There are less than a dozen games left to play in a season where a margin of around 15 points could see your club either pushing for promotion or flirting with relegation. Tense times in the Championship, writes Catherine Wilson as Queens Park Rangers continue to turn the screw at the top and Scunthorpe United sink deeper into trouble.
We begin off the pitch, and QPR’s unstoppable midfielder Adel Taarabt has won the Football League’s Championship Player of the Year Award for the 15 (and counting) goals that have helped cement his team’s position at the top of the league. Famously dubbed “the new Zidane”, he has run rings around his opponents this season and praise is being heaped upon Rangers’ manager Neil Warnock for his handling of the talented 21-year-old.
Taarabt found himself unable to make a mark on Harry Redknapp’s Tottenham Hotspur side back in 2009, but a successful loan spell last season at Loftus Road saw him eventually snapped up for £1m by QPR. Despite not hiding his desire to play for Arsenal with friend and fellow Moroccan international Marouane Chamakh, Taarabt has likened Warnock to a father figure and has been given the captain’s armband at QPR. The eyes of many a Premiership manager will be fixed on this young star as he looks increasingly likely to lift the Championship trophy on May 7th.
Taarabt was absent for the trip to Doncaster Rovers on Saturday, where QPR rounded off another successful week by recording a workmanlike 1-0 win thanks to a goal from Hogan Ephraim and regaining their nine-point lead over second-placed Norwich City, who settled for 1-1 at Hull City. The goals came from Zak Whitbread and Nicky Barmby.
In the playoff places, Swansea City opened the scoring with a cracker from Scott Sinclair, topping up his season tally to 17. On-loan Kris Boyd levelled for Nottingham Forest but it was a loanee for the home side who made the difference; a brace from Chelsea striker Fabio Borini secured three points for the third-placed Swans.
An exciting second half between Millwall and Cardiff City resulted in a 3-3 draw at The Den and left the home side ruing their missed chance to gain on Watford and Hull, who both dropped points in their games. Chris Burke netted twice for the Bluebirds but Steve Morison’s late equaliser earned a dramatic point for the home side.
Free-scoring Watford ended their run of five unbeaten against a spirited Middlesbrough side, who came back from Danny Graham’s opener to win 2-1 and jump from 20th to 18th. Watford’s narrow goal difference of 14 belies their high-scoring nature and a leaky defence must be the main cause of concern for Malky Mackay’s men. It’s a surprise to see that relegation fodder Scunthorpe United, 2-0 losers at Ipswich Town this weekend, have racked up more clean sheets than Watford, who’ve conceded 54 times this season.
Leeds United passed up the opportunity to displace Cardiff when they fell 2-0 at Sheffield United, who’ll hope to build on the result and claw their way out of the bottom three. They’re creeping up behind Crystal Palace, now teetering just above the drop zone after only managing to pick up a point at home to inconsistent Derby County. Misfiring Burnley need to capitalise on their game in hand after falling 2-0 to Bristol City at Ashton Gate, especially with other playoff chasers dropping points.
Following the popular mantra that you need to beat the teams around you, bottom-of-the-table Preston North End’s fans enjoyed a rare happy Saturday after their 2-1 victory at home to Coventry City, now in 20th.
Away wins for Portsmouth and Reading, at Leicester City and Barnsley respectively, rounded off this hit-and-miss week in the Championship, where there’s still so much to play for at both ends. Expect an increase in clichés in the coming weeks.
My key match on April 2nd: Leeds v Nottingham Forest; always an exciting tie. I reckon we’re guaranteed a high-scoring game between playoff hopefuls in this televised fixture.
Tags: Adel Taarabt, Championship Round-Up, Queen's Park Rangers