QPR Report Twitter Feed

Monday, October 31, 2011

QPR Report Monday Compilation: Spurs Reports and Managerial Comments

-
- Zimbio Photos from Yesterday
-
- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates, comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general....Also Follow: QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
_____________________________________________________________________________________

- The Official Supporters Club A Year Ago...(Is it Still Active?)


- UPDATE: JOHN TERRY "Vs" Anton Ferdinand: Latest Stories..Who's Saying What..What's Been Revealed/Claimed

- League Cup (Carling Cup) Quarter Final Draw

- "The Four Year Plan" - Features in The Independent and the Sunday Times

- - Next Stop for "The Four Year Plan" - Amsterdam



- Three Year Flashback: Bircham acknowledges The Training Ground had in fact been closed!


SPURS 3 QPR 1

- VIDEO of Spurs-QPR

QPR Official Site - GAFFER UPBEAT DESPITE DEFEAT

Neil Warnock laid praise to his side, who went down to a 3-1 defeat at Tottenham despite a battling second-half performance.

Dominant Spurs were two goals to the good at the half-time break thanks to strikes from Gareth Bale and Rafael van der Vaart.

However, buoyed by the introductions of Jay Bothroyd and Jamie Mackie, a rejuvenated R's reduced the deficit when the former pulled QPR back into the game in the 63rd minute.

And, although Bale's second killed Rangers hopes on 72 minutes, Warnock told www.qpr.co.uk: "It would have been easy us for us to lay down our tools but we didn't.

"I thought we had to be positive in the second half and we made two substitutions at half-time.

"I felt a little bit sorry for Danny Gabbidon because he had to come on so early. He hasn't done any training in five weeks.

"Anton Ferdinand, for me, was man of the match and I don't think that Danny was far behind.

"All of the back five did well and Joey (Barton) and Ale (Faurlin) in midfield were super in the second half.

"We caused them problems everywhere, which was much better than the first half."

He added: "I thought we were a little bit off it in the first half but you've got to give them credit.

"When you look at their team sheet and their bench, they're one of the top sides. Bale's second was a magnificent goal.

"At 2-1 it looked quite close but that's the difference. With they quality that they've got, if they get chances, they're going to finish like that.

"I don't think Harry (Redknapp) was too comfortable when we pulled a goal back but that's all we could do - make a game of it.

"That's why we went like we did at half-time.

"We did ever so well in the second half. The fans will go home happy because they know we've put everything in and didn't give in - you can't expect any more than that." QPR

SPORTING LIFE -
BALE: WE'RE GROWING IN CONFIDENCE


Gareth Bale believes Tottenham's confidence is growing after their 3-1 victory over QPR stretched their unbeaten run to seven games in the Premier League.

The midfielder scored a goal in each half at White Hart Lane and Rafael van der Vaart also found the back of the net to equal the club record of scoring in five successive Premier League games.

Jay Bothroyd pulled one back for QPR in the second half but Tottenham were in commanding form and move up to fifth in the table.

"It's just good to get goals and the three points that lifts us into the top six," Bale told Sky Sports One.

"It was a great team performance today.

Bale scored his second goal, a superb strike from the edge of the box, to steady the home fans' nerves in the 72nd minute.

"They were just starting to come on top and putting a bit of pressure on us and it was a very important goal," he said.

"The confidence is growing. We've been playing well and concentrating on our own football. Scoring goals is part of our game and we've been doing that."

Man-of-the-match Scott Parker is backing Tottenham to do well this season as they continue to string good performances together.

"I think they came out in the second half and put us under a bit of pressure but overall we fully deserved the win," Parker said.

"We played some good football.

"I'm enjoying it immensely and playing alongside players like Gareth and winning games is nice as well.

"We can go places this year if we believe in ourselves and I'm looking forward to the rest of the season."

Spurs boss Harry Redknapp hailed his "outstanding" team after the win. "It was a fantastic performance," he said. "In the first half we played some great football and moved the ball quickly. The movement and passing was incredible.

"They changed how they played, got it forward and played with more intensity in the second half but Gareth finished them off with a great goal.

"Suddenly they got a lifeline at 2-1 and it changes games so that third goal was important. I said at half-time we shouldn't relax in the second half but, to be fair to them, they came out and raised their game.

"Overall we were outstanding today."

Redknapp also praised Parker and the contribution he has made since making the switch to the north London club.

"Scott is a fantastic player," he added. "He was top of my list and he's just what we need.

"He tackles, doesn't give the ball away and he's a great boy and fantastic person. He's what you build great football clubs around."

QPR manager Neil Warnock praised the character and performance of Anton Ferdinand, who last week was the subject of an alleged racial slur by John Terry in QPR's 1-0 win over their west London rivals at Loftus Road.

It was announced on Tuesday that Terry, who denies the allegations, will be the subject of a Football Association (FA) investigation into the claims, and Ferdinand has been the focus of intense media scrutiny this week as a result.

Warnock deemed the 26-year-old to be psychologically ready to play in this afternoon's derby at White Hart Lane.

Despite seeing his team lose in what was largely a one-sided affair, Warnock heaped praise on Ferdinand and insisted the FA investigation has had no impact on his team's preparation or performance today.

"I thought he (Ferdinand) was head and shoulders above everyone else - the man of the match," Warnock said.

"I don't think he made a mistake. He hasn't put a foot wrong since he came here.

"He definitely has the potential to play at the top level and England.

"It was a great performance from him today.

"Did I think that (the race row) affected Ferdinand today? Not at all. He was absolutely magnificent. It doesn't affect us at all.

"It speaks volumes about his character, absolutely."

The FA will continue their investigation into the race row this week, but Warnock does not envisage the saga affecting his team's efforts on the pitch.

"We have moved on already," the Rangers boss said

"It's not our problem. I don't see the time frame of it all really.

"I have a day off tomorrow. I am going to go in the park and have a ride on my bike, I won't be thinking of anything but the deer tomorrow."

http://www.sportinglife.com/football/live/quotes/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=soccer/11/10/30/SOCCER_Tottenham_Quotes.html&BID=3660

BBC

By Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport Tottenham's Gareth Bale Gareth Bale scores his first goal at White Hart Lane since New Year's Day

Gareth Bale scored twice to extend Tottenham's unbeaten run to seven games with victory over Queens Park Rangers.

In a first half dominated by Spurs, the Welshman swept in from 18 yards after Aaron Lennon's clever run and pass.

Rafael van der Vaart then stayed onside to slot past Paddy Kenny when he collected Ledley King's mis-hit shot.

QPR were more positive after the break and substitute Jay Bothroyd headed in, but Bale struck from the edge of the box to seal the win.

The winger's two fine efforts were his first at White Hart Lane since New Year's Day, and the second one was most welcome as it came at a time when the visitors were in the ascendancy.

Cannot play media. You do not have the correct version of the flash player. Download the correct version

'Fantastic' Tottenham thrill Redknapp

It took Harry Redknapp's team to fifth in the table, level on points with Chelsea and Newcastle, as they continue to put their poor start to the season well behind them.

Spurs could have been four goals to the good by the break, such was the fluency of their attacking and the willingness they showed to win the ball back.

Van der Vaart drew an early save from the busy Kenny and the Dutchman's free-kick was headed wide by the industrious Emmanuel Adebayor.

Some of the link play from Tottenham's front five, orchestrated by Scott Parker, was a delight to watch but their opener on 20 minutes came from a more direct route.

Spurs were irresistible and difficult to play against. They attacked from every single area. The way they play and at that kind of pace, it's almost impossible to play against. Harry Redknapp's even got Emmanuel Adebayor making tackles so he must be God.

Brad Friedel's goal-kick was nodded on by Adebayor and after Van der Vaart fed Lennon, who cut in from the right, the Englishman's pass was crashed in by Bale.

The winger almost added to that strike moments later but sent Benoit Assou-Ekotto's cut-back over the bar.

QPR's cause was not helped by an early injury to centre-back Fitz Hall, who was replaced by Danny Gabbidon, but they came up against a Spurs team in a rich vein of form.

There was a touch of fortune to their second goal, though, as King's mis-hit shot fell to the marginally onside Van der Vaart, who made no mistake from 16 yards.

But the build-up to the goal was marked by the hard work of Adebayor, who pinched the ball off Gabbidon as he strode out of defence.

Having failed to see a real effort on target from his side before half-time, QPR boss Neil Warnock opted for a more attacking approach in the second period with Jamie Mackie coming on for Shaun Derry and the disappointing Adel Taarabt replaced by Jay Bothroyd.

With an extra man up front, the changes put more pressure on the Spurs backline and Heidar Helguson had already had a shot deflected wide before the visitors pulled a goal back.

The Iceland international headed a corner goalwards and Bothroyd, from close to the line, nodded in his first goal since the former Cardiff striker joined QPR in the summer.

Van der Vaart continued his personal duel with Kenny, with the QPR keeper coming out on top twice, but the dominance the hosts had shown in the first period had evaporated.

But relief swept round the stadium when Bale swapped passes with Lennon before arching a delightful strike into the top corner from the edge of the box.

Cannot play media. You do not have the correct version of the flash player. Download the correct version

QPR character pleases Warnock

This result, with Bale hitting form and a favourable run of games to come, means Spurs will feel their pursuit of a swift return to Champions League football is definitely on course.

QPR boss Neil Warnock:

"We thought [at the break] that we would put two substitutes on. We created chances and gave the fans something to shout. They were a few itchy feet on the Spurs bench at 2-1 and that was pleasing for us.

"I am so pleased that we gave them a game, they were a little nervous at 2-1, but it is difficult at this level and they were better than us today.

