arsenal at the weekend.
- See the Truly-Brilliant Bushman Photo Archives of Old QPR - Follow QPR
REPORT on TWITTER! - QPR REPORT MESSAGEBOARD - Visit the
cutting-edge, football-only, QPR Report messageboard (and see items you won't usually read
elsewhere __________________________________________________________________________
- Year Flashback: 125 Year St Jude's Commemoration- 1974 Video Flashback: Leach (after
Bowles Magic) and Givens Scoring for QPR
- QPR Transfer Gossip/News
- The FIFA Report re Corruption and Bribes
- The John Terry Trial Updated: Verdict Today (Probably)
- Premiership, Football League, FA Response re State of English Football
- Ex-Southampton Captain Admits re Betting
QPR Tour Squad announced: NOT going on tour - Balanta, Barton,
Buzsaky, Campbell, Hewitt, Hulse, Nelson, Smith, Young
-
- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates,
comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and
off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general....Also Follow:
QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
__________________________________________________________________________________
Swansea vs QPR
Swans: Michel Vorm, Angel Rangel, Steven Caulker, Ashley Williams (capt), Jazz Richards, Kemy
Agustien, Leon Britton, Joe Allen, Wayne Routledge, Scott Sinclair, Danny Graham.
Neil Warnock's sacking by QPR after a run of just two points from their last eight league
matches was not as much of a surprise as one would expect. Warnock had not only saved the club from
relegation after joining from Crystal Palace during the 2009-10 season but led Rangers to the
Championship title in his full season.
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- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates,
comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and
off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general....Also Follow:
QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
__________________________________________________________________________________
- One of QPR's greatest-ever managers, brilliant captain, innovative free-kick expert (as player,
coach and manager) TERRY VENABLES Turns Sixty-Nine.
Arsene Wenger will launch a bid for QPR's mercurial attacker Adel Taarabt in January if they fail to land CrystalPalace's in-demand winger Wilfried Zaha, The Mirror have claimed.
It would appear Arsenal striker Marouane Chamakh has even more reason to stay away from fellow
Moroccan Adel Taarabt.
For gloating Taarabt has taken to Twitter to throw a jibe at Gooners after the defeat to QPR and
revel in his previous associaton with Tottenham.
Chamakh tested his relationship with Arsene Wenger at the weekend when he, along with Taarabt,
was photographed holding a shisha pipe following the 2-1 loss to Rangers.
