Ephraim: QPR can’t just rely on Taarabt

Ephraim: QPR can’t just rely on Taarabt

Ian Cooper, QPR correspondent
Monday, July 25, 2011
12:05 PM


Hogan Ephraim believes QPR must become ‘unpredictable’ if they are to survive in the Premier League next season – but insists the Rs are not over-reliant on Adel Taarabt.

Your viewEmailPrintGot a story?
Taarabt’s 19 goals and 16 assists last season earned him the Football League Player of the Year and has made the Moroccan the subject of one of the summer’s big transfer sagas, with his on-off move to Paris St Germain finally blocked by QPR owners Bernie Ecclestone and Flavio Briatore on Saturday.

Taarabt now seems likely to be present when Rangers kick off their campaign against Bolton on August 13. But midfielder Ephraim, who has been in impressive form himself during the Rs pre-season matches, insists that whether Taarabt is in the line-up or not, the Hoops will carry a threat next season.

“Adel’s a very good player, everyone knows that, but by no stretch of the imagination are we a one-man team,” said Ephraim, who scored four times in QPR’s 13-0 demolition of Tavistock last week. “We’ll be a good team regardless of who’s playing, we proved that last season.

“I think we’ve got to find ways of changing our game, we can’t be predictable every game. We need to be unpredictable, but I think we’re going to surprise a few teams.

“Newly-promoted teams normally come out of the blocks flying, and we hope to emulate that, but we hope to sustain it as well until the end of the season. We’ve got to get a good start in the opening few games and then build on that.”

QPR have been handed a kind start to their first season in the top flight for 15 years, with the home match against Bolton followed by trips to Everton and Wigan, before they entertain Newcastle.

But they face a series of much harder matches in the run-up to Christmas, with journeys to Tottenham, Liverpool and Arsenal, as well as home clashes with Manchester City and champions Manchester United.

Those games could well define Rangers’ season, and Ephraim believes it is crucial that his side avoid the kind of mid-season slump which affects so many newly-promoted sides.

“I think maybe your adrenalin goes. First half of the season you’re on top of the world, especially if you’ve never been there before, but other teams start to gain respect for you with the results you get, and they find a way of playing against you, and when the better teams find a way of playing against you it’s very hard,” added Ephraim.

“When you go into the Premier League every game’s hard, I don’t think there’s any game you can pin-point and say ‘that’s a definite win’, you even see that with the top five struggling against the so-called lesser teams so it’s going to be a tough start.

“But we’ve got a home game, the fans are going to be buzzing, first home game in 15 years in the Premier League, so it’ll be a great atmosphere.”

Follow Ian Cooper on Twitter @QPRTimes

 

The Lions literally played Taarabt of the park when we beat you down at the Den (he was subbed)- **** knows how he'll get on against the big boys! You would do better without him I reckon! It'll all end in tears!

 

Confident little chappy isn't he? I have to say I do like the mood in our camp. Our boys will try their socks off that's for sure.

This is also a massive season for Ephraim. Can he cut it or not? Its make or break time and I'd love him to be our surprise package.

Just bulk up a bit, would ye wee man!!

 

I like Hogan, seems a genuine nice guy

Check out his twitter account @HoganEphraim

 

Agree.

 

Hope you are right but seriously doubt it. I would be very surprised if we see much of Hogan in the Premiership.

 

I'm with you on this one CA, although he scored four goals against Tavistock, he spent the first half continually giving the ball away. We can't afford for him to do that against any Premiership team, and Tavistock don't really compare to any PL team!! Might have been good for his confidence though.

 

Yes, it must be a fantastic opportunity for players like Ephraim. A lot of last year's players must have resigned themselves to being sold or life in the reserves at best but with the lack of a influx of better quality options these guys are now looking forward to actually starting in the Prem. Good news for them, no so great for us I fear.

 

Teams are often only as good as the manager leading them.

Two of Warnock's main attributes lay in his ability to not only boost but also maintain a player's self-belief and motivation; and at the same time do the same thing at squad and team levels...

I worry that these assets are too subtle for Briatore to understand and that in reprimanding, gagging and reducing Warnock to 'coach' might have an adverse effect on Warnock's own energy reserves.

How this impacts on players like Taarabt, Bothroyd, Ephraim, Connolly and Moen in particular, we'll see as time goes on.

At the moment it's all good following the SW trip. Great spirits (just hope Paddy's okay contract-wise). Italy will test all that - and then we'll see what Warnock's got left...