Queens Park Rangers will be under pressure to recover from a disappointing few weeks when they host Championship rivals Bolton Wanderers at Loftus Road on Saturday afternoon.
With both sides desperate for points following recent poor performances, Bolton will be keen to cause an upset as they look to pull away from the relegation zone.
QPR
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Before the season had even started, Chris Ramsey was probably the manager under the most pressure as QPR returned to the Championship, and the job is certainly not getting any easier as his squad look to prove that they are promotion contenders.
After failing to keep the club in the Premier League, some were surprised by the decision to keep Ramsey, despite having the backing of the players and many of the supporters in West London due to the way he conducted himself during QPR's toughest times in the closing stages of last season.
However, the mood is a frustrated one at Loftus Road after they failed to record a win in September, and confidence hit a new low when they slipped to an emphatic 4-0 loss to Fulham last Friday.
It was certainly a performance which suggested that this side have a long way to go if they are to challenge their rivals at the top of the table, and Ramsey must surely have been left with questions of his own after seeing such a talented squad collapse to make life far too easy for the Cottagers.
A reaction will be demanded by the manager and the supporters, but the task has not been made any easier by the hamstring injuries picked up by Charlie Austin and Jamie Mackie in the loss to their London rivals, and it will be down to the rest of the squad to step up to fill the void.
Trailing the leaders by nine points at this stage of the season should not have fans questioning whether this side can be in the promotion battle, but improvements are key over the next few games for Ramsey, who will certainly be feeling the pressure if his side do not stay in touch with the clubs above them
Recent form: WWLDDL
Recent form (all competitions): LWLDDL
Bolton
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Much like Saturday's opponents, September did not always bring the best out Bolton, but picking up five points from four games was arguably a good return for a side still struggling to produce their best on a regular basis.
After losing 4-1 to Huddersfield Town, another disappointing result looked to be on the way when they fell 2-0 behind to early pacesetters Brighton & Hove Albion before they fought back to claim a point in a dramatic four-goal thriller.
It was the kind of performance which suggests that there is more to come from Lennon's squad, but recording just one win in their opening nine games will not fill many supporters with optimism as they look to improve on last season's 18th-place finish.
Goals are clearly the issue for this side, with just six league goals to their name since the start of the campaign enough to earn them the equal-worst record alongside Preston North End, and there had previously been rumours that the club would look into the transfer market to boost their attack.
Former Newcastle United striker Shola Ameobi is currently training with the squad in an attempt to earn a deal, and Lennon will be hopeful that a new face could be the turning point in a frustrating start to the campaign.
As always in the Championship, it is difficult to make predictions in October but Lennon will be aware that his side must not become too familiar with the teams flirting with the relegation zone as they look to prove that the future is bright for the club.
Recent form: DDWDLD
Team News
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QPR will be without two influential forwards this weekend. Austin is set to be out for around a month with his injury, while Mackie could be facing a three-month spell on the sidelines after suffering a "significant tear" to his hamstring.
Leroy Fer looks set to return to the starting lineup after coming off the bench against Fulham, while Jay Emmanuel-Thomas could add another attacking option to the squad after recovering from injury.
Lennon is unlikely to make major changes after seeing his side produce an impressive fightback against Brighton last weekend, but Jay Spearing could be recalled in a move which would provide more protection in the visiting midfield.
QPR possible starting lineup:
Green, Perch, Onuoha, Hall, Konchesky, Faurlin, Henry, Fer, Luongo, Tozser, Thomas
Bolton possible starting lineup:
Amos; Pisano, Prince, Wheater, Moxey; Davies, Spearing, Danns, Wellington, Feeney; Madine
Head To Head
QPR did the double over Bolton in their promotion campaign during the 2013-14 season as they followed a 1-0 win at the Macron Stadium by securing a 2-1 victory in the reverse fixture.
It was a meeting dominated by Bolton for many years before those two matches, with the Trotters losing just one and winning eight of the previous 10 matches between the two sides.
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Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:
We say: QPR 1-0 Bolton
After the disappointment of an emphatic loss to a London rival, the pressure will be on QPR to produce a response but it promises to be a difficult spell for Ramsey's side without two of their key attacking players. Bolton will be tough to break down and must hope that two goals last weekend will be the start of an improvement for their own frontline. However, QPR should have just enough to recover from a frustrating September with a win.
Callum Mulvihill