"We are learning all the time - when I look back at the Fulham game, we were terrible and let ourselves go, but we have learnt from there and we had character and organisation today. We have just got to stick at it.

"We played with personality in the second half, but in the first half we were a little apprehensive and gave them too much respect." BBC
QPR Official Site

QPR went down to a 3-1 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane, despite a brave second-half display from Neil Warnock's men.

A Gareth Bale double as well as another from Rafael van der Vaart handed victory to the hosts, with a strike from substitute Jay Bothroyd sandwiched in between Spurs' second and third goals.

Bale gave Spurs - who were dominant in the first half - the lead after 21 minutes, before van der Vaart made it two just 12 minutes later.

But the R's started the second period in much better fashion and were handed a lifeline when Bothroyd pulled a goal back on 63 minutes.

Despite Rangers' best attempts to add a second, Spurs found a crucial third goal in the 72nd minute, after Bale and Aaron Lennon combined for the former to add his second of the contest.

Warnock made one change to his side from last weekend's 1-0 win over Chelsea.

Armand Traore, who missed that clash against Andre Villas-Boas' men owing to a slight knock, came back into the side at the expense of Clint Hill.

Danny Gabbidon also returned from a knee injury to take up his place among the substitutes.

Paddy Kenny was in goal for the R's, behind a back four of Luke Young, Fitz Hall, Anton Ferdinand and Traore.

Shaun Derry and Ale Faurlin were in defensive midfield, behind the more advanced trio of Shaun Wright-Phillips, former Spurs playmaker Adel Taarabt and R's skipper Joey Barton.

Heidar Helguson - who struck the winner in our victory over Chelsea - led the QPR line in attack.

Spurs started brightly and would have been ahead but for a stunning save from Kenny in the third minute.

Superb build-up play from the hosts eventually saw the ball fall for Luka Modric on the edge of the R's box.

Thereafter, the Croatian midfield man's dragged effort was intercepted by van der Vaart no more than ten yards from goal, before his subsequent effort forced a magnificent stop from Kenny, who tipped the ball away at his left-hand post.

Soon after, Rangers were penalised for a foul on the edge of their own penalty area and, when Benoit Assou-Ekotto stepped up to take aim, his effort went just over the crossbar.

QPR were forced into a change after only ten minutes.

Hall pulled up despite not coming under a challenge, before Gabbidon was brought on in his place.

The hosts were breaking forward at will and again should have edged in front after 13 minutes.

Bale was felled out wide on the left and, when van der Vaart swung across a telling centre from the free-kick, Emmanuel Adebayor out-jumped his marker before somehow nodding a header wide from close range.

Moments later, Bale broke for Spurs once again before crossing for Adebayor from the left, who muscled his way in front of Gabbidon but couldn't quite reach the incoming cross.

Tottenham were firmly on top approaching the midway stage in the first-half, with Scott Parker pulling the strings for the home side in the middle of the park.

The R's then had their first chance of note. Taarabt's speculative effort from 25-yards out appeared to be sailing well wide of the target before Helguson intervened on the edge of the box, sending his effort on the half-volley just over the bar.

Spurs were ahead after 21 minutes. Brad Friedel's long kick was nodded down by Adebayor for Lennon and, when the diminutive wide-man fed an unmarked Bale on the left-hand side of the box, he drilled a crisp effort into the opposite corner of the net.

Three minutes later Kenny was forced into a comfortable save down to his right, following van der Vaart's low effort from the edge of the box.

Rangers, by now, were hanging on and Tottenham should have extended their lead in the 28th minute.

Adebayor broke past his marker down the right before his cross found its way to the opposite flank for Assou-Ekotto.

The Cameroon international then turned the ball back across goal for Bale, who blasted his shot over the bar when it appeared easier to find the net.

But Spurs were soon two goals to the good in the 33rd minute.

Ledley King's shot from range was picked up by van der Vaart just inside the box, who coolly tucked his effort into the bottom right-hand corner past Kenny.

Modric then fired a shot just wide on the half-volley on 37 minutes, following van der Vaart's corner from the left.

And it was the gifted Croatian midfielder who then spurned another chance to put Tottenham three up, dragging an effort just wide from 12 yards in the 40th minute.

Two goals behind going into half-time, Warnock opted for a double substitution at the interval, bringing on Jamie Mackie and Bothroyd to replace Derry and Taarabt respectively.

That change also saw the R's switch to a 4-4-2 formation from their usual 4-2-3-1 and, with that, Rangers made a much better start to the second period.

But despite that positive start, QPR still had to be wary of Spurs on the counter attack.

That point was exemplified when Kenny was forced into another outstanding save from van der Vaart soon after the break, whose blast from 20 yards saw the R's keeper pull off a fine one-handed save at his right-hand post.

Play then switched to the other end on 52 minutes, where Bothroyd fired a shot over the target from just outside the box.

This was fast becoming an end-to-end encounter. Adebayor broke for Spurs just three minutes later and, when he reached the edge of Rangers' box, Gabbidon slid across to block the Manchester City loanee's effort.

The R's were soon on the attack once more.

Barton's ball over the top of the Spurs defence was eventually picked up by Wright-Phillips on the left-hand byline, before he managed to wriggle clear of Kyle Walker.

The Rangers winger then cut the ball back for the waiting Helguson on ten yards, who saw his shot deflected just over the bar.

QPR - buoyed by highly vocal travelling R's faithful - had shown great heart after half-time.

That intent was rewarded when Warnock's charges reduced the two-goal deficit on 62 minutes.

Barton drifted over a corner from the right and, when Helguson nodded the ball back across goal, Bothroyd was on hand to power a header home from close range.

For their performance after the break, it was no more that the R's deserved.

Just two minutes later, Kenny pulled off another splendid stop to keep QPR in the match.

It was the Hoops keeper who had initially spilled a van der Vaart free-kick but he still managed to get to his feet quickly enough to thwart Bale from close range.

Rangers nearly levelled in the 65th minute. A free-flowing R's move ended with Faurlin picking up possession 20 yards from goal, before the Argentinian saw his low shot wonderfully parried wide by Friedel.

Kenny was then at it again in the 68th minute, tipping an Assou-Ekotto effort wide of the post.

However, for all the R's intent, Spurs would eventually find a killer third goal - an effort that can only be described as world class.

It came on 72 minutes. Bale and Lennon exchanged passes and, when the former found space just inside the box, he drilled the ball into the top left-hand corner of the net past Kenny.

Rangers still hustled and harried and Young saw two separate efforts cleared off the line late on.

But make no mistake, the R's performance in the second period was one to be proud of.

That point was echoed when Warnock's men were given a standing ovation from the field by the visiting Rangers faithful.

Tottenham Hotspur: Friedel, Bale, Kaboul, Lennon, Parker (Sandro 86), Adebayor, Van Der Vaart, Modric, King, Walker, Assou-Ekotto.

Subs: Cudicini, Pavlyuchenko, Gallas, Defoe, Bassong, Livermore.

Scorers: Bale (21 & 72), van der Vaart (33)

QPR: Kenny, Derry (Mackie 46), Hall (Gabbidon 10), Taarabt (Bothroyd 46), Faurlin, Traore, Barton, Young, Helguson, Wright-Phillips, Ferdinand.

Subs: Murphy, Hill, Buzsaky, Smith.

Scorers: Bothroyd (63)

Referee: Mr H Webb

Attendance: 36,147 http://www.qpr.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10373~58165,00.html


GUARDIAN

In many ways it was typical Neil Warnock. The Queens Park Rangers manager had just watched Gareth Bale, Luka Modric and Rafael van der Vaart light up White Hart Lane, with Scott Parker having provided the platform, yet for him there was only one contender for the afternoon's star turn. "I thought that Anton Ferdinand was head and shoulders the man of the match," Warnock said.

The view was gloriously one-eyed but, at the same time, supportive, endearing and encouraging to a fault. Warnock had, of course, factored in the extraneous circumstances that had accompanied Ferdinand from west to north London and it is difficult to remember the player enduring a more difficult buildup to a fixture.

Ferdinand continues to smart from the derby against Chelsea at Loftus Road the previous Sunday, when he believes that he was racially abused by John Terry. The defender was shocked to see the footage on YouTube after the game of the Chelsea and England captain apparently mouthing a racial insult at him and his emotions would take in bewilderment when he heard that Terry had effectively blamed him for the content of the row.

Terry has said he was merely responding to a question from Ferdinand, claiming the Rangers defender had asked whether he had racially abused him. Terry's defence runs that he had repeated the deeply offensive phrase to deny having said anything of the sort. Ferdinand, though, says that he was unaware of Terry's language at the time.

Ferdinand was interviewed by the Football Association on Friday and is due to give his version of events in writing to the governing body, as is Terry. Ferdinand's submission is expected on Monday but it is known that he will dispute Terry's argument, which will surely force the FA into action of one sort. Ferdinand is also considering whether to make a public statement.

The issue provided the sideshow to this entertaining derby, when Tottenham Hotspur's football in the first half pressed their credentials as top-four contenders, and it will rumble on, with Warnock saying that he was unaware of any time-frames. "I've got a day off tomorrow," he said, "and I will go to the park and have a little ride on my bike. I won't be thinking about it tomorrow."

Warnock's attempts to brush the story to one side and to suggest that it was more of a media creation – "You've got the problem, you lads … you keep bringing it up" – felt slightly unfortunate, although it ought to be noted that he is under orders from the FA to say nothing.

Yet he warmed to his theme of Ferdinand's excellence, saluting the strength of his character, which was a quality that the visiting team had shown collectively when they refused to buckle after the first‑half onslaught.

