Adel Taarabt has walked out on the Moroccan national team for the second time in a year, vowing never to play for his country again.

News

The notoriously temperamental Taarabt had only recently returned to the national fold after a previous row over not being selected for the first team after making a long trip to join the squad for a game against Tanzania. Now he has walked out again after coach Eric Gerets informed him he would only be on the bench for the match with Algeria this weekend.

Taarabt said: “I never want to play for the national team again, with or without Eric Gerets. I decided to quit the national team after learning that I was not going to start against Algeria. I left without giving any explanations to the coach. I did not want to create any problems within the squad. The national team is now finished for me. I would prefer to represent my country through my club."

Nothing really startling or surprising in that story, or in the QPR released list this week which included eight names. Gavin Mahon, Georgios Tofas, Josh Parker, Lee Brown, Joe Oastler, Elliott Cox, Romone Rose and Pascal Chimbonda will all be released at the end of their contracts with Rangers this summer.

Of those Chimbonda has been gone for several weeks anyway, he accused Neil Warnock of “wasting six months of his life” when he was informed he would no longer be required after the 4-1 defeat at Scunthorpe. Gavin Mahon was released last summer before returning to Rangers on a series of month long contracts without ever playing for the first team – he spent the last three months of the season with Crystal Palace. Tofas seemed a strange signing from the start and made just one substitute appearance at Norwich. Joe Oastler has already agreed a permanent move to Torquay where he spent last season on loan. Lee Brown spent the whole season on loan with Hayes and Yeading while Josh Parker and Romone Rose have both had various unsuccessful loan spells with the likes of Northampton, Wycombe and Cheltenham. Elliott Cox leaves without a senior appearance to his name.

Neil Warnock told the club’s official website: “There are some really good lads with good quality amongst the eight that we've released. This could be just what they need to go on and kick-start their careers. I wish them all the best."

Mikele Leigertwood has also gone, signing for Reading for an undisclosed fee. He told the Ealing Gazette: “I've got no problem with QPR. The fans have always been good to me there. They are always going to be disappointed if you misplace a pass now and again, but it doesn't help when the manager highlights that and says you have lost confidence. The manager called it as he sees it, that's fair enough. But he also made it clear I didn't have a future there, so there was no point in staying. I'm not going to sit around on the bench or not even travel to games and I made the decision to come and play games. I'm at a very good team. I've got no points to prove to anybody. I'm happy with how my career's going and how things have turned out, even though we have missed out on going up."

One player not leaving is young defensive midfielder Max Ehmer. The German born 19-year-old impressed on loan at Yeovil in League One last season and has had his deal at Loftus Road extended to the summer of 2013. Ehmer told the club’s official website: “Last year was a great experience for me at Yeovil. I couldn't have asked for anything more really. Terry Skiverton was great with me and the experience of going out on loan will stand me in good stead for the future. If the manager decides I need to spend more time out on loan then that's fine. He's the kind of gaffer that likes to give youth a chance though, so hopefully I can show him what I can do over the coming months and really push on.”

Neil Warnock said: “Max has made great progress over the last few months. He had a very productive spell at Yeovil and the feedback we received was very promising. The experience he gained there will stand him in good stead to really push on over the next 12 months or so."

Who will be coming in to join Ehmer and the other QPR squad members this summer remains uncertain. Despite the boardroom upheaval and strong suggestions that QPR will keep their spending to a minimum this summer websites and newspapers are still punching out QPR transfer stories at a frightening rate with Robbie Keane, Jermaine Jenas, Andy Johnson and Sulley Muntari just four of the names mentioned in the ‘wouldn’t come cheap’ category.

And defender Peter Ramage has also signed a one year extension to his deal as mentioned in the last LFW Diary. The Geordie told the club’s official website: “I always wanted to stay here and the gaffer made it clear from the day I got injured that he'd give me a chance, so now it's up to me to repay the faith he's shown in me. I always had confidence that I'd get a new deal, but it's great to put pen to paper and now I can focus all my attentions on getting ready for pre-season in early July. I feel I've got a point to prove and a lot to offer this football club. I've got a great feeling for the place now and I'm proud to be a QPR player. Next season will be tough - we're under no illusions. But we've got a great team-spirit, coupled with some real quality and we're all excited about the challenge that lies ahead."

