Premier League: Saturday 2nd February, 12:45. QPR Vs Norwich

Whisper it in his presence, but it seems that Harry Redknapp just cannot help himself when it comes to the wheeling and dealing of the transfer window. After spending much of January resembling a somnambulist who has forgotten where the fridge is, Redknapp finally secured a number of dealson deadline day, includingone for the club sandwich of a defender that is Christopher Samba. Samba has everything you could possibly want in a player who is being brought in to stave off relegation to the Championship; he is strong, good in the air, has experience of the Premier League, and a controlled aggressive character. With the departure of Ryan Nelsen, who has joined the coaching staff of Toronto FC of Canada, Samba is not just a replacement; he represents an upgrade.

Norwich swooped for Luciano Becchio on deadline day, which should provide the Canaries with a solid Plan B option as opposed to banking on Grant Holt. With the 1-1 draw at home to Spurs on Wednesday night, Norwich will be confident ahead of Saturday’s trip to West London, a result that ended a nightmare run of defeats.

Current Form

It is QPR who go into the game with the best form, taking six points out of their last 15 available. Although the Hoops were destroyed by MK Dons in the FA Cup, they are coming into this fixture off the back of Tuesday’s morale-boosting draw against the champions, Manchester City. Norwich, likewise, are entering the game after a draw against a higher-calibre side in Tottenham, but have only taken two points from their last five games. They lost three out of this five, which included a 0-5 drubbing away at Anfield.

Playing Styles

Since Redknapp took over, QPR have indeed been playing the ‘Harry’ way; a very-English 4-4-2 which utilises nippy and nimble wingers. Interestingly, against Manchester City Esteban Granero partnered Löic Rémy, picking up the ball from deeper and using his passing ability to find the Frenchman. Adel Taraabt played on the left that night, but wherever Redknapp utilises him he tends to have a free role, using his flair and trickery to try and turn games on their head. Norwich’s play is slightly different. Hughton prefers to play a 4-4-1-1, with the big target man Grant Holt the recipient of crosses from pinpoint marksmen such as Anthony Pilkington and Robert Snodgrass. Wes Hoolahan is the man who plays just behind Holt usually, linking the midfield and the attack. Both teams use combative midfielders in the middle of the park, so this could be a contest which is decided in the midfield.

Match Result

Recent form suggests we could be in for a bore draw at Loftus Road. QPR are the favourites and can be found short with many bookmakers, the best odds lying with Blue SQ and Ladbrokes who have Rangers at Evens. Norwich are considered outsiders for this one, which is probably taking into account recent form and QPR’s sudden revival; Bet365 are offering Norwich for the win at 10/3. However, the draw seems the most likely option with Rangers failing to put in a performance against less-fancied sides. A stalemate is being touted at 5/2 by many bookmakers, but Bet365, BetVictor and Stan James are offering the best deal here at 13/5. For those who wish to plump for a likely low-scoring draw, the 0-0 can be found at 21/2 with BetVictor, while BetVictor and William Hill are offering 13/2 on the 1-1.

Goals

Not only does this fixture scream deadlock, but it also looks set to be a low-scoring game too. With both teams only scoring one goal in their last three league games, the signs point to a dearth of goals in this clash. Given that, the Over/Under 2.5 market could prove handy here, and BetVictor are offering 19/20 on there being under 2.5 goals in the game.

For first goalscorer, it may be worth putting some money on QPR’s January signing Löic Rémy. The pacey forward seems to be enjoying getting in behind Premier League defences, and looked sprightly against Manchester City. Coral are offering 11/2 for the Frenchman to score first. With one goal to his name in three Premier League appearances, Rémy will be looking to improve on this number against the Canaries, and should be presented with a few chances.

Meanwhile, for Anytime Goalscorer, LucianoBecchio is being touted at 11/4 with Stan James. With Norwich lacking an eye for goal in recent weeks, don’t be surprised if the Argentinian begins his quest for goals against Rangers. While he may not start, he is a proven goalscorer, and if given the chance, he is quick to capitalise. In addition to this, Grant Holt may be a tempting option to score anytime. The forward should retain his place in Norwich’s side as Hughton may be reluctant to change anything from Wednesday’s draw with Spurs. Against a QPR side that have conceded nine out of 22 goals from set-pieces, Robert Snodgrass’s ability from a dead-ball situation may cause problems for QPR, especially when combined with Holt’s heading prowess. You can find him at 11/4 with Blue SQ.

Specials

With QPR boasting a number of ‘spiky’ individuals in their squad, the card market will be a very interesting one to look at. Stephane Mbia is one particular individual who seems to collect cards like international caps, and as such SkyBet have him at 5/2 to be shown a card. If Redknapp plays Shaun Derry as well, there could well be a card for him and SkyBet will offer you 6/4 on that outcome.

Betting on corners may prove fruitful as well. On average per match, QPR take five corners, and Norwich four. Going by this average, it may be worth taking up Stan James’ offer of there being under 11.5 corners in the game for 20/21.

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