Harry Redknapp, the Tottenham manager, had commented on hearing "all sorts going on in their dressing-room at half‑time … it was all kicking off", and it was not difficult to imagine Warnock venting fury at his defenders, including Ferdinand. Most observers did not file Ferdinand's performance as anything in the realms of the outstanding.

"Anton hasn't put a foot wrong since he came here," Warnock said. "He can be better and he definitely has the potential to play at the top level for England. He started off thinking he was a bit of a Franz Beckenbauer but he's defending now. That's what you want from your centre-halves.

"He's a good defender, a good lad and I thought that was a good performance today. It speaks volumes for his character, absolutely. He's led us at times this season. I didn't think the situation affected him. It doesn't affect us at all. I thought he was absolutely magnificent."

The saga is becoming heavy on character references. "I've known Anton since he was 11 or 12, when he used to come with his brother, Rio, to West Ham," Redknapp said. "They are a good family, the Ferdinands, they've been well brought up, they are nice people. It's been a difficult week for the kid; he has been under scrutiny. He came through all right."

Terry also got a good reference from John Barnes, the Liverpool legend, who suffered racial abuse as a player. "I do not believe that John Terry is a racist at all," said Barnes, who cited "the heat of the moment" defence.

The FA is under pressure to act quickly. GUARDIAN



INDEPENDENT/Sam Wallace - Warnock: QPR Have MOved On From Racism Row


Anton Ferdinand has spent the last eight days at the centre of one of English football's most all-consuming controversies but Neil Warnock said yesterday that it had not affected the performances of the defender, whose Queens Park Rangers team went down 3-1 to Tottenham Hotspur yesterday.

The QPR manager said he had no hesitation putting Ferdinand in his team a week after he was on the winning side against Chelsea, when John Terry was alleged to have racially abused him. The issue is now the subject of a Football Association investigation with the potential to bring an end to Terry's captaincy of the England team if he is found guilty of abusing Ferdinand.

Ferdinand's team lost to two goals from Gareth Bale and another from Rafael van der Vaart but averted the kind of 6-0 drubbing they suffered at Craven Cottage two weeks ago, scoring in the second half through substitute Jay Bothroyd. Warnock said: "I thought he [Ferdinand] was head and shoulders the man of the match.

"I just wish he'd picked up [Emmanuel] Adebayor for one of the goals, which I told him to. He hasn't put a foot wrong since he came here. He can get better. He definitely has the potential to play at the top level for England. He's made a few mistakes. Started thinking he was a bit of a Franz Beckenbauer at times. But he's defending now.

"That's what you want from your centre-halves. He's a good defender, a good lad, and I thought that was a good performance. It speaks volumes for his character, absolutely. He's led us at times this season."

Warnock said that the FA investigation, for which there is no definitive date on which the governing body will report back, was not an issue for his players. "We've moved on," he said. "You've got the problem, you lads. You keep bringing it up."

Asked whether he thought it had affected Ferdinand, who may release a statement on the affair today, Warnock said: "I didn't. I thought he was absolutely magnificent. It doesn't affect us at all. I don't see the timeframe of it at all. Day off tomorrow. I will go in the park and have a little ride on my bike. I won't be thinking about it."

Warnock's eagerness to praise Ferdinand suggested he had been less enamoured of the defender's performance at half-time. Certainly, Redknapp painted a disharmonious picture of the QPR dressing room at the break. "They were arguing and all sorts going on in their dressing room at half-time, it was all kicking off," he said. "I thought they're going to have a go in the second half for sure. And they lifted it second half to be fair.

"He's a good lad, Anton. I've known him since he was 11 or 12 when he used to come with his brother to West Ham. But it's been a difficult week for the kid, you know? Must have been. He's been under scrutiny. They're a good family, the Ferdinands. They've been well brought up, they're nice people."

With Spurs back up to fifth, and with third place in their sights, even Redknapp was prepared to admit the top of the table was shaping up nicely: "You never know, do you? It's wide open. I said a few weeks ago, 'Don't write Arsenal off'. Arsenal are still dangerous, and they proved that.

"If you watched Liverpool last night, good performance. No disrespect to Newcastle, if they get in the top six, it'll be a fantastic achievement. But there's six good teams up there and, OK, Man City would probably be favourites now with Man United, but it's wide open. The top four is wide open."

Warnock's team continue their difficult run of games with a visit from Manchester City next weekend. "We've come a long way since Fulham," Warnock said. "We've got more belief. It's no embarrassment. A few teams will lose by that score here. They might have wondered how many they would get first half. But we could have made it interesting at 2-1. Another five minutes and there would've been a few anxious people on their bench.

"You have to take your hat off to them. They were great finishes. He's a great player, Gareth. Pity he's Welsh." Independent


SPURS OFFICIAL SITE

Bale double secures fine win

30 October 2011

Gareth Bale struck twice as we beat QPR 3-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.

Rafa van der Vaart joined Bale on the scoresheet as we overcame a mini-revival from the visitors in the second half to run out deserved winners at White Hart Lane.

We threatened to run riot in the first half and created chance after chance but needed Bale's second goal to make it 3-1 as Rangers did their best to get back into the game.

The destiny of the points was never really in doubt, however, and this made it six wins and a draw in our last seven matches in the Premier League.

Harry Redknapp made just one change to last Sunday's win at Blackburn and a notable one as Ledley King returned from injury to captain the side. Seb Bassong was back on the bench where he was joined by William Gallas, back in the squad for the first time this season.

We were straight on the front foot as Paddy Kenny was forced to parry away efforts from van der Vaart - a fine save, one-on-one - and Bale inside five minutes.

Emmanuel Adebayor might have done better with a close-range header and was inches away from Bale's cross to the near post on 16 minutes.

Ironically enough, the opener came seconds after QPR's only real sight at goal in the first half as Heidar Helguson diverted ex-Spur Adel Taarabt's shot over from 20 yards.

Brad Friedel knocked the goal-kick downfield, Adebayor rose to flick on for van der Vaart and he cleverly turned the ball into Aaron Lennon's path, darting in from the right. Lennon drew Anton Ferdinand before slipping to Bale and he made no mistake, drilling across Kenny into the far corner.

From there, it was one-way traffic.

Van der Vaart tested Kenny to his right, Bale fired over from Benoit Assou-Ekotto's cross and the lead lead was soon doubled thanks to a somewhat fortunate assist from King.

The skipper found himself on the ball 30 yards from goal, went for the shot and sliced it badly but into the path of van der Vaart, who beat the offside trap and was clear, 16 yards out. It was no surprise to see him control and despatch the ball into the bottom corner, effortless.

Luka Modric went close twice in as many minutes as we shifted into another gear. The first was a wonderful volley just wide after van der Vaart chipped a corner to him on the edge of the box, he then poked a yard wide after a slick one-touch move.

Kyle Walker, typically adventurous from right-back, then released Adebayor and the striker went for the top corner, the ball drifting a yard wide.

It's safe to assume QPR were grateful for the half-time whistle, and they came out a different side after the break.

Neil Warnock made a couple of changes, Jay Bothroyd and Jamie Mackie for Taarabt and Shaun Derry and after Van der Vaart drew another fine save from Kenny, Rangers hit back.

First, Helguson's shot deflected just over via Modric, then, in the 63rd minute, they were back in the game. Joey Barton floated in a high corner, Helguson headed into the danger zone and Bothroyd provided the finish from close range.

The keepers then came to fore again. Kenny somehow kept Bale out from close range after initially spilling van der Vaart's free-kick, Friedel got down well to his left to deny Alejandro Faurlin and then Kenny reached high to turn away Assou-Ekotto's 20-yarder, destined for the top corner.

A third goal was needed just to settle us and it arrived after 71 minutes.

Scott Parker started it by cutting in from the right, van der Vaart worked a yard of space and played into Bale and he exchanged passes with Lennon before firing into the top corner from 20 yards.

Adebayor lashed just wide from 10 yards - it wasn't his day - and a number of breaks came to nothing before QPR were denied in added time, first Bale and then Younes Kaboul clearing off the line.

Spurs (4-4-1-1): Friedel; Walker, Kaboul, King, Assou-Ekotto; Lennon, Modric, Parker (Sandro, 86), Bale; Van der Vaart; Adebayor. Unused subs: Cudicini, Bassong, Gallas, Livermore, Defoe, Pavlyuchenko.

QPR: Kenny; Young, Hall (Gabbidon, 9), Ferdinand, Traore; Barton, Derry (Mackie, 46), Faurlin, Wright-Phillps; Taarabt (Bothroyd, 46); Helguson. Unused subs: Murphy, Hill, Buszaky, Smith.

Goals: Spurs - Bale (20, 72), van der Vaart (33). QPR - Bothroyd (62).

Attendance: 36,147.

http://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/articles/report-301011.html



- Football's Fight Against Racism, Anti-Semitism, Homophobia, etc Week (Fortnight)

Sunday, October 30, 2011

QPR Report Sunday Update: Taarabt...Spurs....Buzsaky

-
(Photo from the Bushman Archives)
-

-
- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates, comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general....Also Follow: QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
_____________________________________________________________________________________

- NOTE: THE CLOCKS WERE CHANGED LAST NIGHT IN the UNITED KINGDOM!...SoO OVERSEAS FANS: THERE"S ONE HOUR LESS DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHEREVER YOU ARE AND LONDON. (For Example New York and Washington are NOW currently FOUR Hours Earlier; Not Five!)

