Last time out in the league at home we were very undeservedly beaten by Liverpool. With the previous game having been the defeat at Tottenham I feared a potential run of defeats.
But when you dare to doubt this team of ours, that's when it always delivers a performance and what performances we got from them at the Etihad and St. James' Park. Not many teams will come from behind to get anything against City, home or away, and I don't think much else could have gone wrong at Newcastle.
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| The players and fans are on the same page says Scott Arfield |
To hit the woodwork four times and them all come out, while they hit it once and it flies in; to have to make three substitutions in the first 37 minutes and to go behind three times, it was a remarkable effort to come home with a point which, with any luck at all, would have been three points.
Getting a draw at Newcastle means they won't beat us this season, the home game having ended 1-1, so that's equalled another Premier League record for us; Hull were the only team last time who didn't beat us.
Sean Dyche has said it though, we need wins and points if we are going to achieve our objective this season of staying up. I don't know how many points it is going to take but you would suspect we would have to at least double the 17 points we currently have.
One thing we mustn't do is take tomorrow's game too lightly because QPR are not one of the top teams in the Premier League. The manager won't, that's for sure, and neither will his players. Those of us in the stands must do likewise. We know from experience that all games in this league are difficult and tomorrow's will be no exception.
Scott Arfield summed it all up when he said this week: "I think it's a big one but every game has been the same from the start of the season, we know what it is about and what we need to do.
"It's all about getting the three points on Saturday and we know this month could prove crucial come the end of the season, but last season we had the mentality of one game at a time, and I don't think that will change.
"We'll just look at the first one and that's QPR on Saturday and then prepare for the others."
The one game at a time mantra that served us so well last season, and Arfield said of the supporters: "The fans get behind us and the players and the fans really are on the same page here. They're going to turn up in their numbers and it's up to us to try and deliver."
At Newcastle on New Year's Day, it did feel for a while as if everything was falling apart with three substitutions before half time, but the picture doesn't quite look so bad now.
Dean Marney was recovered enough from his illness to play in Monday's cup tie and it looks as though David Jones, who missed that game, will be ready to return tomorrow.
It's looking good for Jason Shackell too after he was forced off at St. James' Park and there is a further defensive boost with Michael Duff, out for seven weeks, could be fit to return to the bench.
It would be no surprise to see us go back to the starting eleven that served us well during the last few weeks.
If so, we'll line up: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Keane, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, George Boyd, Dean Marney, David Jones, Scott Arfield, Danny Ings, Ashley Barnes. Subs from: Matt Gilks, Steven Reid, Michael Duff, Danny Lafferty, Ross Wallace, Michael Kightly, Lukas Jutkiewicz, Marvin Sordell, Sam Vokes.
Our visitors QPR have spent some time in the bottom three this season but just now they are 16th in the table with two points more than us. They've lifted themselves up with a good run at home; they've lost just once at Loftus Road since Hull beat them on the opening day of the season.
It's a different story on the road. They are the only team in the Premier League with less away points than us; they are still looking for their first point having lost all nine games on the road. That's a statistic we hope will still be in place this time tomorrow.
Harry Redknapp is usually at his best at this time of year once the window has opened but he has constantly been telling us that he's only able to bring in loan players. He's already added one in West Ham's Mauro Zarate who is expected to make his debut.
There is also a strong suggestion that Moroccan Adel Taarabt could be included. He hasn't kicked a ball for them since early October and has made only two substitute appearances this season in the Premier League. It's not so long since Harry accused him of being three stone overweight on his near £70,000 per week wages.
They went out of the FA Cup last weekend at Sheffield United when they made a number of changes; the team tomorrow is expected to be close to the one that played in their last league game, the 1-1 home draw against Swansea.
It was: Rob Green, Mauricio Isla, Steven Caulker, Richard Dunne, Clint Hill, Joey Barton, Karl Henry, Leroy Fer, Bobby Zamora, Eduardo Vargas, Charlie Austin. Subs: Alex McCarthy, Armand Traore, Rio Ferdinand, Matt Phillips, Nedum Onuoha, Jordon Mutch, Junior Hoilett.
