Holloway hoping for revenge against London rivals Brentford

Posted Sunday, November 26, 2017 by PA

QPR manager Ian Holloway is relishing the chance to set the record straight when his side take on London rivals Brentford in the Sky Bet Championship.

Brentford have already won once at Loftus Road this season, a 4-1 success in the Carabao Cup which Holloway said at the time had "spiced up" future fixtures between the clubs.

"This is a whole new ball game," Holloway told a pre-match press conference.

"I had to make a few changes in the last game, I was trying to reintegrate some into my squad fitness-wise and I needed the ones who hadn't played to play, so that was always going to be the plan.

"Unfortunately that backfired, we lost 4-1. At 3-0 down it was pretty shocking but I felt that was the first time we showed, as a second string, a character.

"We got back in it at 3-1 and had the better of the second half by quite a way and how we didn't get a second goal was unbelievable. Then they go and get the fourth which made it an unfair scoreline."

Holloway faces a defensive injury crisis after Joel Lynch suffered a foot injury against Derby in midweek to leave Rangers without a senior centre-half.

Nedum Onuoha, Grant Hall, James Perch and Steven Caulker remain long-term absentees while Darnell Furlong has a knee problem.

"If I could pick some more defenders it'd make it easier for me, but whatever I do we'll have a go at it and have a right go at them," Holloway added.

"I know they'll do that to us because everything goes out the window and I can't wait for it to be honest."

Brentford are two points and one place above QPR in the table and midfielder Ryan Woods believes the Bees can start aiming higher if they learn to "win ugly".

"We've lost one game in 11, that's play-off form if not promotion form," Woods told a pre-match press conference.

"I remember what Dan Bentley said earlier on in the season about us needing to win games ugly, particularly away from home. We can play our football in the way that we like to, but we've also got the other side to our game now."