QPR boss Neil Warnock has admitted that had the club not changed hands in the summer Heidar Helguson would have been sold. The Icelandic front man netted twice in the victory at Stoke at the weekend but Warnock has revealed that had Tony Fernandes not taken over at Loftus Road last summer then he would have been sold by the previous owners. Warnock said: "Heidar could have left last season. My previous owners didn't want me to retain him because of his age but I told them, 'I can see a Kevin Davies in Heidar.' "We don't play three games a week in the Premier League and he gets proper rest. "He's like a young pup at the minute, he's really enjoying himself. Yeah, he'll get injured, no doubt, but at the moment he's on top of his game and the first name on the teamsheet." http://www.setanta.com/ie/Articles/2011/11/21/Star-man-would-have-been-sold---Warnock/gnid-118459/? Thank god for Tony
Hooray for unsung hero Helguson You rarely see QPR's Heidar Helguson speaking in post-match interviews since he admits he lacks the confidence to speak in English before the cameras. But, if he will not blow his own trumpet, his performances for Rangers this season deserve someone else doing it on his behalf. The Iceland centre-forward has suffered from injuries over recent seasons and spent two spells back on loan at his first English club, Watford, since joining QPR but returned under Neil Warnock last season to score 14 goals in the club's promotion campaign. The signing of England's one-cap wonder Jay Bothroyd in the summer suggested that Warnock would utilise his ability to work the channels as a lone forward in a conservative system but since the club found itself with a more ambitious transfer budget following Tony Fernandes's takeover, Shaun Wright-Phillips has been pushed forward as a roving striker and linked up well with Helguson. The Icelander is excellent in the air, as was shown by the fine finish he applied to Armand Traoré's cross to score Rangers' first against Stoke despite taking an elbow in the eye-socket before he reached the apex of his leap. His second came from backing himself to lurk in a seemingly unthreatening space behind the defence and he tapped it in with a deft touch. They were both classic striker's finishes and he ended the game with five goals in his last five matches. Warnock has been so impressed by a player deemed too old by Jim Magilton, one of the Yorkshireman's predecessors, that he says his ideal January transfer target would be Helguson's twin brother. "Heidar has been as good as anyone we're after at the moment," Warnock said. "We have to monitor his fitness, though, and he's not been lucky with injuries in the past, but two of him would be marvellous." He may be 34 and largely unsung but Warnock and supporters of Watford and QPR clearly appreciate a striker who does so much more than "put a shift in". RB
QPR star backs team-mate to keep up his red-hot form - QPR - London 24 Heidar Helguson celebrates scoring against Stoke City QPR star backs team-mate to keep up his red-hot form Ian Cooper Monday, November 21, 2011 12:22 PM Mackie admits in-form Helguson has been ‘unreal’ for Rangers in recent weeks Jamie Mackie is backing Heidar Helguson to continue his hot scoring streak after the Iceland international’s brace against Stoke City on Saturday took his tally to five goals in six matches. Former Watford front-man Helguson added to his goals against Blackburn, Chelsea and Manchester City earlier in the campaign with another double against Tony Pulis’s side at the Britannia Stadium, to help send QPR up to ninth in the Premier League table. Mackie, who set up QPR’s second goal of the afternoon for Luke Young, believes the whole side have benefitted since Neil Warnock switched from the 4-2-3-1 formation he employed last season to a more attack-minded 4-4-2 system, and says they must use Saturday’s victory as a springboard for the rest of the campaign. “Heidar has been brilliant for the team, he’s fantastic to play with and I can’t really speak highly enough of him,” Mackie told London24.com “He has been unreal this season, he’s banging them in and I don’t see why that won’t continue. Game in game out he applies himself in the same way, he’s a great role model for the younger lads in the squad. “As a team we’re playing with more freedom, it says so much about our squad that we can go to somewhere like Stoke and not only get the result but get the three points. “We showed great character to come back from 1-0 down, it was a great win and we need to use that as a platform now. “We’re working from a solid base, keeping our shape and causing teams problems. The emphasis is on the home team when you’re playing away from home in the Premier League, they probably didn’t expect us to go there and turn them over. “We wanted to impose our own game-plan. We knew exactly what was coming, it’s not a shock to you when you go to the Britannia what’s going to hit you when you go there and we had worked on it during the week. We know that if we get the ball down and pass it then we can get something out of these games.” Mackie also admitted he wants to start getting on the scoresheet himself in the coming weeks, despite turning in another impressive display since his return from injury. The Scotland international has shown he is capable of playing both up front and on the right of QPR’s four-man midfield, and admitted he is determined to hold down a spot in the side. “I love playing on the right or left of midfield providing for people, I know I need to do my share defensively, but when I get into opponents’ half I have the freedom to express myself,” he added. “It’s a bit of a deeper role than I’ve been used to but I think I have adapted well, I want to keep setting up goals from that position and chip in with a few as well.” Follow me on Twitter @QPRTimes iReader
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I think his second on Sat was his first goal of the season with his feet. Missed a few sitters early on in the campaign but now the guy must be brimming with confidence. From what NW says, he is obviously very mindful of getting the most out of him without overdoing it. Also, the delivery into the box is getting better. Long may this continue....
fantastic header ok didn't need to jump for that but for a bloke of his height he has tremendous ability in the air, it makes you wonder why he played agy at beginning of the season?
It's actually the other way around, he has only one goal with his head. Three with his feet (one penalty) and one with his back Good point about the improved delivery into the box though, def a important factor.
Because we have stumbled across this formation in a nutshell . There was only a few of us that backed HH by far the best in the air in the league at the moment
Heidar dosen't do TV or radio interviews as he unfortunately has a speech impediment, ie a stammer. Shame really as it would be great to hear from him when he's had a great game.
Helguson is magic, he's magic and all that He Plays for Queens Park Rangers, He's such a lovely chap He Scores with his left foot and he scores with his right and when we play the chelsea... HE SCORES ALL F**kin NIGHT OOHHHHHHHH.....
His English is good. I think the club use it so as not to draw attention to the stammer. Which is a shame really, i'm sure Michael Palin would love him on board to raise awareness etc. But as a pro footballer, it's understandable I guess.
He did not play early on in the campaign so he was not missing sitters. Sub for 18 minutes in the first game against Bolton. Again sub against A.V. for 11 minutes "owned" AV own goal. Started against Blackburn playing the last 5 games scoring 5 goals. I believe his contract says if he is in the group for half of the games (19) in the PL he will automatically get one more year. He has been in the squad 9 times.