Last Time They Were Here
When QPR came to Turf Moor last season we were top of the league, on a run of six consecutive wins and two points clear of QPR. Our only defeat had been at Brighton; they were the only unbeaten club in the four leagues.
This was, it was said, going to be the big test. Too many people had said we hadn't played anyone of note and it was true that we hadn't come up against any of the next five teams in the league.
If this Burnley team of ours was being judged that day then it passed with flying colours. We were forced into a team change too with Keith Treacy coming in for the injured Scott Arfield who had scored the winner at Ipswich a week earlier.
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| Two goals for Danny Ings |
Danny Ings got both goals in a 2-0 win, the second of them from the penalty spot. His linking up with Sam Vokes that day had been exceptional and I wrote: "I could base my report on Ings and his strike partner Vokes, and this is another story that cannot be told without their contributions, but this is a team game and the other nine players on the pitch deserve every bit as much praise from this latest win."
Our pressing was absolutely brilliant; we just didn't allow QPR any time on the ball and simply stopped them playing. Harry Redknapp dodged the press after the game but Kevin Bond agreed: "Credit to Burnley," he said. "They stopped us from playing. They worked extremely hard but that was no surprise to us, we knew they would."
Sean Dyche said: "I think you have to say that this is the best result of the season, given the quality in their ranks, the manager and the resources they have. For us to give a performance like that to win was terrific and I am so pleased so many were here to see it."
The big surprise was that it took us 65 minutes to take the lead, but what a goal it was when it came. Treacy and Dean Marney did really well to close off Karl Henry. With the ball won, Marney played it forward for Ings.
Ings played it on for Vokes whose reverse pass back into the path of Ings was superb. Ings took one touch to get in front of the defender before beating Green for a real goal of the season contender.
When the strike pair teamed up again towards the end, Ings was fouled by Joey Barton. He got up and converted the penalty and the points were ours.
It was one of the best performances of our remarkable 2013/14 season.
The teams were;
Burnley: Tom Heaton, Kieran Trippier, Michael Duff, Jason Shackell, Ben Mee, Keith Treacy (Brian Stock 90+4), Dean Marney (David Edgar 83), David Jones, Michael Kightly, Danny Ings, Sam Vokes. Subs not used: Alex Cisak, Kevin Long, Danny Lafferty, Junior Stanislas, Ryan Noble.
QPR: Rob Green, Danny Simpson, Clint Hill, Richard Dunne, Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Gary O'Neil (Javier Chevanton 73), Niko Kranjcar (Matt Phillips 73), Joey Barton, Karl Henry (Jermaine Jenas 68), Junior Hoilett, Charlie Austin. Subs not used: Brian Murphy, Armand Traore, Oguchi Onjewu, Alejandro Faurlin.
Previous Games against QPR
| Last 20 Years | |||||
| Season | Comp | Ven | Res | Att | Scorers |
| 2000/01 | Division 1 | a | 1-0 | 11,427 | Mullen |
| h | 2-1 | 14,018 | Smith, Taylor | ||
| 2004/05 | Championship | a | 0-3 | 15,638 | |
| h | 2-0 | 10,396 | Akinbiyi(2) | ||
| 2005/06 | Championship | a | 1-1 | 12,565 | McCann |
| h | 1-0 | 11,247 | Gray | ||
| 2006/07 | Championship | h | 2-0 | 12,190 | Jones(2) |
| a | 1-3 | 10,811 | McCann | ||
| 2007/08 | Championship | h | 0-2 | 10,522 | |
| a | 4-2 | 13,410 | Cole(3), Akinbiyi | ||
| 2008/09 | Championship | a | 2-1 | 13,226 | Blake, Mahon |
| FA Cup | a | 0-0 | 8,896 | ||
| FA Cup | h | 2-1 | 3,760 | Thompson, Rodriguez - after extra time | |
| Championship | h | 1-0 | 15,058 | Eagles | |
| 2010/11 | Championship | a | 1-1 | 15,620 | Alexander(pen) |
| h | 0-0 | 14,819 | |||
| 2013/14 | Championship | h | 2-0 | 16,074 | Ings(2 1pen) |
| a | 3-3 | 16,393 | Ings,Vokes(2) | ||
| 2014/15 | Premier League | a | 0-2 | 17,785 | |
Click HERE to see all previous results against QPR