Blackstock Says Was Never Offered New Contract...High Praise for Cerny

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[A couple of months ago, there were messageboard claims that Blackstock had in fact signed a new contract. Such claims would seem to be somewhat incorrect!]

Ben Kosky/Kilburn Times - No deal for Dex
- QPR'S leading scorer Dexter Blackstock has refuted reports that he is set to sign a new contract with the club.
- Rangers were thought to have offered Blackstock a new three-year deal, but the striker says no discussions have taken place about extending his stay at Loftus Road.
- "I haven't signed a new contract because I haven't been offered a contract to sign," Blackstock told the Times.
- "I've got less than 18 months remaining on my present contract and, until I'm offered another one, I can't sign it. Nothing's been said about it at the moment."
The 22-year-old frontman is one of the Rs' longest-serving players and has bagged 32 goals in all competitions since his £500,000 move from Southampton two and a half years ago.
- But it is understood that plans to tie him to a new contract were shelved earlier this season on the advice of co-owner Flavio Briatore, who does not rate him highly.
- And Blackstock says he is focused on this weekend's return to St Mary's, where Rangers will be aiming to deal Southampton's survival hopes a blow.
- The striker's celebrations were muted when he netted against the Saints earlier this season and he admits he is saddened by his former club's current plight.
- "Southampton's a nice place to play football and there are a lot of lovely people connected to the club. They're a massive club and shouldn't be in that position," Blackstock observed.
- "Then again, Charlton are a massive club and they're in an even worse position. Norwich are down there as well, that's what the Championship can be like.
- "They're fighting for their lives, so it's going to be a tough game. But we haven't ruled out this season yet and if we go on a good run we could still be there or thereabouts."
- Kilburn Times


Brian Glanville on Cerny
"...Talking of goalkeepers, I saw two very good ones last Saturday at Shepherds Bush in an otherwise largely undistinguished game between Queens Park Rangers (whose present apology for a Press Box testifies only to the hardly successful, money pinching methods of the current, supposedly mega-wealthy owners) and Sheffield United.
- For the Blades in the first half, there was a splendid performance by Paddy Kenny, who seemed recently about to leave the club but luckily for them has stayed.
- In the second when the Blades came to life, it was QPR keeper Radek Cerny who took the eye with one resilient save after another. So much so that you began to wonder why Spurs had let both him and the Hungarian, two very tall keepers, go while foundering on the errors of Paul Robinson and now the hapless Brazilian Gomes. Hungary's towering Martin Fulop has played so well for Sunderland that even the hugely expensive Scotland keeper Gordon cannot get back into the team" World Soccer