QUEENS PARK RANGERS boss Ian Holloway has gambled his transfer budget for the rest of the season in a bid to lure Andrew Davies back to Loftus Road on a permanent basis.
The 20-year-old Middlesbrough centre half impressed so much during his four-game loan spell at QPR last month, that the Rangers board agreed to make a bid believed to be around £650,000 for the talented Premiership player this week in an attempt to build on Saturday's surprise win at Ipswich Town and haul themselves back into the play-off picture.
If Davies and Boro boss Steve McClaren finally agree to the deal then it would be QPR's biggest money capture since the disastrous signing of Richard Ord from Sunderland back in the summer of 1998.
Ord, who cost Ray Harford £675,000, injured his cruciate ligaments in pre-season training and played just one game for the club.
Before that in Rangers pre-administration spendthrift days, Stewart Houston paid a more modest £500,000 for QPR's current longest serving player Matthew Rose from Arsenal, and a staggering £2.7million for striker Mike Sheron, who scored just 14 goals for the club in 18 months.
Holloway was also set this week to bring in Wolves striker Dean Sturridge on loan for the rest of the season with a view to a permanent move as he makes his final decisions to strengthen a QPR side that has once more been hit by injuries.
Both Matthew Rose (sprained ankle) and Lee Cook (back) are doubtful for Saturday's home game with Reading, while Tony Thorpe is still struggling with a hamstring injury.
The diminutive Sturridge has just one goal for Wolves this season, although the former Derby County and Leicester City forward hasn't played for the club since December.
He was on loan at Sheffield United last season and if Holloway can persuade Wolves boss Glenn Hoddle to part with the striker then he will be a useful addition to the striking options alongside veteran Paul Furlong, Kevin Gallen, Jamie Cureton and Thorpe.
The Rangers manager is still keeping tabs on Bristol City midfielder Tom Doherty, a long time target, who is out of favour at Ashton Gate.
One former QPR striker could be making his final appearance at Loftus Road on Saturday with the return of Les Ferdinand.
The veteran striker is finishing his football career as he started it - in blue and white hoops - but he will be looking to get one over one of his old team-mates in Holloway when the Royals come to London.
Reading have slipped out of the play-off positions recently in the wake of a run seven games without a win, and they are one of the teams that a resurgent Rangers will be looking to overhaul as they make a late bid for the play-offs.
QPR will be buoyed by the win at high-flying Ipswich, so expect them to take all three points from this weekend's clash.
If Davies is included in the line-up then Rangers will be making another big step towards a return to the big time. All QPR fans will be hoping that the Boro man is not another Richard Ord - that would be too cruel.
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QPR GO TO TOWN
Ipswich 0 QPR 2
By Noam Friedlander
QPR came with a game plan and left with all three points as they surprised automatic promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town at Portman Road to gain ample revenge for their 4-2 defeat at Loftus Road back in December.
Goals from Paul Furlong and Dan Shittu saw them pick up a deserved three points and to the surprise of many, considering the recent disappointments at home to Wolves and Preston, they were the consistently the better side.
In the opening minutes, Furlong burst into the box and was about to take his chance when he was knocked by Ipswich's Richard Naylor and went down in the penalty area.
QPR's penalty appeals were waved away by one of Rangers' fans (formerly) least favourites referees, Andy D'Urso, and Ipswich were given a free-kick in their own box.
However, Town goalkeeper Kelvin Davis' clearance hit Furlong's back some 25 yards out, QPR's leading striker turned, controlled the ball and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner for his 16th goal of the season.
The Tractor Boys threatened with Darren Bent causing problems for Matthew Rose and Marcus Bignot on the left. Yet Bent made little real impact as Rangers continued to dominate.
On 25 minutes, QPR thought they'd gone 2-0 up through Marc Bircham.
However, D'Urso disallowed the goal due to a push on David Unsworth by Furlong and midfielder Bircham ended up in the back of the net with the ball clutching his head after making contact with goalkeeper Davis' boot.
Ipswich had a few flashes of class, scything through QPR's defence as they tried to create an equaliser but Rangers were equal to the challenge and provided fans with one of their best away performances since the Sheffield United Carling Cup game in September 2003.
"We knew it would be tough and went in with a game plan," said club captain Kevin Gallen.
"Fortunately for us we went in 1-0 up quite early on, which maybe people might think was a bit lucky.
"We knew what we had to do - get behind the ball, don't let Jim Magilton get on it and dictate the play because he's a good player.
"So we did that and they ended up hitting hopeful long diagonal balls, which doesn't really suit them.
"It was an excellent performance. We were very disciplined and stuck to the game plan, the gaffer told us to do. I'm sure he's pleased that the game plan he stuck up for us worked."
QPR continued to frustrate Ipswich, who were also thwarted by an in-form Simon Royce, who made some key saves - including one on 28 minutes from Darren Currie, the architect of Ipswich's victory over QPR at Loftus Road.
Ipswich manager Joe Royle made it clear he was disappointed with Town's first half display and sent his players out five minutes before the restart but it failed to have the desired effect.
Both sides were quiet for the opening 10 minutes of the game and QPR were not helped when Rose was forced into leaving the field injured after a number of hard tackles left the long-serving player unable to continue. He was replaced by Adam Miller, a former Ipswich trainee, as Georges Santos moved from midfield to partner Shittu at centre back.
Both Miller and midfielder Martin Rowlands had speculative long-range shots but neither player troubled Davis' goal.
By this stage, Royle had made a double substitution, perhaps noting that this tactic against QPR in the last two matches has changed the fortune of the game to his opposition's favour, as Jim Magilton and Scowcroft were replaced by Pablo Counago and Ian Westlake. It made little difference.
The Rangers fans could sense Ipswich's frustration and as their vocal support got ever louder, the home supporters - like their players - were still agitated that they could not get back on level terms.
However, passes which had proved so tidy in the first half from the home side, were starting to look sloppy. QPR at this stage, on 70 minutes, were in control as the ball and Ipswich's luck started running away from them.
As the bitter winds picked up during the second half, so did the mood around the stadium and the home supporters registered their anger when, on 70 minutes, Shittu headed in his third goal of the season from Rowlands' inch perfect free kick to make it 2-0 to Rangers.
"I really enjoyed it," said Shittu. "We made a big effort today and wanted to keep a clean sheet.
"We've gone ahead in the last couple of games and then we've lost it and we came out at half time and said 'that's not going to happen today'. I wasn't going to go up there [when QPR won the free kick] at first but I got the flick on and scored!
"I surprised myself that I scored and I was screaming at their fans and then I realised, they're not our fans! I was just so happy that I scored, I really wasn't expecting it."
Ipswich weren't quite finished yet. On 79 minutes, Counago had a fierce shot on goal, which was neatly parried by Royce but, with ten minutes to go, Rangers still looked to be in control to collect all three points.
"Player for player, all around the park, that's probably the best performance I've seen from my players," said QPR manager Ian Holloway.
"We've really improved since the start of the season and we showed some belief today.
"We looked a team; we looked a unit and we needed to be because Ipswich are a fantastic side.
"I'm a very very happy man at the moment. I've got to say, our chairman, Mr Bill Power, has never had such a big smile than when he came into the dressing room after the game."
"We still need one more win and if and when we get it I'll take the players out for a party. We have real ambitions but the journey must be made one step at a time and I'll be delighted when we have at least secured our place in this division."
