QPR last night abandoned plans to sign £1.5million Wayne Routledge on a permanent basis. It appears Hoops will now be forced to spend the £12 million budget for new faces on shoring up other parts of the squad instead. The winger himself left a message on his Twitter account this week he expects to start pre-season training with parent club Newcastle at the beginning of July â and Rangers are reluctantly pulling the plug on a player who gave them the final impetus in the Championship when he signed on-loan in January. Routledge made 20 appearances and hit five crucial goals â including a late match-winner at Reading on February 4 when Rs were down to 10 men. However, the former Tottenham and Fulham playerâs second spell at Loftus Road, following his sale to the Magpies in January 2010, only came about after Jamie Mackie suffered horrific cruciate damage in the FA Cup at the beginning of this January. Mackie is on course for a return to action in August, leaving Routledge no option but a return to St James Park. The south Londoner was the first man on boss Neil Warnockâs list for Rangersâ return to the Premiership. But after the treble disappointments of losing strikers Danny Graham and Steve Morrison to other clubs as well as being priced out of a bid for Peterboroughâs Craig Mackail-Smith, the manager is clearly keeping his wallet closed until he can nail down a quality forward. An Rs insider admitted: "Itâs a question of budget and priorities."
'Priced out of a bid for Peterborough's Craig Makail-Smith'... I think that says it all even though I don't think he's good enough...
Says who? Nothing on twitter from wazza regarding this. No sources have been quoted. As for the insider's: "it's a question of budget and priorities" When is that not the case" Until it appears on our offish website, take it with a pinch of salt.
Wazza did put this on twitter a few weeks ago. So at the moment our squad is currently WEAKER then it was when we finished the season! Not a good week, roll on next week.
All he put on his twitter was: "as far as I know I will start pre season at the Toon"......there is also another report that we are going after McAnuff so maybe thats part of the reason, Warnock prefers McAnuff to Routledge?
Shame that. Routledge has never been good for us but he seemed to slot right into QPR. If he was more comfortable playing in your team then that might have been enough to unlock some potential talent to do well in the EPL. He never has been able to do well at this level, but I've always through it was down to a lack of confidence more than a lack of ability.
He never seemed overjoyed to be back did he - and sounded non-commital when interviewed. Maybe Warnock changed his mind? Pity as I rate the guy as a player, and think he has the ability to do a job in the Premiership
I see the "budget" is quoted as being £12m. Yesterday it was £10m or £6m depending on which person with inside knowledge from "sources" you believe. It's all bollocks. Journos and some posters on here make things up, add 2 and 2 and make 5, take gossip as truth and then boil it all up into a nice little story or post. And guess what ... they all have "sources". Then, as Warnock pointed out the other day, occasionally one of them will be quite close to the truth. It don't happen very often, does it.
We cant afford the £1.5m? what the ****??? Not good news at all. Routledge has always been quality for us. This is only ok news if Mackie comes back 100% and the £1.5m can be pumped into Jay Bothroyds wages. Fingers crossed.
'... Jamie Mackie suffered horrific cruciate damage in the FA Cup...'. Did he? '... QPR last night abandoned plans to sign £1.5million Wayne Routledge on a permanent basis... '. Did they? '... An Rs insider admitted: "Itâs a question of budget and priorities.' I'm sure that's what they would say, if asked - as would every insider at every club!
This is disappointing but not disastrous. I would much rather have mcanuff down the right than routledge. I agree Wayne did well since arriving in Jan (but his main contribution was to take some of the pressure off adel) 5 goals in 20 games at Championship level is not a great return. In addition, he has never scored a premiership goal but played close to 100 games, he is far too small and lightweight (that aids his pace but the premiership is so physical now that he just gets muscled off the ball too easily) and I always felt he thought he was bigger than QPR. Will never forget that goal at Reading though!
To be fair I dont mind not getting Routledge of we get McAnuff! I cant see us paying £2million for him though and cant see Reading letting him go for much less!
I think Routledge has been brilliant for us in both spells and I am sure he would makle the grade in the Premiership as a QPR player. I've always been impressed by his defensive work rate as well as his ability to beat a man. Sure he ain't big... but neither is Messi! I would dearly love him to stay.
We need pace up the top, without Routledge we have nil. McAnuff is a good shout, but is he any better? And should we pay £2m?? Ambrose is a decent player on that side, but has he got any pace either?? A weird one for me
Again : Where is the proof ???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????? Wazza was always going back to toonland at the end of the season, that was his loan deal. The thread started with "QPR last night abandoned plans to sign £1.5million Wayne Routledge on a permanent basis." And again : What is it based on????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Tis a bad week for the R's. Routledge is exactly the type of player we need, i personally believe McAnuff is just a poorer version of him.
I agree would much prefer routledge think he would do a good job for us in the premiership lets hope all is not lost.
