Hasselbaink: The rebuilding job at QPR doesn’t faze me... you are always planning ahead 16:00 15 March 2016 By Sean Gallagher, QPR correspondent please log in to view this image Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is not concerned about the prospect of rebuilding his QPR squad this summer PA Archive/Press Association Images QPR boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink is unconcerned over the prospect of rebuilding his squad this summer, with nine players out of contract at Loftus Road. please log in to view this image In-form winger Junior Hoilett, Alejandro Faurlin, Clint Hill and Rob Green are among those whose deals run out at the end of the season. The situation could leave Hasselbaink with a big rebuilding job - a familar theme at Loftus Road over the few last years - during his first pre-season at the club, but he is fully prepared for this. He said: “Yes, we have a few players out of contract, that is true, I think there are nine. Les and myself are aware of this and we are looking at the players who will be offered new deals and we know more or less the people who will be leaving. “Some are playing for their futures and some are not. “Behind the scenes we are planning and what we have to do is normal at any healthy club. “It doesn’t mean just because people are in and out of contract you are planning for their future just now, you are always planning ahead. “You obviously like to have constants at a club, but the time comes when people are out of contract and you have to deal with that - this is life.” The former Burton Albion boss reserved special praise for Hoilett, who has been in excellent form over the last couple of months, and has found the net on five occasions since he took over as manager in December. Hasselbaink told the Times at the end of last year that he is a long-time admirer of the former Blackburn winger and made it clear he was a big part of his long-term plans at the club. However, with Hoilett’s contract set to expire in July and the Canadian one of the highest earners at the club, it is unlikely he will be offered a new deal. On the topic Hasselbaink said: “Junior’s application and commitment has been tremendous on and off the ball, that includes in training and in games. “He’s a very talented player and I’ve been really happy with the way he has been playing. I’m not sure what will happen with him. “First and foremost though you can’t take nothing away from the team. You need individuals to make it work for the team but everybody has been great, and as a result we’ve got some excellent results on the board recently.” Elsewhere, Hasselbaink heaped praise on midfield general Karl Henry, another player who is out of contract at the end of the current campaign. “Karl gives us a platform to be able to play football, to pass the ball, to break things down, and to stop the flow of the game,” explained the 43-year-old. “He’s been doing that ever so well recently, and that was especially the case against Brentford. You need those kind of players to have a good team. You cannot have 10 (Tjaronn) Chery’s or 10 (Junior) Hoilett’s - that doesn’t work. “It is those players like Henry who make these other players play well, and from that you can become a solid team and be successful together.”
Call me old fashioned, but if you want to keep a player on your books for the following campaign, isn't it wise to deal with their contract now rather than at the end of the season if there's a likelihood of losing them in May? If I were a decision maker within this club I would be assuming making the play-offs is unlikely and start building my Championship squad for next year (in terms of the stayers) right now. The fact that they're not dealing with the likes of Hoilett right now suggests to me that they can't afford him and he's going to be let go. But then again, I eat my own bogies sometimes.
i cant imagine junior will stay because we certainly cant afford to pay him the wages hes been getting and i think a prem team will come in for him
The Hoilett contract situation is similar to Charlie's. Lack of planning at the club means he will probably leave for nothing in the Summer. At least we got £4m for Charlie with 6 months left on his contract. £4m wasn't much considering his goal scoring record the previous season. I would ask the question, did we try to sell Hoilett in the January window to at least get some cash in the door?
Sounds as though we may be building for 17/18. As long as there is progress and some semblance of footballing common sense, that is fine with me.
I doubt if there would have been any takers before the last month or so as he was a complete waste of space. His only major contribution was the last minute mis-hit cross which Keogh teed up for OBZ. Four years of top wages for a month of good form is no way to market yourself, I think we all know he'll be off to the club that offers the biggest 'wedge' in the summer...
How do you know they haven't begun discussions ? They don't have to tell fans absolutely everything that goes on, day-by-day ??? Now we are working within a tight budget, maybe agreeing Junior now, may compromise a potentially great replacement on the radar at less money later, which maybe better for the club ? As JFH and Les have said, no player is indepensible.
