MOT View: Dangerously inconsistent QPR could throw spanner in the works for Leeds
Leeds United dropped off the Championship’s top spot at the weekend with their defeat to Sheffield Wednesday and will be hoping to make amends when they face QPR at Loftus Road this weekend.
It may seem like a straightforward match on the surface; Mark Warburton’s QPR are 15th in the Championship, have the second-worst defensive record in the division and were easily beaten 3-1 by Brentford in a West London derby showdown at Griffin Park last week.
However if this match is treated as though it is going to be straightforward for Leeds, then Marcelo Bielsa’s men are sadly mistaken.
QPR have been very inconsistent over the last few weeks, but that inconsistency is something that could throw a spanner into the works for Leeds as they aim to bounce back after their Yorkshire derby defeat.
Rangers won 6-1 against Cardiff and then won 5-1 against Swansea before their defeat to Brentford.
Before hammering the two Welsh clubs, Warburton’s side were beaten 5-3 by relegation-threatened Barnsley, drew 2-2 with out-of-form Charlton and lost 1-0 at Reading.
It is fair to say that QPR’s form is all over the place and Leeds cannot accurately predict what sort of side they are going to face at Loftus Road this weekend.
Another thing for Leeds to be concerned about is their woeful record when they have travelled to London.
The Yorkshire giants have won just one of their last 10 trips to the capital and have not emerged victorious in their last nine visits [LeedsLive].
It could be just ‘one of those things’ that’s not worth reading into too much – but after nine trips to London without returning home with three points, it is fair to assume it is no longer a coincidence.
QPR aren’t a team that Leeds will want to face as they aim to buck that trend this weekend, even though they are 15th in the league and have a shocking defensive record.
Stats by WhoScored show that QPR rank sixth in the Championship for the average shots on target per match [4.4], seventh for dribbles per game [9.2] and fifth for average possession [53.1%].
QPR are definitely one of the best attacking teams in the league despite their lowly position.
Their defence can be exploited but Leeds’ own defensive record as of late has been poor and Warburton’s attackers will look to tear holes into the Whites’ rearguard with their impressive movement in possession.
Leeds fans will want all three points at Loftus Road on Saturday and many will be predicting that to happen.
However the stats and recent history show that nothing can be taken for granted when the Whites make their way to the capital.
In other Leeds United news, there’s been an update on Leeds’ pursuit of Billy Sharp.