- Walk to Spurs for QPR Tiger Cubs on Sunday

- Spurs-QPR

- UPDATE: JOHN TERRY "Vs" Anton Ferdinand: Latest Stories..Who's Saying What..What's Been Revealed/Claimed


- Four Years Ago Today Flashback: Akos Buzsaky Joins QPR


- Two Ex-QPR Birthdays: Lee Harper and Colin Clarke

- League Cup (Carling Cup) Quarter Final Draw

- The Official Supporters Club A Year Ago...(Is it Still Active?)

- Independent on "The Four Year Plan" - "Inside the 'basket case': the film that will shock football

- - Next Stop for "The Four Year Plan" - Amsterdam

- Four Year Flashback: Four Years Ago Today: LUIGI DE CANIO Appointed QPR Manager


INDEPENDENT/Steve Tongue - Taarabt walks line between genius and joker

Moroccan was Rangers' talisman in reaching Premier League but rejection by Spurs showed he's a handful for his own team too

They are used to flamboyant entertainers at Queens Park Rangers, from Rodney Marsh through Stan Bowles to Adel Taarabt. Perhaps that is why supporters are prepared to indulge the last-named to a degree that may well not happen at other clubs. Yet it is a measure of how much more the Moroccan has still to achieve that others would consider it sacrilege to mention him in the same breath.

The "QPR Cult Heroes T-Shirt", on sale in a fetching shade of blue, features the names of Marsh, Bowles and Les Ferdinand, all of whom eventually moved on to bigger clubs but were still revered. Taarabt reportedly announced his desire to leave in January, just as he did in the summer, then claimed he had been misreported, all of which tends to be greeted with a shrug by the Rangers manager Neil Warnock, whose line in public is usually: "That's Adel."

In private, Warnock has said in his column in The Independent, he will have a firmer word, as when Taarabt stomped home after being substituted at half-time during the embarrassing 6-0 defeat by Fulham.

"You're going to get days when he throws his toys out of the pram," Warnock said on that occasion. "But I have told him that these things can get out of hand. I think Adel knows what he did was wrong and we move on." Today, moving on is a matter of moving back to White Hart Lane and Taarabt's first English club, Tottenham, where he arrived from Lens hailed as "the new Zidane" and left 18 months ago as something of a misfit.

It has always been clear that he could do remarkable things with a football, as a clutch of videos on YouTube confirms; sometimes – although never yet in the top division in France or England – the ball ends up in the opposition's net. Martin Jol, when he managed Spurs, called him "a wizard" and claimed "on the ball I don't think there's another talent like him in England". That was hardly apparent when he played against Jol's Fulham this month. Juande Ramos, the Dutchman's successor, declined even to give Taarabt a squad number, but his next two managers, Harry Redknapp and QPR's Jim Magilton, both used the word "genius".

At Loftus Road last season he was top cat, scorer of 19 goals in Rangers' Championship triumph and voted the Football League Player of the Year. In August, however, Tony Fernandes bought a majority shareholding in the club and used some much-needed funds to bring in some arguably bigger beasts. They were certainly on bigger salaries, to the annoyance of Taarabt (pictured), who also lost the captaincy to one of them, Joey Barton, with whom he has subsequently had a prickly relationship.

Since being substituted at Fulham, Taarabt has played only 25 minutes against Blackburn and an hour in the win over Chelsea last weekend, when he again declined to sit with his team-mates after being brought off.

After the Blackburn game, Barton picked up on the G-word when he said: "I came here and was told he was a genius, but I'm yet to see it. I don't know whether that is because he doesn't work hard enough or that he tends to sulk." According to one of Rangers' coaches, Barton's line in training has been even firmer: "If you want to sulk, do it while you're running back. Don't do it walking. And if I ask you to do something, do it."

There were equally strong words for him at Chelsea when David Pleat, the former Spurs manager and director of football, told Radio 5 Live: "He's a bad boy, he's not a team player." Yesterday, Pleat recalled: "From his early days at Tottenham, he thought he was a star. I remember seeing him early on for Tottenham reserves against Birmingham, playing outside left in front of Chris Hughton's son Cian. When he lost the ball, he never came back to help. Every time the ball went astray he made some kind of gesture as if to say 'not my fault'.

"Taarabt has great tricks and some wonderful vision at times, he's a talented boy. But I've seen so many talented boys who look certainties and then fade away for all sorts of reasons. In the end, if a player is very headstrong and really believes either that he's better than the rest or that they should play to his strengths, it's very difficult. Some players think they're more important than the team. And I think that's a remark that can be made about Taarabt."

It is attitude, then, rather than ability, that is being questioned. Warnock is inclined, for now, to defend Taarabt, saying QPR would not have won promotion without him and stressing that it is better to emphasise his good points rather than dwelling on the negatives. But Pleat is adamant about moving in a different direction: "I'd sell him. Don't let it fester too long, maximise his price and say: 'That's it, history now, the king is dead'."

Tottenham Hotspur v Queens Park Rangers is on Sky Sports 1 today, kick-off 4pm Independent


THE PEOPLE

Taarabt pleads with QPR gaffer Warnock to protect him from abuse


Oct 30 2011 by Dean Jones, The People

ADEL TAARABT has pleaded with QPR manager Neil Warnock to stand up for him more – after taking stick from senior team-mates, including Joey Barton.

The gifted but unpredictable star is unhappy with some of the verbal goading he has been subjected to, and sought out his boss to let his feelings be known.

Controversial Taarabt, 22, thinks Warnock should bring the other players into line and tell them not to ‘pick’ on him so much.

Taarabt has been his own worst enemy at times but he was unsettled by the way he took abuse for recent displays – and was removed from penalty duties in last week’s home win over Chelsea.

Barton and veteran Shaun Derry forcibly stopped Taarabt claiming the ball, just one of many examples of when he has been put in his place.

The moody Moroccan returns to White Hart Lane with QPR today, determined to prove he could have made the grade in north London.

Fruitcake

And Harry Redknapp admits he has been worried about Taarabt haunting him ever since he left Tottenham.

The Spurs boss, who let him join Rangers in August 2010, said: “In the end it was difficult and I didn’t really want to get rid of him, to be honest.

“I was scared to let him go because I always thought he would come back to haunt me or bite me.

“I don’t know the deal but if it was £1million, I know the chairman got a big sell-on because we were always afraid that he could progress.

“His skill is frightening and he could be a great player – maybe one day he will be.

“He’s a bit of a fruitcake but what’s he worth now?

“When he came here they called him the next Zidane. He isn’t in the same league as Zidane because he was a genius.

“But one day he could be up there because he’s got that ability.” People


TRIBAL FOOTBALL
QPR boss Warnock reveals confrontation with angry Chelsea thug

Submitted by tribalfootball.com on Sat, 10/29/2011 - 06:15

QPR boss Neil Warnock has revealed he was confronted by a Chelsea thug after Sunday' derby win.

Driving home after the game with his wife and daughter, boss Warnock was stunned when a fuming Chelsea supporter laid into him as he stopped for snacks at a service station.

And after narrowly avoiding a mini-mart mauling, Warnock claims the ill feeling aimed at rival managers has now reached crisis point.

He said: "The hatred that comes to managers now around dugouts and getting off the bus at times is worrying. If you look in the eyes of supporters there is so much hatred.

"It's a frightening thing to bring a kid to a game now when you look at the hatred in the eyes of some of the people in the crowd.

"I was quite worried when I went to get some crisps, some bread and skimmed milk after the game on Sunday night in one garage.

"I thought one guy — a Chelsea fan — was having a joke and he wasn't. I had to move quickly." Tribal Football


Telegraph/Duncan White - Jay Bothroyd puts good times with playboy Saadi Gaddafi, son of dead Libya tyrant Colonel Gaddafi, behind him

The bright autumn sun is shining across Queens Park Rangers' Harlington training ground, the relentless procession of planes in and out of neighbouring Heathrow buzzing in the background - and Jay Bothroyd is talking about his friendship with the third son of Colonel Gaddafi.

Jay Bothroyd puts good times with playboy Saadi Gaddafi, son of dead Libya tyrant Colonel Gaddafi, behind him
Grown up: Jay Bothroyd says time in Italy matured him Photo: REUTERS

"Saadi is a friend of mine," Bothroyd said, taking time out in his preparations for Sunday's Premier League match against Tottenham.

"I saw him about 10 months ago when he was in London. All this drama. His dad is obviously a tyrant and he dictated over his countrymen through fear but Saadi was never like that. He was always friendly and polite. When he bought his house in Hampstead he asked me what I thought of it. He even came to my wedding.

"Obviously he used to have parties and stuff and he would invite me to Cannes to watch the Grand Prix. For his birthday he would fly me over on his plane. People who don’t know him might say he’s like this or like that or like his dad, but I’ve never seen that. I looked at him like a friend."

The pair met when Bothroyd moved to Italian club Perugia in 2003. Saadi was obsessed with football and had decided to try and make it as a player. He employed Diego Maradona as a technical consultant and the disgraced Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson as his personal trainer but only ever managed one substitute appearance for the club.

"He wasn’t the best," Bothroyd said. "But he did it as a hobby. He’s a billionaire but it was something he wanted to do. He wanted to play football, to come in every day and train. And he did it, to be fair. He never expected any special treatment. But obviously there were his bodyguards around."

By all accounts Saadi lived a decadent lifestyle in Italy, earning his reputation as the black sheep of the family. There are allegations of drugs, P*******s and ambiguous sexuality. He invested in Hollywood movies, owned lions and, according to Simon Jordan, tried to buy Crystal Palace in 2004.

He returned to Libya when war broke out to become a commander of his father’s special forces but escaped before the rebels could capture him. Now he is languishing in a state guesthouse in Niamey, the capital of Niger, under house arrest and the subject of an Interpol 'red notice' warrant.