Neil Warnock told the Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast on Talksport last week: “Obviously we’ve got targets, and there has been a little bit of a change on the board with the owners. Amit Bhatia brought me to the club so I’m bound to be disappointed but Bernie has telephoned me and said that he’s fully behind me and supportive. I’m hoping to get him and Flavio together next week to have a look at what we can do. I’ve given them some targets of mine but it’s difficult unless you can get them around the table together because you can’t get them on the phone at the same time. He [Briatore] is basically running it at the moment. Bernie has got the shares but he leaves Flavio to deal with the football side of it, basically Flavio is fully in charge again now. Basically we’ll be going along with the squad we had last year, I know we want to bring players in but that depends on finances.”

So making the most of what we have then? If that’s the case then Warnock will be looking forward to having the hard working Jamie Mackie back available for selection after breaking his leg at Blackburn in January. Mackie said: “I'm just getting my head down and working hard. Obviously it's going to be a tough slog over the summer months when the rest of the boys are on holiday, but it will all be worth it once pre-season comes around again at the start of July. Everything is on track at the moment and whilst myself and the medical and fitness teams haven't set any specific goals, everything is going as smoothly as we could have hoped for. The medical and fitness staff have been spot on with me and as soon as I'm back fit, I'm back fit - we don't need to put a time scale on things at this stage."

Finally, not very surprisingly, QPR have announced the club will not be appealing against the £850,000 fine handed down to them by the FA over the Alejandro Faurlin transfer. Rangers only found out they would not be docked points an hour before the final match of the season and the fine, despite being a record high one for the FA, was seen by many as a good result for the club. Rangers announced on Friday they would not be appealing “in the interests of the club and the Football Association.”

Rumours

The Mirror repeats the previously much stated rumour that Rangers will move for Robbie Keane and Jermaine Jenas from Spurs this summer, but also throws the name of Swansea defender Ashley Williams into the mix for the first time, mentioning a potential £1m deal.

The Daily Star says Inter Milan and Napoli are showing an interest in Adel Taarabt, while QPR have designs on Inter’s former Portsmouth midfielder Sulley Muntari. Its sister paper the Sunday Star says Rangers fancy Arsenal’s Emmanuel Eboue.

The Ealing Gazette says Rangers are returning to Watford with an improved offer for striker Danny Graham after previously having a £2.5m offer knocked back by the Hornets. Swansea and West Brom are also in the running for last season’s Championship top scorer.

The Daily Mail says Rangers are looking at Fulham striker Andy Johnson, although a £4m transfer fee and £40,000 a week wage packet may scupper the move. Fulham are currently without a manager after Mark Hughes’ resignation last week as well which could further complicate matters. A more realistic target maybe Millwall’s Steve Morrison who the Mail says can leave The Den for £2.5m after handing in a transfer request and is attracting interest from QPR and Norwich.

Former R’s

Friend of the site Paul Hart is back in football following his latest sacking at Swindon. Hart has been made academy director at Charlton which, for all the fun LFW likes to poke at him, is a job he has always excelled in when utilised in that way previously.

Premiership Shorts

- Mark Hughes resignation as Fulham manager has nothing to do with the current vacancies at Villa and Chelsea according to his agent Kia Joorabchian who says he is merely looking for a job with a club capable of competing in the Champions League and has not been approached by any other side.

- Swansea’s out of contract midfielder Darren Pratley has denied reports he has signed for Bolton. Owen Coyle is keen on Pratley, and also wants to resign Chelsea striker Daniel Sturridge on loan for next season after a successful spell at the Reebok last term where Sturridge scored eight goals in 12 league games.

- Heurelho Gomes’ Spurs career looks in doubt after Harry Redknapp signed veteran Villa keeper Brad Friedel on a two year contract. Accident prone Gomes has been linked with a return to his former club PSV this summer.

- Wolves have released goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann after two seasons at Molineux, but are determined to hang onto star players Matt Jarvis and Kevin Doyle this summer. Manager Mick McCarthy said: “If someone wants to try and take Matt and Kevin off us, any of our top stars, it is not going to be easy for them - and they are going to be expensive. That's not saying they are for sale. They are not for sale.”

Photo: Action Images

isawqpratwcity added 09:14 - Jun 6 "basically Flavio is fully in charge again now..." (sigh)
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hoops123 added 21:09 - Jun 6 Can't believe Swansea have beat us to the punch with Graham. We offer 2.5million, then Warnock goes on holiday and Swansea come in with a better offer. Having won the championship we should have had a head start over Norwich and Swansea, yet they have made their intentions known immediately. Is Warnock dragging his feet or is it the Flabbio factor again? Got to say I fear the worse.

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