No one else would score the goals to take us [up]. If the players wanted to have a verbal with Adel we'd all loseâ The manager's tale: Neil Warnock Neil Warnock 12 June 2013 As a former manager of Queens Park Rangers, Neil Warnock has first-hand experience of just how inspiring and infuriating Adel Taarabt can be. Warnock knew the midfielder was the key to QPR reaching the Premier League but also that the Moroccan could implode at any minute. In his new book, Warnock tells a story highlighting just why Taarabt divides opinion. Itâs January 2011 and QPR, leading the Championship but feeling the pressure after one win in four matches, are playing at Hull City . . . Ten minutes before the break Adel completely lost it. He was unhappy the ref hadnât given him a foul and then he thought a couple of players didnât pass to him quickly enough. He argued with Dezza [Shaun Derry], then he signalled he wanted to be subbed. I ignored him. Curly [coach Keith Curle] was watching. âHe wants to come off, gaffer.â âJust ignore him.â âWhat do you mean?â âIgnore him. If he wants to come off, let him come over here and ask.â At half-time I told Curly to get onto the pitch and escort Adel off to avoid him arguing with the ref, his team-mates or the Hull fans who were on his back. I didnât want him sent off. In the dressing room, I tried to calm him down. I told him: âYouâre captain, you canât come off just because their fans are giving you stick.â Then I told the lads to give him the ball earlier. I knew some were unhappy with him but Iâd already explained to a number of them we needed to keep him on board to get us where we wanted to be. No one else would score the goals to take us to the Promised Land. If they wanted to have a verbal with Adel weâd all lose. In the second half Adel did okay but we had to settle for a draw. Next day I was doing a radio show when my phone flashed. It was a text from Adel. âGaffer. Iâm very sorry for what I did yesterday. It was just because I feel we can win the game in the first half. I know I have to control myself. I am working on it.â That summed him up. It wasnât like an English player having a strop, this is how he reacts. People forgot he was only 21 and every team was going to try and kick lumps out of him. We had to take the rough with the smooth. On Monday, before training, I showed Dezza and Clint [Hill] the text. Dezza had been fretting about how Adel had let the team down. I had to reiterate to them that while it would be easy to fall out with Adel, they couldnât afford to if they wanted to play in the Premier League. Then I told Adel how disrespectful to me the incident was. I said I classed myself as part of his family. âWould you treat your father like you did me?â âNo, gaffer. Iâm sorry.â âThe answer I want, and the way to apologise to the team, is to get us all three points tomorrow against Portsmouth.â Needless to say, he scored the first in our 2â0 victory and made the second. Clint scored that goal and as he ran back after celebrating he gave me a wink and a nod. We both knew neither of us would ever come across another player like Adel in our careers. Another extract from the book reveals how Taarabt stepped in to break a fight during training . . . The daft thing was the two players who got involved, Shaun Derry and Jay Bothroyd, were playing on the same team. Dezza had a go at Bothroyd and Bothroyd had a go back. The lads separated them but they went straight back at each other. I sent them both off. They were still at it in the dressing room. After a while we brought them back and Joey Barton got involved. âWhy is it always you, Jay?â âWhat are you talking about, whatâs it to do with you?â So those two start and guess who got in between them? Adel Taarabt! He was holding Joey saying: âNo, calm down, calm down.â It was so funny. I spoke to Dezza and Jay: âI donât mind a fracas but if anyone throws a punch or head-butts somebody theyâre sacked.â And with the spirit of good will to all men flowing through the club, we all went home to celebrate Christmas. The Gaffer by Neil Warnock is published by Headline, RRP £16.99. http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foo...-a-verbal-with-adel-wed-all-lose-8655340.html
And that, my friends, is the reason I don't won't Pal Joey anywhere near our dressing room ... and there are quite a few players who will still be with us in August that agree.
I either love Warnock or I love his PR team. I'm not sure which, and do you know what? I'm not sure I care.
Hes very clever at saying the right things to get the fans on board, something Harry could learn a lot from.
I don't remember there being even half as much unrest in the changing last season compared to this, and Barton wasn't even here! Sounds to me like Adel was the one upsetting most. It's about time we moved on from blaming joey for any and everything that has gone wrong these past 2 years. It's a very old record!!
Whos blaming Barton for this season? the only thing people are saying is that hed add to our troubles if he came back. Taarabt isnt the problem, in fact hes one of those pissed off at the people causing the problems not caring about winning and just caring about picking up their oversized pay checks.
I have to agree. It shows Taarabt at least gives a toss. Much more than can be said of the bulk of the other parasites.
And yet not one post on here is saying get bothroyd out of our club, as he seems to be the disruptive aggressor here?! Wasn't Barton our captain then? I'd want my captain to question a players attitude when he's starting rucks on the training ground!
I say get Bothroyd out because he is a lazy sod that for the main comes across as if he couldn't be arsed. Isn't he supposed to be a QPR fan?
And no one can condone Taarabt's behaviour in that hull game I'm afraid. If you really care about winning and doing your all for the team then you don't sulk and asked to be subbed just because you're not getting the ball quick enough!! You work harder to get it and talk to your team mates!!
do you actually read the board? Barton should have kept his gob shut especially when hes started more rucks than the rest of the squad put together.
Don't remember any players coming out saying he caused trouble amongst his own at qpr! And they all looked pally on that night out after we stayed up! You read too much gossip......
Always got the impression Barton got on with a lot of the squad. The divides were not his fault it was more a culture/nationality thing.
Is there a secret web cam at the training ground/ in the dressing room, or is someone exercising psychic powers to interrogate the minds of the players? Seems to be a lot of certainty expressed on here about what happens within the squad, in fact its all supposition. My assumption is that they behave like a bunch of seven year old kids at break time and working with them must be a profoundly depressing experience.
Its got nothing to do with trouble, its to do with him being crap. I dont need to read any gossip and my mate works for the club