"It is very strange for me," Bothroyd said. "People will say to me, 'how can you be friends with this guy?' But you can only judge people on how you see them. He was always nice to me. I never met his brothers or his dad, they must be completely different.

"It has been weird. He paid for my honeymoon. He asked me what we were doing for it and I told him we hadn’t decided yet. So he said he’d sort something out for me. He paid for us to go to LA for a week and then on to Hawaii. All first-class travel and top hotels. It was very generous. That’s the side I see of him. I don’t see the other side. I don’t know it. There’s always corruption where there’s power, so you never know.

"His country want him back to prosecute him but they want to kill him apparently. It’s all politics and I don’t really know about it. I just know that innocent people should never get hurt."

For Gaddafi, his time in Perugia was a rich man’s indulgence; for Bothroyd it was the turning point in a career gone sour. He described himself as an "arrogant and immature" young player whose talent had carried him to the top with fairly leisurely effort. He was sold by Arsenal for throwing his shirt at the respected coach Don Howe, a petulant reaction to a substitution. Coventry spent £1 million on him before he had played a competitive game but he was a player content to let things drift.

"When I came through Arsenal’s youth team there was no pressure, it was just fun and jokes, messing around, doing tricks in training, trying to chip the keeper. In Italy everything was really serious, regimental, and it helped me.

"It was really hard at first. The first month I was there my phone bill was £5,000. I couldn’t speak the language so I was always on the phone home. I thought I’d made a massive mistake. After three or four months I met some Italians who spoke English and I started to socialise with them and I started enjoying life. I lived between Rome and Florence, both great cities. I would definitely go back."

The glamour of life off the pitch was reflected on it. Bothroyd collected shirts throughout that 2003-04 season. He didn’t do badly: Buffon, Davids, Kaka, Shevchenko and Baggio. "The best is Paolo Maldini’s shirt. He was the best player I have played against. Milan retired that shirt when he stopped playing."

He is now an evangelist for expatriation of technical English players, approving of his old friend Joe Cole's move to French football with Lille. "I spoke to him about coming here to QPR before he went to Lille. I’ve known him since I was about 12 years old. We used to play for Islington district together. He was a bit different then, all about juggling and flicking balls over people’s heads. He would run round the whole team and then square on the line for me to tap in."

While the football was carefree, his life outside the game was not.

"I went to Holloway Boys school which was a rough school. I grew up in Archway but a lot of my friends were from Tottenham. A lot of friends of mine are in prison.

"I remember my first day at school. I was there, very smart with my tie, my blazer and my new shoes and there was a fight and this kid pulled out a rounders bat and started beating this other kid round the head. From primary school to that, I was shocked. I was lucky that my friends looked after me, realised I could be a success."

That success has been deferred. It looked like being a career shaped by squandered talent. After Coventry and Perugia, Bothroyd had failed to find consistency at Blackburn, Charlton Wolves and, briefly, Stoke.

In 2008 he moved to Cardiff and things started to change. He scored 45 goals in three seasons and, last November, was called up to the England squad, coming on as a substitute in the 2-1 defeat to France.

He joined QPR in the summer on a free transfer, rejecting “five or six” other offers, including one from Spain. A big part of his motivation is to be able to spend more time with his eight-year-old son, who lives in London. Having found the adapting to his new club tricky at first, he now wants to make himself “indispensable” to QPR and try to add to that one cap.

He is getting serious off the field too. No more partying with dodgy playboy billionaires. He plans to adopt a child after he has finished playing and is investing more time in his charitable work. In Cardiff he had done fund-raising work for Ty Hafan children’s hospice and he has recently been trying to help Alice Pyne, a 15-year-old terminally ill with Cancer.

"She has given me a whole different outlook on life. She always speaks very positively. I chat to her on the phone and on twitter. I’m in the process of trying to organise for her and her family to come to the Manchester City game. She’s never been to a football match and she has a bucket list and she’s trying to do things with the time she has left. So I’m going to help in any way I can." Telegraph


Paul Warburton/Fulham Chronicle - QPR fans outraged after Spurs snub

QPR are looking to form a disabled supporters association following howls of protest over a paltry 14 tickets allocated for the Spurs derby on Sunday in a ground that holds 36,000.

The 14 disabled fans get a carer’s pass as well, but it pales by comparison with the 3,000 able-bodied Hoops filling up the away end at White Hart Lane.

Steve Lewington looks after disabled son Aaron at home games, but none of the Lewington family will be in north London after failing to get one of the precious spots.

“It’s very disappointing – and we’re not the only ones disappointed,” said Lewington senior. “But it’s almost like winning the lottery if you get one. From what I’ve been told, there are only four places available at Stoke in November for wheelchair users.”

QPR’s away allocation for the return Spurs game on April 21 is currently 13 (26 with carers) in an 18,000 ground. But even that was three more than Tottenham’s original allowance before discussions with Rs and the Premier League.

A Facebook page calling itself the QPR Disabled Fans Association is not an official body says the club, but disabled liaison Officer Jon Davies will set the wheels in motion for such a group after meeting Level Playing Field, formerly the National Association of Disabled Supporters.

A club spokesman said: “Jon will be meeting with Level Playing Field in early November to discuss ways forward with creating an official DSA, should the disabled supporters wish to form one.”

It would appear the problem of sufficient space for disabled supporters, both ambulent and wheelchair, is not Tottenham’s alone.

Chelsea and Fulham insist space for away disabled can be adjusted depending on demand, but the clubs’ given statistics allow 372 home fans at Stamford Bridge, with places for 18 away. Fulham have space for 101 home fans, and 79 away.

Even a brand new stadium like The Emirates would struggle to accommodate large numbers of disabled visitors at Arsenal games.

For a £400 million-plus stadium built just five years ago, there is an allocation of 339 for those in red – and just 44 for the away team. Fulham Chronicle



- Three Year Flashback: Is Briatore Holding QPR Back?

- CHRIS WRIGHT SPEAKS! - Very Interesting QPRNET Q&A With Ex-Chairman, Chris Wright

- Two Year Flashback: QPR1st AGM - and Ali Russell Response

- Flashback: The Too-Close QPR-Chelsea Relationship

- Flashback: Who Was at QPR Five Years Ago (On and Off The Field)


- Helping Old Players: Something QPR could do well to emulate)

- Football's Fight Against Racism, Anti-Semitism, Homophobia, etc Week (Fortnight)

Saturday, October 29, 2011

QPR Report Saturday Update: The Four Year Plan...Warnock's Perspective...Ferdinand vs Terry...Cook Exit?...Luigi DeCanio Appointment Flashback

-
- Four Year Flashback: Four Years Ago Today: LUIGI DE CANIO Appointed QPR Manager
-
- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates, comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general....Also Follow: QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
_____________________________________________________________________________________

- UPDATE: JOHN TERRY "Vs" Anton Ferdinand: Latest Stories..Who's Saying What..What's Been Revealed


- Four Year Flashback: Four Years Ago Today: LUIGI DE CANIO Appointed QPR Manager


- Walk to Spurs for QPR Tiger Cubs on Sunday


-
- Next: Spurs-QPR


INDEPENDENT ON THE FOUR YEAR PLAN

Inside the 'basket case': the film that will shock football


Glenn Moore is given an exclusive look at award-winning documentary that goes behind the scenes at QPR

Saturday, 29 October 2011

One firm rule of movies is the star never dies early on. Yet in Steven Soderbergh's new flick, 'Contagion', Gwyneth Paltrow's character is killed off in the first reel. That, she explained recently, meant the audience knew no one was safe.

It is the same in another forthcoming film, The Four Year Plan. The key character rubbed out may be rather less photogenic, but Iain Dowie's sacking after 15 matches in charge of Queen's Park Rangers gave out much the same message: no one was safe.

Dowie is the first of seven QPR managers (and caretakers) featured in a startling movie which goes behind the scenes during the turbulent period in which Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone were in charge of the west London club. From the outside the club appeared a basket case during this time. This eye-opening film confirms that is what it felt like much of the time on the inside too. As then-captain Mikele Leigertwood says: "The last three years has been a nightmare to be honest."

Ecclestone (nicknamed 'mini-me' to Briatore and vice-chairman Amit Bhatia) has only a cameo role but the billionaire figures, in a revealing scene when he walks into the dressing room before a game, looks at the water bottles and energy drinks, and says "we need to cut down on this expenditure".

Elsewhere in the film, financial meetings are covered in which other cuts are discussed – such as how many flowers are provided in executive boxes, and how much is spent on hospitality meals. The match-day bill for flowers is slashed by two-thirds, saving £10,000 a season. Ishan Saksena, the MD, explains: "The philosophy [in football] is if you are spending so much on players, what is another 10, 20 grand here or there? But when you add up those 10, 20 grand, it's like a few million which we can use to buy players." Meanwhile the directors travel to matches by helicopter and Ferrari.

The real star is Briatore who, whether in shot or at the other end of sporting director Gianni Paladini's phone, dominates the film like Tony Soprano, already ready to terminate the employment of another hapless manager. He variously describes them as "idiot", "prick" and "crazy". The film also confirms the suspicion, widely held at the time, that he influenced team selection.

What it reveals, however, is that sometimes he did so to impressive effect. One episode focuses on a match against Cardiff City. Briatore and Paladini are shown discussing tactics before the match. Briatore states that Gavin Mahon, who is returning from injury, must be brought on during the game and a way needs to be found for this message to be transmitted to the caretaker manager Gareth Ainsworth. Do they send a text, phone or go via the masseuse?

