City welcome the moneymen. QPR preview

Last updated : 29 January 2008 By Michael Morris
They have been taken over by a consortium that includes Formula One moguls Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone and the family of the fifth richest man in the world, Lakshmi Mittal. Mittal alone is said to be worth around £50billion.

Rangers are now managed by Luigi De Canio and he has added quality players like Rowan Vine and Fitz Hall to his squad. Rangers have moved clear of the relegation zone and have won four of their last 6 league matches.

Does having all that money guarantee success? Not neccessarily says Dave Jones.

"Money helps but it doesn't always guarantee you success. Look at Chelsea, they've spent hundreds of millions but might not win the league again this year.

"It's really a question of whether you can attract Premiership players to a Championship club.

"If there's a Premiership club or a Championship club coming in for a player, no matter how much money the club in the lower division have the player will always pick the Premiership.

"It's difficult, even with all that money, to spend it exactly where you want to. Sometimes you still have to go and buy Championship players.

"They've invested a lot of money, brought in a number of good players and are on a little run themselves.

"Expectation levels are high at QPR at the moment so it becomes a difficult game for us. But if we keep of level of performance high then hopefully we can come away with all three points.

"Maybe at this level it is possible to buy your way out of the league but that's a problem for them not for me.

"It would be nice to buy some players but at the moment we just can't, it's as simple as that to be honest."

On the playing side of things City are nursing Glenn Loovens, Roger Johnson, Kevin McNaughton and Steve McPhail after all took knocks against Hereford on Sunday. All four are expected to play. Jones has the option of starting with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink upfront after resting him on Sunday in favour of Steve Thompson. Jimmy only played a few minutes near the end of the game.

Q.P.R. could welcome back former Bluebird Chris Barker into their squad. He's fit against after a hernia operation.

Goalkeeper Jake Cole is boss Luigi De Canio's only absentee with a bruised thumb.

Gavin Mahon returns from illness and Adam Bolder is back after missing the weekend's win at Barnsley for personal reasons.

Damion Stewart is fine despite being stretchered off with a knock to the pelvis.