QPR star: deadline day signings make us a Championship force Charlie Austin Charlie Austin Ian CooperThursday, September 5, 2013 10:00 AM Charlie Austin believes QPR are a force to be reckoned with in the Championship this season after Harry Redknappâs deadline day triple-signing. . .. Redknapp completed season-long loan deals for midfielders Niko Kranjcar and Tom Carroll, as well as defender Benoit Assou-Ekotto, in a dramatic final few hours of the transfer window on Monday evening. Striker Austin believes that the trio will boost a QPR side who are unbeaten in their five league games so far this season and sit second in the table going into the international break. âThe squad we have and the players we have brought in, we should be a force in the Championship and keep this unbeaten run going,â said Austin. âQPR have just come out of the Premier League and they still have Premier League players. Look at who they have just brought in on Monday. That shows the ambition. âNiko Kranjcar has played in the Premier League and heâs a really exciting player. To learn from him and have him supplying balls in for me, hopefully that will make me a better player.â Kranjcar arrived at QPR from Dynamo Kiev, having previously played under Redknapp in the Premier League at Tottenham and Portsmouth. He was joined by Carroll, the England Under-21 international, who turned down attention from Crystal Palace and Ajax. Completing the trio was left-back Assou-Ekotto, another player who featured under Redknapp at White Hart Lane. Meanwhile, striker Andy Johnson remains at QPR despite a last-minute bid from Crystal Palace. Johnson, who played for the Eagles between 2002 and 2006, was keen to return. However, QPR failed to sign a striker of their own before the deadline, with CEO Phil Beard pulling the plug on the deal just before the 11pm cut-off.
The Bookies are completely carried away! Clear favourites by a substantial margin. Let's hope they are right. We might even get a bus tour this time!
I wonder who the striker was that we nearly signed. Is that the reason we pulled the plug on AJ's move to Palace.
I said this must have been the case, all the balls that he turned up late etc. Shrewd by rangers tbh and shows we are doing things the right way. Reckon it was a loan move for defoe personally. Reckon we'll get him next summer!!!
Lets hope they are right yes. But these are very early days to be talking bus tours, and our wins could easily have been 0 or 1 points. There are a few other teams who are good enough to take the 3 PL places going next season.
Promotion has to be the basic expectation, and as champions comfortably the cherry on top. Harold now has his own squad, he's got the on pitch discipline much better, adding some flair should see the wins being slightly less tense.
hard not to think ahead to a party in the bush next year but there is 41 games to go! we'll see what team gets put out against brum and how they do.
