With all the fun and games surrounding Dion Dublin's last Carrow Road hurrah and the possible exit of City favourite Darren Huckerby, the potential threat of this weekend's opponents QPR seems to have gone unnoticed.
Sure, we all know there is a game on ? and a rather important one at that ? but standing between City and the three points that would secure their Championship survival is a resurgent Hoops outfit. With only one defeat in 12, Luigi De Canio's men will be no pushovers.
For all the emotion swirling around Carrow Road, the Canaries must get the job done on Saturday because let's face it, no one of yellow and green persuasion wants a meaningful trip to Hillsborough.
But with Mr Formula One, Bernie Ecclestone, and the world's fifth richest man, Lakshmi Mittal, as co-owners along with former Team Benetton owner and current MD of Renault F1, Flavio Briatore, as chairman, Rangers are Championship small fry no more.
After capturing the likes of Fitz Hall, a former Canaries target, Rowan Vine and Patrick Agyemang to name just three, the Hoops have one of the strongest squads in the division.
And despite sitting comfortably in mid-table with not a great deal to play for, they have plenty of performers who can hit City where it hurts this weekend. The one they all seem to be talking about on the streets of W12 is Columbian teenager Angelo Balanta.
Somewhat bizarrely, the flamboyant Briatore has likened him to a certain motor racing legend and if the Italian playboy is to be believed, Glenn Roeder and Co had better watch out. This 17-year-old striker means business – even if this weekend's showdown will be only his fifth start in QPR colours.
“Angelo Balanta is the new Michael Schumacher,” said Briatore in a Daily Mail article today. “He is very young, strong, talented and confident. Look at Alexandre Pato in Italy [with AC Milan]. He is a teenager and very confident but if you are talented like Balanta you can be.
“In Formula One now, all the drivers are young but when Schumacher came in he was 19 and drivers like Ayrton Senna, Nigel Mansell and Ricardo Patresi were in their thirties. When you are talented you feel confident and I see that in Balanta.”
With the Grand Prix power duo fully installed in West London after a drawn-out takeover process, their efforts are slowly, but surely, bearing fruit. And Briatore can see parallels between the Benetton team that Schumacher transformed, and his new Loftus Road charges. Exciting times seem to lie ahead for the R's fans.
“When I helped create Benetton I knew I didn't have the possibility to take Ayrton Senna or Alain Prost because I didn't have the credibility in Formula One.
“We needed somebody to go with us, so we took Schumacher. QPR are the same. We will be very prudent. We have a young squad and they can grow together.
“It's easy to come into football with a big fortune and leave with a small fortune. I will not sit back at all. I have a responsibility and a respect for my shareholders. I am very busy with F1 but I am sure I have one hour a day for QPR.”
But while all the talk is of wholesale change, Briatore is not about to play havoc with the club's proud traditions.
Billionaire co-owners Mittal and Ecclestone represent a wealth of ruthless business acumen, but Briatore insists the club will not be transformed into something the fans won't recognise.
“QPR are very sexy ? the tradition, the history of the club,” he added. “It is very fashionable and the last thing I want to lose is the history of the club.
“We have plenty of time to talk to the council about the stadium. We want to stay there. The location is one of the things that made QPR attractive. I don't want a stadium for 40,000 at the moment. 30,000 is plenty for now. Let's build up the club.
“The manager is a super professional guy. He is a transparent guy, very honest and he is working very hard. For the project we have at QPR, I feel he is the right guy to start it. I judge anyone by the results. For the moment, I don't have any worry because he has done a great job.”
In injury news, Hoops boss De Canio is expected to name a similar side to the one that beat Charlton 1-0 in last weekend's London derby. But former Preston man Agyemang could return after being forced off in the draw at Hull almost two weeks ago.
Hungarian playmaker Akos Buzsaky will also be pushing for a first-team recall after returning from an ankle injury as a second-half substitute in the Addicks success.
Key striker Rowan Vine, however, is a long-term absentee and is not expected back until the autumn after suffering a double leg-break in training three weeks ago.
For the hosts, there are no new injury concerns but expect a change or two after last week's frustrating 2-1 home defeat to Premier League-bound West Brom. It wasn't a poor performance by any means but after another day of frustration in front of goal for Jamie Cureton, the smart money would be on a Dublin-Ched Evans partnership.
In defence, the only option would be to draft Alex Pearce in for either Gary Doherty or Jason Shackell and if passed fit, Ryan Bertrand looks set to replace fellow loanee Mo Camara.
It is in the engine room where the intrigue really lies and player-of-the-season candidate Darel Russell faces a waiting game to see whether he will be recalled after dropping to the bench for the Baggies clash.
And with Huckerby and captain Mark Fotheringham sure-fire bets to start, it looks to be between Russell, Matty Pattison, Luke Chadwick and Lee Croft for the remaining two berths.
Tom Haylett
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