Yet another Taarbs thread

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qprbeth

qprbeth

Wicked Witch of West12
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Jun 13, 2011
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portwitness.ning.com/forum/topics/former-qpr-misfit-caught-in-nightclub-at-3-30am-could-see-contrac

Clearly an incredibly talented footballer, Adel Taarabt isn’t doing himself any favours over in Portugal, after once more being caught doing something he shouldn’t.

Having undergone a serious weight loss program in order to be considered by his Benfica manager Rui Vitoria, the Moroccan attacking midfielder has returned in Vitoria’s bad books.

Already caught out on the town past curfew accompanied by Carcela, the former QPR player was once again spotted in one of Lisbon’s nightclubs at 3.30am, according to O Jogo in Portugal.

This latest rule infringement has made the club reassess their decision to take on the controversial player, leading those in charge to remove him from the squad and even consider cancelling his contract.

The player, who was meant to be part of the squad to play Atlético Madrid on Wednesday, will now be scratched from the list altogether, and O Jogo report disciplinary proceedings, probably a fine, should be opened in the near future.

Following years of inconsistent performances and off the pitch antics, Taarabt has been given as many second chances as Balotelli (QPR, Fulham, AC Milan), yet if he does end up having his contract cancelled by Benfica for internal rule breaking, the Moroccan midfielder could struggle to find himself a new club.

Tom Coast.
 
I know it probably doesn't look good; but the fellow doesn't drink.

I seem to recall Neil Warnock having to deal with something similar.

At that time, in Adel's world he justified it on the basis that he would go to sleep straight after training, then get up and go clubbing in the early hours and never suffer a hangover.
 
When I arrived at Queen’s Park Rangers I was told he’d get me the sack, but I looked at his talent and realised he could win us promotion. He’s wonderful on the ball, really gifted technically and with a great eye for a pass, but he doesn’t contribute much off it. I realised I had to design the team around him and get the senior players, excellent professionals like Shaun Derry and Clint Hill, to accept Adel wouldn’t do some of the things they thought a team-mate should do, like track back and so on. But as I said to them, he could do things no one else could and if they accepted that we would all play in the Premier League.

I had also to accept things which in my younger days I would not have stood for – like Adel throwing tantrums on the pitch and going missing when he should have been training. Once he rang up claiming to be in France, having lost his passport. Then the police rang us to say they’d found his passport – in Cambridgeshire. It certainly wasn’t easy dealing with him, but it was all worth it as we won the Championship title.

I saw Adel last week at Bramall Lane, where I was covering Fulham’s FA Cup fourth-round tie with Sheffield United for BT Sport. He was on the bench, as he has been much of the season. I said: “Can you remember what I said to you, ‘You’ll never play for another manager like me – no one else would let you get away with things like I did’? He said, ‘You were right, gaffer’.”

After the game – he came on as sub and looked Fulham’s biggest threat – he saw me in the tunnel and gave me his shirt, which was a nice gesture. It turned out to be the last Fulham shirt he wore.

I was touched, too, when my phone beeped late Thursday night and it was a text from Adel. He had just signed for Milan. “Thank you Gaffer. I never forget what you do for me. I will do my best. Speak soon.”
 
It’s January 2011 and QPR, leading the Championship but feeling the pressure after one win in four matches, are playing at Hull City . . .

Ten minutes before the break Adel completely lost it. He was unhappy the ref hadn’t given him a foul and then he thought a couple of players didn’t pass to him quickly enough. He argued with Dezza [Shaun Derry], then he signalled he wanted to be subbed. I ignored him. Curly [coach Keith Curle] was watching. “He wants to come off, gaffer.”

“Just ignore him.”
“What do you mean?”
“Ignore him. If he wants to come off, let him come over here and ask.”

At half-time I told Curly to get onto the pitch and escort Adel off to avoid him arguing with the ref, his team-mates or the Hull fans who were on his back. I didn’t want him sent off.

In the dressing room, I tried to calm him down. I told him: “You’re captain, you can’t come off just because their fans are giving you stick.” Then I told the lads to give him the ball earlier. I knew some were unhappy with him but I’d already explained to a number of them we needed to keep him on board to get us where we wanted to be. No one else would score the goals to take us to the Promised Land. If they wanted to have a verbal with Adel we’d all lose.

In the second half Adel did okay but we had to settle for a draw. Next day I was doing a radio show when my phone flashed. It was a text from Adel.

“Gaffer. I’m very sorry for what I did yesterday. It was just because I feel we can win the game in the first half. I know I have to control myself. I am working on it.”

That summed him up. It wasn’t like an English player having a strop, this is how he reacts. People forgot he was only 21 and every team was going to try and kick lumps out of him. We had to take the rough with the smooth.

On Monday, before training, I showed Dezza and Clint [Hill] the text. Dezza had been fretting about how Adel had let the team down. I had to reiterate to them that while it would be easy to fall out with Adel, they couldn’t afford to if they wanted to play in the Premier League.

Then I told Adel how disrespectful to me the incident was. I said I classed myself as part of his family. “Would you treat your father like you did me?”
“No, gaffer. I’m sorry.”

“The answer I want, and the way to apologise to the team, is to get us all three points tomorrow against Portsmouth.”

Needless to say, he scored the first in our 2–0 victory and made the second. Clint scored that goal and as he ran back after celebrating he gave me a wink and a nod. We both knew neither of us would ever come across another player like Adel in our careers.

Taarabt stepped in to break a fight during training . . .

The daft thing was the two players who got involved, Shaun Derry and Jay Bothroyd, were playing on the same team. Dezza had a go at Bothroyd and Bothroyd had a go back. The lads separated them but they went straight back at each other. I sent them both off. They were still at it in the dressing room.

After a while we brought them back and Joey Barton got involved.

“Why is it always you, Jay?”

“What are you talking about, what’s it to do with you?”

So those two start and guess who got in between them? Adel Taarabt!

He was holding Joey saying: “No, calm down, calm down.”
 
Great memories.

We used to laugh and smile every weekend! <laugh>
 
Can someone please answer why this club can cancel his contract yet, we supposedly couldn't?
 
AussieQPR said:
Can someone please answer why this club can cancel his contract yet, we supposedly couldn't?
Click to expand...

I would take the above article with a pinch of salt as the source doesn't seem to be the most reliable but it suggests there was a clause in his contract relating to this so presumably something to do with his weight. We wouldn't have had any such clause.
 
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