With the match scoreless after an hour and Mahon still on the bench, Briatore simmers in the directors' box. "That prick in the dug-out is choosing to lose the game. If he loses this game I'll sack him," he says. Finally he orders Paladini to tell Ainsworth to bring on Mahon. Paladini reluctantly leaves the directors' box. Minutes later Mahon is seen preparing to come on. Standing behind him, in the tunnel, is Paladini. In the next scene Mahon rises to head in an 80th-minute winner, in the directors' box Briatore goes wild with a sense of joy and vindication.

It's a scene to chill any manager. As is the contempt shown by the directors towards Dowie and later managers Jim Magilton and Paulo Sousa. The latter is told to change his team at half-time, via a phone call from Briatore to Bruno Oliveira, Sousa's startled assistant. When Sousa blames the loan of leading scorer Dexter Blackstock to Nottingham Forest on the board in a post-match press conference, he is accosted in the managers' room by Paladini (in front of the bemused Keith Curle and Mick Jones, then on the staff of visitors Crystal Palace, now working with Neil Warnock at QPR). The conversation is in Italian, but the tenor is clear even without the sub-titles.

Such behaviour is anathema in football but the film is also aimed at an audience beyond the game. There will be those who will think that if Briatore, a successful businessman, wants to micro-manage, as he may have done in his other companies, why not in football? What is the difference between influencing team selection and telling his production director at Benetton to change a clothing line?

Even before Sousa has gone (fired for breach of contract over the Blackstock incident) Paladini and Briatore discuss the next appointment. The job spec features a low wage, but a big bonus for promotion, and making use of the players they have. He'll be told, says Paladini "we won't break your balls as long as you win". Magilton accepts this deal but lasts only a few months with Paladini confirming rumours that Magilton butted Akos Buzsaky. Caretaker Mick Harford has a brief run, then Paul Hart is appointed. Five games later he's out.

Next up, Neil Warnock, who says as he is introduced to young striker Antonio German: "Have you shook hands a few times with new managers?" In The Independent columnist, however, QPR have finally found the right man and the film concludes, after the scare over the possibility of suffering a points deduction over alleged contract transfer irregularities, with promotion.

There are shots of the team training, and clips of matches, but this is not a film about how a team is prepared, it is about how a club is run. The title comes from Briatore's target when he buys into Rangers, "to be Premier [League] in four years".

It is given resonance by film of a protest by Rangers fans as things go awry: "Four-year plan – you're having a laugh," they chant as police hold fans back. As this illustrates, Briatore is not popular among QPR fans, but as the Italian points out in another scene, "we saved the club", before threatening to sell and see it "go back to League One". The irony is that his plan was achieved – within four years of Briatore's arrival, QPR were in the Premier League. He and Ecclestone have since sold up. Bhatia and Paladini, both of whose passion for QPR is evident, remain.

The film won the best documentary award at the recent Marbella Film Festival and Ad Hoc films are now negotiating a pre-Christmas limited cinematic release. It arose, said director Mat Hodgson, "organically". He had been doing corporate filming for the Mittal family, the co-owners to whom Bhatia is related by marriage.

This led to filming at QPR which became a film project. "It wasn't commissioned as a vanity project, it's warts and all," said Hodgson, who adds that none of the QPR directors, when they saw the final cut, asked him to make any changes. "Films like this don't get seen because people are too protective of themselves," said Hodgson, "they deserve credit for allowing us to show what it is really like to own a football club." Independent


-
- Next Stop for "The Four Year Plan" - Amsterdam



NEIL WARNOCK/THE INDEPENDENTINDEPENDENT

Neil Warnock: How City win helped us beat Chelsea in our crazy derby

What I Learnt This Week

Saturday, 29 October 2011


I don't know which of the two scorelines was most unexpected last weekend, the one in the Manchester derby or that in our own derby against Chelsea.

It might be that one influenced the other because events at Old Trafford did my job for me when it came to relaxing our players.

There is a TV in the dressing room and at half-time our strength and conditioning coach, Carl Serrant, asked me if I wanted it turned off. I said, "Not really they are better off watching that than thinking about the game they are about to play." And they were, as they definitely didn't need reminding of the importance of a local derby we hadn't won in 16 years. It did go off at 3-1 when the lads went out for their warm-up but we found out the final score before we kicked off and it's true to say the whole dressing room was stunned – which for me was a lot better than being nervous about our game.

Good job too because it was an electric atmosphere. The noise when we came out was deafening and both sets of supporters kept it up all game. From the bench you couldn't shout any instructions because within 10 or 15 metres it was drowned out. I think one of the papers said there may have been only 18,000 but it sounded like 50,000.

Obviously we had worked on combating Chelsea in training, but no one could have forecast the way the game went which is what makes the Premier League the greatest in the world. We started off very well, then circumstances took over what with us getting the penalty then Chelsea's two sendings-off. It seemed unreal. Watching it from the bench it almost seemed like slow motion.

At half-time I wanted us to push on but we let them have the ball and their players are so good technically they kept it, even with nine men. While we had opportunities to finish the game off with four or five excellent breaks our final decisions were really poor and that gave Chelsea every encouragement. Only a good save by Paddy Kenny from Nicolas Anelka won us the game.

It reminded me of when I was at Sheffield United and we played Arsenal in the FA Cup at Highbury. We had a gameplan which was to be difficult to break down. Then Dennis Bergkamp got sent off in the first half. At the break I said, "Let's try and win it," and we opened up. I don't think we kicked a ball in the second half against 10 men, though we managed to force a replay with a penalty in the last minute.

That's how good these sides are and it was such an achievement to beat Chelsea, even in the circumstances, when you think where the club was 18 months ago – fighting relegation to League One. To beat one of the best sides in the world, and get your first home win in the Premier League, it's what dreams are made of. I waited around afterwards on the pitch and just took it in; it was amazing listening to the crowd. A lot of our fans had never seen a victory against Chelsea. There is quite a rivalry. We stopped at a garage on the way back to get a few things and the guy serving was a Chelsea fan. I tried to have a joke but soon realised it was no laughing matter as far as he was concerned.

Unfortunately it was all overshadowed by the incident the FA are investigating which is a pity as I feel the players deserve a pat on the back. As for the investigation, I'm sure you'll understand I cannot say anything while it is going on.

2. I love going to Spurs – but always lose there

The Manchester game reminded me of us conceding six at Fulham. Having conceded goals quickly what was needed was to put a foot on it and be disciplined, but we kept going forward and every time we lost the ball Fulham scored.

It was the same with United towards the end. At 3-1 down, desperate to do well for their fans, they kept going forward, and got punished like we had.

I have no doubt it'll never happen again in my lifetime but it just shows at the moment how Manchester City are. It was more or less a second string they played at Wolves in midweek and they scored five. So guess who our next home match is against ... yes, Manchester City next Saturday tea-time.

Before then we have the small obstacle of Spurs away tomorrow. When you look at the team Harry Redknapp has put together they have got to have a great chance of getting that fourth spot. Full credit to Daniel Levy for keeping Luka Modric. Everyone thought they would sell at the last minute as they did with Dimitar Berbatov. With the signings of Scott Parker and Emmanuel Adebayor they have definitely got the depth and they are so entertaining to watch.

As I've mentioned in the past, White Hart Lane is probably my favourite ground to go to even though I don't think I've ever got anything there. I remember going there with Notts County in the FA Cup in 1991. We took the lead with a wonderful Don O'Riordan 30-yard shot, then I witnessed Paul Gascoigne thump Paul Harding which should have been a red card, and I'm sure referee Peter Foakes saw it. Gascoigne gave Harding a black eye but instead of being in the dressing room having a shower he made the equaliser and scored a late winner. We were gutted, but you need that bit of luck in the cup, and Spurs ended up winning it.

3. Day Harry quit English game after facing me

It's funny, given how long Harry and I have been in the game, but we haven't come up against each other very often. I will remind him of one meeting though after the match and I'm sure he'll remember it. Back in September 1976, when I was playing for Aldershot, he played his one and only game for Brentford at the Recreation Ground. I'm sure he'll remember it vividly because had it not been for a one-off while coaching at Bournemouth six years later, it would have been his last game in English football. It was a fantastic 1-1 draw, but Harry was substituted. I can't recall if he was injured, but he must have looked at the Rec and thought, "That's enough for me."

Talking of the Recreation Ground it was great to see it full for the Manchester United Carling Cup game this week. It is wonderful the way they have revived the club since they went bust and had to start again in non-League; all credit to the board and their backers.

Michael Owen again made the most of a run-out to score. He gets stick from people saying he should have gone elsewhere to get games, and he's only staying at United for money, but he likes being at a great club. Like David Beckham he is a tremendous professional and never gives less than 100 per cent. I wish we had him, but we'd have to build some stables near the training ground for him to consider it.

4. It was a piece of cake to mark Shaun's birthday

We had a couple of presentations at the training ground on Tuesday. First, some of the unsung heroes at the club, people like the kit-man and IT expert, got some Championship winners' medals we had struck with permission from the Football League. It was great to recognise their part in our success.

Then it was cake time. As you can see, we had a birthday cake for Shaun Wright-Phillips with 30 candles on it. I was amazed he blew them all out with one puff – unfortunately it was before the picture was taken.

5. I had a wonderful time at Amit's Diwali party

On Wednesday I was invited to the house of Amit Bhatia, our vice-chairman, for Diwali. It was an amazing night. Everyone was so friendly. It's wonderful how different faiths have celebrations at different times of year. One or two had watched the Chelsea game – Amit must have filled half a stand with the number I met who'd been to the game. Amit told me he also had friends and family who watched it live in India. The chairman, Tony Fernandes, was in Malaysia watching it. It really is the most multinational league in the world.

