Happy Thursday, everyone. Joe the Curmudgeon here, holding down the fort today as Dear Leader El Brucio is in Kansas City for the MLS SuperDraft and probably cleaning Oklahoma Joe's out of every last scrap of meat... Just a bit of news for today...
MLS SUPERDRAFT
...And with the First Pick in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, Impact Montréal select Andrew Wenger D/F from Duke.

So finally this much-vaunted "Game in Hand" is upon us. Truth be told, I will be a little sad to see it go. It has practically become part of the family, like a scruffy, uncouth urchin discovered in the wreckage of the summer riots, and adopted by the cheery folk of White Hart Lane. And let's face it, this Game in Hand has proved more useful than the Sword of Omens when it comes to pointless bickering with fans of l'Arse, Chelski, Liverpool and the like.

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("Photo" by haqpr1963)
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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.

photo by Gerhard Steenkamp/ISIphotos.com

By FRANCO PANIZO

Aston Villa finished 2011 with a big upset victory over Chelsea, and Brad Guzan played a part in making that happen.

In his fifth start of the season, Guzan helped the Villans stun Chelsea, 3-1, on Saturday.

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- (Photos - of course - from the Bushman Archives)
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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.

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Tony Currie Turns Sixty-Two
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Happy New Year to all QPR Fans across the Globe
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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.

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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
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ALESSANDRO PELLICORI
- The stories are all in Italian, but the web translations seem to suggest there are certain problematic claims being made re a match he played in Italy.

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- NEXT: Arsenal-QPR: Past Games/Reports/Photos..."Played for Both Clubs"
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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.

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- On This Day, Six years ago: "QPR are now Sailing in Safe Waters" Statement
(Photo from Indys)-- NEXT: Arsenal-QPR: Past Games/Reports/Photos..."Played for Both Clubs"
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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.

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- Ex-QPR Frank McLintock Turns 72
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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.

With the loss of Gareth Bale and Aaron Lennon on Sunday, Spurs lost much of the potency that had helped them climb the Premiership table and into third place.

Ultimately we won the game but if you saw a brief but apt Match of the Day package on Sunday night, you'll have seen where Bale in particular, was sorely missed.

Arsenal could only manage a draw against Fulham on Saturday as they move up to sixth, in the English Premiership table. Speaking after the game, manager Arsene Wenger explained that the players showed signs of fatigue ...

A balance sheet that reads hundreds of millions more Euros in expenses than income. A defender who is just returning from a suspension enforced because of his use of banned substances. A star striker, former captain, who is on strike and refusing to play for the club anymore. On the brink of an exit from the European Champions League after a defeat by Napoli in Italy.

Sitting uncomfortably in 18th position in the Premiership table after winning just two of their last nine league games, Bolton have been regarded by some as a fairly simple challenge for Arsenal in tonight's Carling Cup fourth round. However, the rumoured line-up for the Trotters looks anything but easy to beat.

Although the winter transfer market is still far away, Tottenham Hotspurs have already set one of their main transfer target in January, which is Bolton Wanderers' star defender, Gary Cahill, who was actually targeted since this summer.

Confirmation about Spurs' undying interest on Cahill, arrives from the Lilywhites' manager, Harry Redknapp, who revealed to the press his hope to finally acquire the center back's signature after failing to do so in the summer market.

After Tottenham's fine victory over Liverpool at the weekend, much of the talk amongst players and staff has been over the form of Emmanuel Adebayor who has underlined what we all knew during the barren transfer window of January 2011. A world class striker can transform a side and we all hope that Ade's goals help to propel the side right up the Premiership table.

So, Swansea City now have their first win under their belt, scoring their first goals and securing their first ‘sell out' of the season as the stadium finally hit the 20,000 mark.

It's been a long time coming but the Swans can now breathe a huge sigh of relief, with the vital three points propelling Brendan Rogers's side into fourteenth and after a superb performance on Saturday, Swansea fans will be wondering whether pundits may have been too quick to right off the team as relegation fodder only a few weeks into the new season.

It'd be hard to find many teams that have had a more difficult start to the season than the Gunners. But few will argue that the next club to host Arsenal isn't facing desperate times.

As a Gooner one can sympathize with another club that is looking to do things the right way. The new owners don't seem to be very popular amongst the Ewood Park faithful but won my approval when they sacked Fat Sam.

With Newcastle needing a victory fast to avoid getting sucked in to the fight at the bottom end of the Premiership table, it was with much anticipationm and some trepidation that I began viewing this game. After the kickoff, Newcastle seemed to get off to a fairly brisk start with Peter Lovenkrands leading an attack [.

It's been a while since I looked at the Premiership table with more than a cursory glance. And what I saw left me wondering whether any team will be able to hit the 80 point mark this season.

I did a quick look back over the last decade and in each year the winning team has crossed 80 points.

There was just one Premiership game being played on Sunday as Roberto Matteo's West Bromwich Albion travelled to Ewood Park to pit their wits against the new management team at Blackburn. The Indian owners of Rovers are standing firmly behind their man since Allardyce's departure and Kean didn't do his cause any harm today.

Ireland international Seamus Coleman is hoping to celebrate his new improved contract with a win against West Ham this weekend.
The young Donegal born midfielder says he is keen to keep impressing after signing a four-and-a-half year deal.
Coleman extended his stay on Merseyside until at least 2015; the latest in a series good news stories since he arrived from Sligo Rovers in January 2009.

There may have been am element of luck involved but Carlton Cole's 78th minute winner must have given manager Avram Grant some much needed breathing space as rumours continue to circulate concerning the future of the Israeli and his job as West Ham manager. A hard working display from The Hammers who played out the last 30 minutes with ten men after Victor Obinna red card saw them pick up a 2-1 victory over another team flirting with relegation, Birmingham City, whilst giving them the advantage going into the second leg of The Carling Cup and a potential trip to Wembley on February 27th.