JOHN Gorman says the Blues must beware a Queens Park Rangers backlash in their Championship fixture at Loftus Road tonight (kick-off 8pm).

Elvin King

JOHN Gorman says the Blues must beware a Queens Park Rangers backlash in their Championship fixture at Loftus Road tonight (kick-off 8pm).

Gorman is predicting a close game having worked as assistant to manager Jim Magilton at Ipswich from January to April and at QPR from June to December last year.

“Ipswich will be safe from relegation,” is Gorman's first comment, which is reassuring considering their current plight and with four away matches on the bounce coming up.

“But for Rangers this is an ideal game for them.

“They will want to erase memories of Saturday's defeat at bottom club Peterborough, and they have a good enough team to do that.

“It will be close and it is a game that I would like to see.

“But it would be awkward to go back in my position - I haven't had a chance to say goodbye to Rangers staff yet!”

Former England coach Gorman departed Portman Road along with Magilton two games before the end of last season, and he was also a casualty when Magilton left Rangers after a dressing room incident with Akos Buzsaky after a game at Watford on December 7.

Magilton and Gorman lifted QPR into serious play-off contention at a club that have had five managers inside the last 12 months.

Paul Hart came in to replace them but he has been and gone and Mick Harford is the current manager with Gorman, who is hoping to get back into football, stressing that despite all the upheavals Rangers have some quality players.

“Let me say first of all that Wayne Routledge, who has been sold, the injured Martin Rowlands and Gavin Mahon and the suspended Mikele Leigertwood and Peter Ramage will all be missed,” said Gorman.

“Having Lee Cook back fit is a big plus for them however and Jay Simpson is a danger man and likely to come in and replace the ineligible Tamas Priskin.

“We missed having Lee around after a knee operation as he adds stability to the side and has a good left foot.

“There is enough quality left in the squad to trouble Ipswich.

“I'm sure Roy Keane's side has turned the corner, but it's difficult to move up the table when you're playing okay but only drawing.”

Looking back on the scenario that led to his departure from Rangers, Gorman said: “It was going okay and we were looking towards the top section of the table.

“But a heavy penalty was paid for one weekend.

“After losing 5-1 at home to Middlesbrough we were at Watford two days later on a Monday night. We lost 3-1, which was a blow but if there had been more of a gap between fixtures it would not have looked so bad.

“As I said before it was a case of a mountain being made out of a mole hill.”

Magilton is currently spending time in his native Belfast following the death of his mother.