The family missed out as they are in Cornwall for half-term but they've had some consolations. Will's been to see Tintin and Amy went to a concert by Jessie J with her friend Phoebe taking my seat.

6. 'The Four Year Plan' is superb – you must see it

Elsewhere in these pages you will see a feature on The Four Year Plan, a behind-the-scenes, warts-and-all, documentary about the last four years at QPR. I was lucky enough to see an advance copy and I must admit the whole family were glued to it. It is a must-watch. I can't wait for the premiere, to walk down that red carpet and see it on a big screen.

On Sunday morning a group of QPR fans will be walking from Loftus Road to the game at White Hart Lane, raising money for the QPR Down's Syndrome Tiger Cubs. It really is a fantastic cause. You can get more info on it at www.qprcommunitytrust.co.uk/ The Independent


SKY SPORTS - Cook expects Hoops exit

.
Lee Cook: Looking for a loan move and would still be open to Forest switch
.
[b]Queens Park Rangers winger Lee Cook reckons he may have played his final game for his boyhood club, as he seeks a short-term loan switch. [/b]The 29-year-old has managed just two appearances in the past 18 months due to a series of injuries, with his latest coming in August's Carling Cup defeat by Rochdale.

The former Watford man spent a week on trial with Championship outfit Nottingham Forest recently, with a view to a loan move, but the departure of manager Steve McClaren saw a transfer shelved.

Cook's current contract is set to expire at the end of this season and he is eager to impress prospective employers with his long-term future at Loftus Road in doubt.

"I can't really see me coming back to QPR and playing regularly again to be honest because I'm training back there now, but I can't play any first-team games as I'm not in the 25-man squad," he told skysports.com.

"If I go back there in January on the back of a good loan spell in the Championship then you never know and they might have to sit up and take notice, but all I need to do is look after my career.

Patient
"My contract is up next June, so it is important for me to go out on loan and show people what I can do.

"I have missed playing regular football, but I need to be patient and wait for the right move because I've had options to go certain places.

"People often tell me that I should go out and get some football under my belt, but at the same time I want the right move for me and a club like Forest is one that falls into that category.

"It was great to get up there for that week and get a change of scenery and a different training schedule under my belt.

"For the past six months I haven't really been looked at by QPR in terms of playing in the first team, so to go up there and be a part of everything and be involved was great.

"It was just a shame for me that McClaren walked because it looked like it was going to happen, but I'll just have to go up there and impress all over again, which is my main target." Sky Sports


MIRROR - Warnock tipped for England by rival boss


Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp reckons Neil Warnock could do the job as next England manager.

Redknapp is a hot favourite to succeed Fabio Capello at the end of Euro 2012, but he has been impressed with the job Warnock has done in QPR promoted to the Premier League.

“I’m sure he could do the job. If you have good players you have a chance,” said the Spurs manager.

“Neil has done fantastically. To walk in there and take them up first season takes some doing.

“People think it’s easy, but they’ve all been trying [at QPR] and no one got near it.

“Suddenly, he walks in and up they go. He must be doing something right.

"People love to knock him.”

Redknapp’s men face QPR at White Hart Lane on Sunday - when Scott Parker is set to skipper the hosts.

The former West Ham midfielder, who rejected a potential move to QPR in the summer, was given the armband last week because Ledley King and Michael Dawson are out injured.

“He’s been everything and more since he’s been here,” said Redknapp. “Just fantastic. He really is a good player and a great lad.

“People don’t really understand how to run football clubs - what it takes to have good teams and good dressing rooms.

“It’s like anything in life, you need good people. If you have good lads around you it makes your job easy.

“He [Parker] comes in and trains, he’s clean-cut, is a family man, gets on with his football, you can talk to him about the game, he’s fantastic. You used to be able to do that with everyone.”

QPR ended up signing Joey Barton for their central-midfield slot instead of Parker, and the pair are now set to go head to head.

Rangers are coming off the back of their headline-making win over Chelsea last Sunday and are full of confidence.

Redknapp has defender William Gallas back in the squad but Dawson needs to see a specialist about his Achilles problem.

“Michael started to run but didn’t feel good,” said the Tottenham manager. “He had another scan and now has to go to a specialist on Wednesday again to see why.

“Until he sees the specialist, we don’t know if they want to operate on him - which we don’t want.

“An operation would be a long job. We’re hoping there is nothing there and it’s part of what he’ll feel from scar tissue or something.” MIRROR


- Three Year Flashback: Is Briatore Holding QPR Back?

- CHRIS WRIGHT SPEAKS! - Very Interesting QPRNET Q&A With Ex-Chairman, Chris Wright

- Two Year Flashback: QPR1st AGM - and Ali Russell Response

- Flashback: The Too-Close QPR-Chelsea Relationship

- Flashback: Who Was at QPR Five Years Ago (On and Off The Field)


- Helping Old Players: Something QPR could do well to emulate)

- Football's Fight Against Racism, Anti-Semitism, Homophobia, etc Week (Fortnight)

Friday, October 28, 2011

QPR Report Friday Update

-
- See More of Bushman's QPR 1948-1949 Season Archive Photos
-
- Throughout the day, the QPR Report Messageboard has news updates, comments and perspectives - even links to other board comments of interest re QPR matters (on and off the field) along with football (and ONLY football) topics in general....Also Follow: QPR REPORT ON TWITTER
_____________________________________________________________________________________

- Walk to Spurs for QPR Tiger Cubs on Sunday

- Next: Spurs-QPR

- Birthdy for Peter Hucker

- Three Year Flashback: Is Briatore Holding QPR Back?

- CHRIS WRIGHT SPEAKS! - Very Interesting QPRNET Q&A With Ex-Chairman, Chris Wright

- Chelsea Stadium Vote Failure

- Two Year Flashback: QPR1st AGM - and Ali Russell Response

- Flashback: The Too-Close QPR-Chelsea Relationship


- The Ongoing John Terry- Anton Ferdinand "Saga" - UPDATED - Compilation of Articles: What's Happening...Who's Saying What...QPR Players



TELEGRAPH

QPR's Anton Ferdinand tells of 'crazy’ days in furore with Chelsea's John Terry


Anton Ferdinand last night spoke for the first time about the gathering storm surrounding John Terry’s alleged racial slur against the Queens Park Rangers defender, describing it as a “crazy” week.

QPR's Anton Ferdinand tells of 'crazy’ days in furore with Chelsea's John Terry
Under scrutiny: Anton Ferdinand thanked other players who have shown him support during the furore over his row with John Terry

By Jonathan Liew and Jeremy Wilson

11:00PM BST 27 Oct 2011

Officials from the Football Association’s governance and regulation department are expected to return to QPR's Harrington training ground this afternoon, having visited on Tuesday, to interview Ferdinand, who is adamant that his main priority is Sunday’s Premier League game against Tottenham.

“The last few days have been crazy,” Ferdinand, 26, told Telegraph Sport.

“But I’m looking forward to Sunday’s game and fully focused on football.

"Anyone who knows me will know that whatever’s going on, football’s always going to be my number one priority.

Ferdinand paid tribute to the support he has received from others in the game, most notably his cousin Les Ferdinand and Blackburn striker Jason Roberts.

“I’d like to thank players like Jason Roberts for the support they have given me,” he said.

“Not just professionals at other clubs but my team-mates at QPR.

"They’ve been fantastic for me. Having team-mates around you like I have is nice to feel, and nice to see.”

Had his manager Neil Warnock spoken to him about the incident? “I don’t want to talk about that,” Ferdinand responded.

“I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about the game on Sunday.”

On top of the FA’s investigation, the police are also assessing the incident during the game between QPR and Chelsea on Sunday, in which Terry is alleged to have directed a racist comment at Ferdinand.

Terry, the Chelsea and England captain, has consistently denied making any racist remark and says that he welcomes the chance to clear his name.

FA officials, having visited the QPR training ground already, intend to take further statements today.

It is not clear when they will speak to Terry, who will lead Chelsea against Arsenal in tomorrow’s lunchtime kick-off at Stamford Bridge.

Ferdinand accepts that he did not directly hear what Terry said to him during Sunday’s match, but was sufficiently concerned by subsequent footage of the incident for QPR to request an investigation.

The flashpoint occurred in the 85th minute of the match, when it is alleged that Terry mouthed the words 'you ******* black ****’ towards Ferdinand.

Terry issued a statement on Sunday saying that he thought Ferdinand had accused him of making a racist slur and “responded aggressively, saying that I never used that term”.

Chelsea have suggested that Terry only used the offending words as part of a longer sentence, denying any racism.

There had been a hope at Chelsea that Ferdinand would corroborate Terry’s statement, particularly as they spoke for 10 minutes after the match.

With the full backing of QPR, Ferdinand has, instead, encouraged the FA to investigate the incident.

With Ferdinand not having heard what Terry said, the FA’s investigation is expected to hinge significantly on the available video evidence.

The footage that was posted on the internet is partially obscured by Ashley Cole walking past Terry. The FA, however, is expected to request other television angles in an attempt to make proper sense of the incident.

There is no time frame for the FA investigation, but the resulting fallout has seen Ferdinand, the younger brother of England defender Rio, thrown into the spotlight.

When pressed, Ferdinand refused to elaborate on the events of Sunday while the matter is still being investigated but acknowledged that, over the last few days, he has received an unprecedented number of phone calls, text messages and tweets.

He stressed his determination to block out the distraction of the Terry affair. “It’s part of the job,” he said.

“You’ve got to play in front of 40,000 or 50,000 people every week and you’ve got to block them out, so if you can’t block this out, there’s no point in playing the game. You’re going to struggle.”

What exactly was Ferdinand’s recollection of Sunday’s events?

