? French striker poised to return after four-match ban
? Hodgson says Albion's league prospects depend on investment
Contrary to what might have been expected, given that this was a victory which in effect confirmed West Bromwich Albion's Premier League status for a third consecutive season and put a considerable question mark over Queens Park Rangers' chances of staying up, there was a distinct note of envy in Roy Hodgson's voice when the Baggies manager talked about his beaten opponents after this game.
In a position to address Albion's prospects for next season, Hodgson pointed out that they depended to some extent on what the club were prepared to "invest". And QPR, he said, were a case in point.
"They are a better team compared to when we played them at Loftus Road in December," he said. "There is a shift of quality when you bring in players like Bobby Zamora, Samba Diakit� and Nedum Onuoha, and it was harder for us today."
Hodgson did not mention the suspended Djibril Ciss� but it was hard not to believe this was a match in which the French striker's presence would have made a considerable difference to Mark Hughes's side. Rangers had plenty of possession but, with the often infuriatingly lackadaisical Zamora as their sole target man for much of the game, lacked a consistent threat in the Baggies' penalty area.
On the rare occasions Zamora did get a shot away and on target, the Baggies' goalkeeper Ben Foster saved competently, while none of Rangers' midfielders came close to matching the power and accuracy with which Graham Dorrans beat Paddy Kenny from 25 yards halfway through the opening period.
Hughes's irritation with his players' inability to raise their game to the level they have been achieving at home in recent matches was increased as this was a fixture he readily acknowledged had been targeted as one where they could improve on a record of having taken only two points from their previous 10 away games.
Whether Ciss�, whose four?match ban is now complete, would have been able to lift them out of their collective malaise Hughes doubted, but given how Albion faded and sat back in the second period, the game was crying out for an individual to make an impact. In Rangers' four remaining fixtures they play Tottenham Hotspur at home, Chelsea away and Stoke City at home before travelling to Manchester City on the final day of the season.
"You wouldn't have had Wigan down for a win [against Manchester United] in midweek, and I'm sure they wouldn't have had us down for a win against Arsenal, Liverpool and possibly Swansea as well," said Hughes. "But you can drive yourself nuts if you look at it too much, you are better off just focusing on the game that you have coming up and that's what we'll do. It's going to change, fluctuate and swing one way and the other. We've just got to make sure that it swings our way."
Making sure Ciss�, who has scored three goals but been sent off twice in the five Premier League games he has played for Rangers, stays on the pitch in those four last matches will help. "If we can bring him back I think we will see a lot from him, he has been frustrated from not playing and has a lot to give to the side," said Onuoha.
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2012/apr/15/mark-hughes-djibril-cisse-qpr
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