Hoorah! Queens Park Rangers won their first game of the season, albeit an away fixture at Isthmian Premier Division side, Harrow Borough. A pre-season friendly that was set up as part of Troy Hewitt’s move to the R’s from the Borough during last season but the 20 year old has spent that time since in the reserves.
According to the local press, Hewitt was keen to impress for the R’s in front of his former club but reports failed to suggest otherwise. I nearly attended the Earlsmead Stadium for this fixture on Friday evening but thought that £15 ticket admission was rather steep for what is the R’s first kick of a ball since the closing game of last season at home to Leeds United.
Armchair viewing was atrocious apart from the 21 seconds of highlights on Sky Sports News which showed the only goal of the game, a 30-yard free-kick from an unnamed trialist (who looked about 14 years old). SIGN HIM UP!
In all seriousness, manager Neil Warnock’s comments on the official site sounded good. It was literally the players first kick of a ball since returning for pre-season training and there were no injuries. However, reports say that Akos Buzsaky has a slight calf strain which I hope is not too serious.
In other news…Adel Taarabt has been left out of Rangers tour to Cornwall which only suggests that the £15 odd million pound move to Paris St.Germain is imminent. With Spurs getting 35% of the transfer fee, it’s a good thing Rangers are holding out for as much as they can get. However, Warnock commented on how the only money the R’s will be spending this summer, will be the £1.25 million on Blackpool striker DJ Campbell.
I can understand that Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone are treating QPR like a business which is why they’re not willing to splash the cash. However, if they want Rangers to stay in the Premier League then they need to give Warnock more leeway in the transfer market.
A more sinister part of me thinks that by restricting Warnock will only see the R’s struggle in the first few months of the Premier League season thus giving them a solid reason to sack the manager and bring in the likes of Marcello Lippi or Carlo Ancelotti ready for the January transfer window. However, I can honestly see all this being part of the plan but I doubt Lippi or Ancelotti would be interested and we’d end up getting Gianluca Vialli instead! Christ.
Speaking of DJ Campbell, according to Sky Sports the deal has been put on hold after both clubs have agreed a fee, but Warnock said the player’s representatives were not happy with the fees for the player in the contract. Maybe DJ would like some more gold teeth, or a dental care plan in place? I am not sure, but surely the player should sign on the dotted line for a move back to the Premier League…..
Also, from the comfort of my armchair, I saw Kieron Dyer interviewed on Sky Sports News in which he said it was the manager that persuaded him to sign for the R’s with his plans. Seeing as Dyer, now 32, only signed a 1-year deal then I can imagine those plans are short term. Perhaps we offered him his own personal physio?
Many R’s fans are negative about the Dyer signing but the player did manage to play 15 games for the Hammers last season, more than previous seasons and Hammers fans themselves said, when he WAS fit, he was one of their best players. He’ll certainly provide some experience and attacking class as we attempt to compete in the EPL.
That’s pretty much it for now, the R’s play Tavistock on Monday followed by Plymouth on Wednesday and finishing with Bodmin on the Friday as part of Neil Warnock’s Cornwall tour. Let’s hope the trialists continue to impress and perhaps some new signings confirmed…
COME ON YOU R’S!!!!
Queens Park aRmchair 