2 big dilemmas facing Mark Warburton ahead of QPR’s clash with Posh | OneFootball

Queens Park Rangers will be hoping to build on a confidence-boosting 1-0 home win against Blackburn Rovers with another victory against a struggling Peterborough United side this afternoon.

A 4-1 away defeat against Fulham last weekend, consigning them to a fourth Championship defeat in six games, could have been detrimental to their season after getting off to such a promising start to 2021/22.

But they responded well to Rovers’ attempts to frustrate them with star man Ilias Chair continuing his fine form and finding the back of the net on Tuesday evening – and currently find themselves in fifth place going into this tie.

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They could find themselves in sixth by the time 3pm comes around with Middlesbrough taking on Cardiff City – but the R’s are favourites to take all three points away from Darren Ferguson’s men away from home and would solidify their place in the top six with a win.

Scoring hasn’t been a problem with the likes of Chair and Lyndon Dykes – but they will be hoping to remain watertight at the back following midweek’s clean sheet. A leaky defence could prove to be costly this afternoon.

There are a few dilemmas that face manager Mark Warburton despite Tuesday evening’s win ahead of this tie – and we take a look at just two of them.

How can they adapt from Blackburn to Peterborough?

Soccer Football – Championship – Queens Park Rangers v Blackburn Rovers – Loftus Road, London, Britain – October 19, 2021 Queens Park Rangers’ Yoann Barbet celebrates with Rob Dickie after the match Action Images/John Sibley EDITORIAL USE ONLY

After QPR’s 1-0 win against Blackburn in midweek, Rovers boss Tony Mowbray openly admitted he came to the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium to frustrate the home side and try and nick and winner.

This showed, with Warburton’s men enjoying 65% possession, having 16 shots compared to the Lancashire outfit’s six and dominating for large periods of the match.

Despite coming into this match against Peterborough with Ferguson’s side struggling, they won’t be sitting back against Boro and after a much-needed win away to fellow relegation candidates Hull City, they will be desperate to claim consecutive victories.

They climbed above Barnsley, the Tigers and Cardiff with this win into 20th – and after working so hard to get back to the second tier after a lengthy absence – another win to boost their survival hopes would be massive.

And as the home side, Posh will be keen to make a fast start. With this, QPR face a totally different game from their last outing and will need to match today’s home side’s intensity if they want to win all three points today.

This adaptation will be key.

Soccer Football – Championship – West Bromwich Albion v Queens Park Rangers – The Hawthorns, West Bromwich, Britain – September 24, 2021 West Bromwich Albion’s Kyle Bartley in action with Queens Park Rangers Andre Gray Action Images/Jason Cairnduff EDITORIAL USE ONLY

Chair and Chris Willock started behind Lyndon Dykes on Tuesday evening, but with three very capable forwards in the latter, Charlie Austin and Andre Gray available at Warburton’s disposal, it makes you wonder whether the R’s should utilise one of their big strengths and go with two up top.

Dykes has started the campaign extremely well with five goals in 11 second-tier games so far this season and is in line to start again this weekend – but the promotion-winning pedigree of the two currently behind the Scottish international in the pecking order could come in handy for a side looking to stay in the top six for the remainder of the 2021/22 campaign.

In fairness, Austin hasn’t been in the best goalscoring form this season and Gray didn’t exactly tear the league apart last season despite Watford’s promotion, only scoring five goals in 30 Championship displays.

Still, having Chair behind Dykes and one of Austin/Gray could be the deadly combination needed to set themselves apart from other play-off hopefuls and against a leaky defence, the west London side’s manager might be tempted to try this out again.