“I don’t want to talk about that,” was his terse reply. What he actually wanted to talk about was the new computer game Battlefield 3, which he was promoting in London.

To be fair to Ferdinand, his silence was most likely the product of outside counsel rather than truculence on his own part. And there was an acknowledgement of the strain these turbulent last few days have had.

Ferdinand insisted that he would emerge from the episode a stronger person.

“Has it been the craziest week of my life? There’s been other situations, but it’s certainly up there. But these types of situations are what make you.”

Ferdinand appeared in good spirits yet there is little chance of the row dissipating in the immediate future, with Chelsea manager Andre Villas Boas dedicating his side’s Carling Cup win against Everton on Wednesday to Terry.

One of the by-products of the controversy is that it has taken the gloss off QPR’s surprise 1-0 victory at Loftus Road, and Ferdinand was keen to pay tribute to his team’s spirit and resolve in holding out against Chelsea, who were reduced to nine men after the red cards shown to Jose Bosingwa and Didier Drogba.

“When you play against ten men or nine men, sometimes it’s harder,” he said.

“There was more urgency from them. They had to put the pressure on us because we were winning, but we knew we didn’t have to score again.

“We knew we could sit back and try to pick them off. That didn’t happen, and at times we could have kept the ball better, but we got three points, and that’s all that mattered.”

Anton Ferdinand was playing Battlefield 3, out now on PlayStation 3, Xbox 360 and PC. For more information visit www.battlefield3.com/uk. For the latest news visit
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/footbal....John-Terry.html



Paul Warburton/FUlham Chronicle -
QPR players to decide Taarabt's fate


ADEL Taarabt could be fined for petulant behaviour in the future – but QPR boss Neil Warnock will let his squad decide how much.

In the week dominated by the John Terry-Anton Ferdinand saga, the other major talking point was Taarabt’s peevish reaction to being substituted during Sunday’s 1-0 win over Chelsea, and comments insisting a move to Paris St German is still on in January.

Warnock’s patience with the mercurial talent set to face old club Spurs on Sunday has already been stretched to the limit. But the manager revealed he has never fined the player, although there are plenty who now can.

“There used to be no code of conduct until this season,” the manager explained. “Everything of that sort was done on a willy-nilly basis.

“But the senior players went away, drew up their own list, and if they want to fine Adel, they can.”

The manager actually increased penalties on a few points, and gave a glimpse to the code when he revealed anyone daft enough to wear an earring on the training pitch is going to be £50 lighter.

Warnock added: “Players would never fine each other as much as a manager, so I’ve added a bit more here and there.

“But as regards him wanting away, Adel can go. He knows that. And personally, I’ve no got no problem with him showing he’s unhappy.

"But if he ever gesticulates in a manner that would not sit favourably with fans, players or management – then he’s in for it.”
http://www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk/london-....029-29675 551/?

MIRROR





TALKSPORT

Hill hoping to make the most of QPR second chance

QPR defender Clint Hill is praying that Neil Warnock will rescue his career with the West London club and keep him in the team for the London derby against Tottenham on Sunday.

Hill thought he had played his last game for the club following his sending-off against Bolton on the opening day of the season.

The 33-year-old defender was sent out on loan to Nottingham Forest and was preparing to make a move away from the west London club after QPR signed Armand Traore from Arsenal.

But he was recalled from the City Ground and was handed a shock recall for the game against Chelsea last weekend.

Hill is now hoping that Warnock will give him one final chance to stake his claim for a regular place and keep alive his dream of playing in the top-flight this season.

Hill said: "To be honest I thought that was it for me. I wasn't in the side - or even the squad - and it seemed I wasn't in the manager's plans.

"I went to Forest to play some games and was thinking that if I did well I might get a year there. It was a massive shock to get the call on the Friday telling me I was going back - and even more of a shock to play against Chelsea."

Hill made a timely return as QPR picked up a famous 1-0 win over their west London rivals.

The game was marred by controversy as Chelsea had two players sent-off and John Terry was accused of making racist remarks towards Anton Ferdinand.

Reports suggested that Hill was going to be one of three players who were prepared to give evidence against Terry, but QPR have strongly denied those stories.

Hill is now hoping to focus his attentions on another London derby at White Hart Lane on Sunday and is determined to make amends for his crazy dismissal against Bolton on the opening day of the season when he was shown a red card for butting Martin Petrov.

Hill added: "It messed me up for the next two months and I thought it would end up being my one and only game in the Premier League," Hill revealed.

"I was so disappointed with myself after the Bolton game. I reacted in a way I shouldn't have. Now I just want to show I can make a contribution to the team."
http://www.talksport.co.uk/sports-newsItalians plot double swoop on QPR

Italian giants Napoli are targeting QPR duo Adel Taarabt and Alejandro Faurlin.

The Serie A club have already sounded out playmaker Taarabt’s representatives, with Paris Saint Germain also keen on him.

Midfielder Faurlin is also on the Italians’ radar after showing some impressive Premier League form.

Taarabt, 22, said: “I’m flattered by my name being linked with an enormous club like Napoli.

"QPR know there is interest so it is up to them but I am happy to win games for them and the future will tell."

QPR are believed to have turned down a £16m bid from PSG in the summer for Morocco international Taarabt Mirror



GUARDIAN/STUART JAMES - October 28, 2011


Is the Championship catching up with the Premier League?

The early-season success of promoted clubs is proving the top flight may not be as daunting as it once was

Is the gap narrowing between the top of the Championship and the bottom of the Premier League? It is tempting to believe that is the case after seeing the three promoted clubs hit the ground running for the second successive season, acclimatising to life in the top flight with such confidence that one player has offered to take drastic action if relegation is not averted. "If there are not three worse teams than us in the league this season, I will shoot myself in the head," Garry Monk, the Swansea City defender, said earlier this week.

Whether those words come back to haunt Monk remains to be seen but for the moment Swansea, Norwich City and Queens Park Rangers are entitled to believe there is nothing to fear in the Premier League. Their collective total of 33 points at this stage has only been surpassed on two occasions in the past decade: West Bromwich Albion, Newcastle United and Blackpool had 36 points last year, and in the 2008-09 campaign Phil Brown's Hull City distorted the figures by picking up 20 points on their own to climb to third place.

With two of the three promoted clubs staying up in each of the past three seasons, it feels as if there is a trend emerging whereby the Premier League's new entrants are no longer the cannon fodder the bookmakers and media have long thought them to be. Whether that is down to Championship clubs improving and approaching the top flight with bolder tactics or standards dropping among two thirds of the Premier League – there is a school of thought that, outside of the top six, the division is particularly weak this season – is a matter of conjecture.

It is, of course, early days to be making judgments on the fortunes of the three promoted clubs. The rollercoaster experiences of Albion, Newcastle and Blackpool last term, never mind the cringeworthy image of Brown lecturing his players on the pitch at Manchester City three years ago, when Hull's campaign started to unravel, provide reminders of how quickly things can change. The Premier League can be an unforgiving environment to work in as Tony Mowbray, the Middlesbrough manager who was in charge of the Albion side that was relegated in 2009, knows all too well.

"I took an expansive passing philosophy into the Premier League with West Brom, we didn't survive but I still totally believe there is no other way to go and do it," Mowbray says. "OK, you can say Stoke did it another way but they've built on it and diluted it [by bringing in players such as Matthew Etherington and Jermaine Pennant]. My belief is that, in the Premier League, if you keep giving the ball back to the opposition the opposition will be so good they'll score in the end. You must keep the ball, expand yourselves and ask questions of the opposition."

It is easy to imagine Brendan Rodgers, the Swansea manager, nodding his head at Mowbray's sentiments. Only Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal have made more passes than Swansea this season, which is a remarkable statistic at first glance, although the figures do not look quite so impressive when you delve a little deeper and realise that they are the only Premier League club to have made more passes in their own half than the opposition's. It is hard to fault Rodgers' principles but a little less possession and a bit more penetration would appear to be in need.

Norwich have made the most eye-catching start. Despite already travelling to Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool, they are eighth. On the face of it, they have a lot of similarities to the promoted Reading side that finished eighth under Steve Coppell in 2007. Of the 13 players that featured in the 1-1 draw at Liverpool on Saturday, only Leon Barnett had made more than one Premier League appearance at the start of the season. In other words, Paul Lambert's squad is replete with players who have a point to prove after working their way up the leagues.

QPR's position in the table feels like less of a surprise. Neil Warnock was eventually given the funds to bring in proven Premier League performers to complement those that were part of the side that won the Championship. Their form has been erratic – they have been thumped by Fulham and Bolton but defeated Chelsea and Everton – and goals have been hard to come by – only Wigan have managed fewer – yet there is enough talent within their ranks to secure survival, especially if Warnock can get through to Adel Taarabt that the season has started.

It is 10 years since all three promoted clubs stayed up, and if that were to happen again this season it would strengthen the belief that the relationship between the Premier League and Championship is genuinely changing. Mowbray, however, predicts the chasm will soon reappear. "Generally the clubs who spend the most finish highest and, due to the new financial fair play rules, a lot of Championship clubs are downsizing at the moment," he says. "Salaries of Championship teams will come down dramatically in the next few years, so people will need to punch above their weight. But as Norwich and, last season, Blackpool have shown, punching above your weight is not impossible."
Guardian


- Flashback: Who Was at QPR Five Years Ago (On and Off The Field)


- Next Stop for "The Four Year Plan" - Amsterdam


- Helping Old Players: Something QPR could do well to emulate)

- Football's Fight Against Racism, Anti-Semitism, Homophobia, etc Week (Fortnight)

Blog Archive