The challenge to you all – not to turn this thread into an Adel Taarabt love/hate slanging match... DIAKITE – Has got 3 years left on his contract, and I don’t think he is on massive money. I was one of those who thought he was an awesome signing and was going to be brilliant. I have no idea what has gone wrong but something is very much not right. Doesn’t look like Harry fancies him much either which is worrying. Bottom line he is young and you can’t question his commitment when his head is right and he is on the field. Maybe the Championship might suit him -for me its cross fingers time, I hope he wants to stay and fight, we certainly haven’t seen the best of him, lets hope we do. (KEEP) DERRY – Has still got 1 year left on his contract, as squad numbers aren’t so important now I would definitely keep him going one more year as cover, we need his attitude in the dressing room and around the team, and if needs be on the pitch from time to time. I would also keep him for his Movember efforts as well – that man knows how to grow a moustache. Just don’t ask him to run very fast or play him at the same time as Clint Hill unless the game we are playing is musical statues. (KEEP) PARK – One year left on contract and we paid a transfer fee for this guy which I still find hard to understand. I have not been a fan, he seems to be slowing down rapidly, maybe he will be more effective in the championship, I suspect he will consider it below him. If he wants to go, maybe clearing his wages off the books would be good but the transfer fee paid would hardly seem good value for his efforts this year. I think he owes us, but I doubt he feels the same way. Also I’m not entirely sure what his actual position is anymore. (CONTRACT CANCELLED) Park goes home. TAARABT – (Deep breath here we go) – Has got at least 2 years left on contract and would command a decent transfer fee. I do have issue with him, you cannot question his skill, talent and football ability – he is brilliant and would easily be the most skilful player on any championship pitch next year, he is also fat and slow. His weight is a sign of his biggest issue that of his commitment, he thinks his amazing skills are enough. I just wish he would understand the player he could be if he committed himself properly to all aspects of being a professional footballer. Alas I can’t see him changing, I don’t think Harry values the good bits of Adel as much as many do, and the nonexistent defensive aspects of his game are a big concern. In the end I’m not sure QPR are a good enough team to be able to play Taarabt, I think it causes formation complications unless you build the team around him and I don’t think Harry will. I haven’t forgotten how he ripped up the championship but for me it is sadly time to cash in before his value falls any further (SELL) WRIGHT-PHILIPS – Where to start... If Bosingwa was Problem No.1 yesterday then this ****er is problem no.2. I have no idea what to do with him, Would McD’s let him flip burgers? If you look at his record since leaving City for the first time 8 years ago he has commanded well over £30 million in transfer fees, played a total of 129 league games, averaging 16 games per season, and has scored a total of 14 goals averaging 1.75 goals per season! What he has done this year at QPR is manage to under perform even based on his already shocking stats... he has 1 goal and just 1 assist. No one will want to buy him, I suggest we loan him out to anyone who will have him and at least offset some of his no doubt ridiculous wages until his contract expires in a year (LOAN OUT) GRANERO – 3 years left on his contract, and rumoured to have been signed for £9M, reported to have £5.5M release clause if we are relegated. Not sure he will want to stay and fight in the championship, so I expect his release clause to be triggered and QPR will take a near £4M hit and Estaban will **** off back to Spain. A shame as I thought he was a good player but didn’t really suit the Prem and didn’t really get a decent run. Expect to see him looking brilliant for a Spanish team sometime soon (SOLD) JENAS – I was disappointed when we signed him, I thought it was a mistake and that Jenas was basically rubbish. Shows what i know, he has been very good and seems to have a good attitude, can’t see how he won’t do even better in the Championship providing he stays injury free. Only signed an 18 month contract so has 12 months left and said he would stay even if we are relegated. (KEEP) HOILETT – 3 years left on his contract, transfer fee paid and he is young. Has a definite transfer value but has now played for two teams who have been relegated in two years. I hope he wants to stay and fight and start showing how good he can play. A year in the Championship will be no bad thing for him, should get lots of games and be first choice on the left. (KEEP) TOWNSEND – will obviously return to Tottenham when his loan expires. I think we have been suitably impressed though and I wonder whether we could sign him. I can’t honestly see him getting many games at Tottenham, he has spent quite a bit of his time already in the lower leagues and we do have Harry to persuade him. Having Hoilett and Townsend as our 2 options on the left sounds pretty good to me. I have to assume another Premiership side will probably want him and we won’t get him (DEPARTS) MBIA – Apparently only signed a 2 year contract, so has a year left, we were rumoured to have paid £5M for him... I hope we can persuade him to at least fulfill his contract. If a decent team offer money and agents start whispering I think he will want to go because of his international career, really hope we dig our heals in on him though (KEEP) BARTON – This is going to be Interesting, he has 2 years left on his contract on very good terms, that he will not get close to anywhere else. When his loan expires with Marseille, will they want to buy him? Even if we let him go on a free, will Joey accept the reduced wages in France – I don’t know. I think Barton has shot his bolt playing for any decent club in England, it won’t surprise me to see him come back to QPR despite what he says, at the end of the day he needs the money. Let’s just hope Marseille come up with a deal acceptable to all and he stays in France, a small part of me still thinks we could do with his football in the championship... (FREE TRANSFER) FAURLIN – Loaned to Palermo and has hardly played, they also have the option to sign him permanently. He is under contract with us until 2014 but you have to think Harry is not impressed otherwise why loan him out in the first place? Maybe with less squad number pressure Harry will give him another go, looking at the above and with the players that might go I think we need him back, he generally played well in the Championship but his damn cruciate knee ligament ****ed him right up and there are still doubts whether he will ever be the same player. I would have him back and give him another go but suspect he will want to stay in Italy (SOLD for peanuts) EPHRAIM – On loan to Toronto, but under contract with us until 2014. From what I can tell he seems to be enjoying it out there, he’s certainly a bigger fish in a smaller pond than he would be in the UK. I’m not sure he will want to come back and at best warm the bench or be loaned out yet again. I think he might stay in the MLS (SOLD for peanuts) ANDRADE/SHARIF/SIMMONDS/DOUGHTY/GIBBONS – All on loan in lower leagues/Scotland, all gaining experience and hopefully improving fitness levels HOWEVER I am hoping some of the kids can start to break through, but in order for them to do so we need to give them the opportunity, I’m not sure if they are ready, only those close really know, but i would like to think we could take a risk with some in the league cup and would like to see some on the bench, what they don’t have in terms of experience they should make up for with energy and enthusiasm., and we need a balance. Seems pointless constantly loaning them out it we never end up giving them a chance in the first team. (KEEP/LOAN) So potentially we could end up with just Diakite, Derry, Jenas, Hoilett and Mbia + kids. A few injuries and ACON and we’re ****ed. Also centrally we would have little creativity. I think Hoilett on the left, Jenas on the right, Mbia holding is good, we just need a creative passer in the middle and a lot more depth to the squad of midfielders. Maybe we need to find a way of retaining Tubbyrat, Park, Faurlin, Barton or Granero after all... otherwise we will need to be spending again.
Really good write these Cannock, well argued and reasoned, thanks. I'm with you on the ones to keep, but I think as you seem to conclude yourself we need more. Need more creativity that Adel gives us. Need also the passing skillls and ball holding that one of Granero or Ale can give us. If SWP maintains his speed after his operation, I think his speed will be very good to have in the Championship. If any of these are paid too much they must be forced to take a pay cut, otherwise they must expect hard training, the bench, and to be moved on soonest. I agree we should get rid of Park, Barton and Ephraim, though a replacement for another Barton that won't be sent off so much, will also be valuable in the Championship. I'd like Townsend to stay as well, but that seems unlikely if we go down.
Good work again Cannock. For all the current 'big name' midfield choices, there's not a lot in there really when you look at it is there? Certainly nothing in terms of heart and soul with the letter 'R' etched into their being. No guaranteed line leaders either, like Townsend's been for us lately. Still reckon it all hinges on Jenas getting his feet properly under the table this summer and taking this as his big opportunity to make something of a career that promised so much in his teens. His vision and experience could make him the midfield general we're going to need next term. This, playing CM alongside either Mbia or Diakite. Jermaine's susceptibility to injury has to be a bit of a concern there though. Whether he can grow into captain material or not is another question. Absence of character in the squad as a whole shows how and why Barton got the job so easily, even despite himself. If Jenas lacks the necessary oomph to step up, one of the back line will need to be there to call the shots imo. Anticipating a backlash from groans to outrage, if we have to keep most of the money men and they all saw reason to knuckle down, Bosingwa could just emerge as our driving force. (I know, but his recent performances, excellent dead ball potential and general belligerence all suggest a leader in the making.)
No ACON next year, reverts back to every other year. Next one in 2015 in Morocco. We could still be a little short in midfield if we did pick up some injuries. Also remember an additional eight games to play in the season on pitches which won't be quite the quality of the premiership against a more 'aggresive' opposition therefore injuries more likely. Need some creative quality in midfield to breakdown all those teams that are going to come with 10 defenders and a keeper. Speed down the wings to get quality balls in to the box, still think that Adel could do a very good job for us (if he wants it!) and Mackie, not maybe Premiership quality but can only have improved his Championship standings in the last two years.
IMO keep everyone except Barton who was signed by the Idiot NW. Move Derry into coaching role. Apart from Barton and the untried youngsters I am more than happy with our midfield options. In fact it's very very impressive Maybe it's Harold? as I give a few posters on here a hint what I think about him based on Faurlin ... Harold is wrong Faurlin has it in him I am certain to become one of the best midfielders in the UK ... when and if he clicks again like we know he can he is a brilliant player. Lots of rumours and i would ask each poster that reads Cannocks great list above to just ponder on it for a few minutes ... If you are left with a slight feeling that christ this lot should have done a lot better then you IMO are on the money. As for Bosingwa I am really pleased that a few are seeing his blokes talent at last ... He has to stay as his link up play with any of the above is very outstanding as i said one the first i would pick on the sheet They all stay IMO we regroup remain stable and go again ... Tell Harold to **** off if push come to shove but don't dismantle this squad. Hope the board sees it that way. You get a young manager like Laurent Blanc or others they would whip this lot into shape. If you wanted QPR to rise like a mega ****er then i would hire Jacques Santini
Hi Devon, I though it was every two years but i appear to be confused by another seemingly different tournament in South Africa set for 2014, it appears this is not ACON, but the African Nations Championship (CHAN), whats this then?? Do we still lose our African players?
I would keep Ephraim. He cared when he played, worked hard and knows what the club is about. He was very good in the first 10 odd games in our promotion season and will hopefully have improved since then - not gone backwards! He's exactly the kind of player we need as back-up. No point of having too many 'big names' in the team as we've seen that doesn't work. No point in relying to heavily on too few players either. I would keep him. Good enough for a CCC squad player!
the CHAN is for players who play within African domestic leagues only. Therefore its even worse than the dross served up at the main tournament. Its every two years so runs alternatively with the main tournament
Thanks Kampala, the CHAN sounds urrr ****e, although i guess the experience must be good for the younger generation of African players. Best thing is we don't lose our Africans for a month next season when we really need them! This makes Diakite, Mbia, and Taarabt (if your that way inclined) even bigger KEEPS for next year!
Ephraim is a shockingly bad player. totally invisible for most matches and especially when we need something to happen.
I think he's good enough to be a squad player in the Championship. We're too quick to write off players a lot of the time, and don't coach our own enough! In our promotion season he did enough when given a chance.
Too quick, hes been here about 4 years and shown nothing in that time, hes a L2 player at best or he may get a L1 team if hes lucky. I agree with giving players a chance but hes failed every time.
Thanks Cannock, that was a good read. I think Redknapp is the key to this and how he rates the players. I agree with Dave about Faurlin, assuming that he has fully recovered from his injury. He should be given every opportunity to prove that he has as I doubt we would be able to buy another player with his ability. I don’t think that Redknapp sees it that way though. That said we do know that Redknapp is happy to loan out players who he believes have a long term future with the club. Weren’t you touting Ale as a potential captain not that long ago Brixton? He certainly had an R etched in his heart, I wonder if it is still there? I’m more hopefully that he will allow Derry to step into a coaching role. Redknapp has done that with both Les and Clive before, so why not Shaun? I can’t see Mbia staying, someone will snap him up and we shouldn’t stand in his way, Diakite should make a suitable replacement for the season ahead at least. I also think that Park and SWP will stay and both will look infinitely better than this season. I’ve no concerns about Jenas nor Hoilett, both will shine next season. Granero must go, for his sake as well as ours, Barton must not be allowed back in the country. Ephraim played well at the beginning of our Championship winning season and kept Smith out of the starting eleven for some time; I’m not sure when his loan ends though, it may not be until the Canadian season ends. I’d give him another shot at Championship level, I don’t see it happening though. That leaves Adel. We must do all we can to keep him, he has ripped that league apart before and would do so again, but I fear he will go abroad. I’ve no idea about the kids, but this looks strong enough on the face of it but with no depth, a lot depends on what formation Redknapp has in mind.
I expect but don't necessarily want a big turnover. Does Harold still have the connections to get relative unknowns like Muntari in? Who knows. I'm pretty sure he won't be scouring the lower English leagues though.
Rollercoaster R, interested to see why you think M'Bia will be snapped up? I think he's been good, but not outstanding. Which club do you think will snap him up? I could only see a newly promoted team if any.
It is just a gut feeling. I reckon his agent will be agitating for a move rather than have him play in the Championship, probably back to France where he is well known, with an outside chance of Germany. I hope I'm wrong.
I agree that the players named in the OP should have done much much better this season. But if we were to keep the majority of the squad together - why would they suddenly play any better? Once you are in a losing run its difficult to get out of.
Faurlin needs to come back home to us. Quality player and well under the radar I also think m'bia will stay - the guy is completely nuts and fits us well even if I could live without the theatrics
