QPR may have to wait a little longer for their first Premiership game in 16 years with a decision to be made on Thursday about whether this Saturday’s game with Bolton can take place as civil disorder sweeps the capital.
Low-life scumbags who aren’t worth the shit off my shoe have been using a shooting in Tottenham last week to justify destroying people’s livelihoods and homes for three nights in London now and 16,000 police officers are on the streets tonight attempting to quash any further spread. All London based Carling Cup ties were postponed tonight and England’s match with Holland at Wembley tomorrow night is also off. Next in line for the chop is the weekend fixture list with nine Premiership and Football League fixtures set to take place in London on Saturday.
An official statement from the Premier League said: “We are in on-going discussions with our London-based clubs, the Metropolitan Police and statutory authorities in regard to the staging of the coming weekend's fixtures in the capital. The Metropolitan Police has conveyed to us the dynamic nature of the current situation and with that in mind all parties will review the situation on Thursday and make a further public statement at that time. With the information currently available to us there is no reason to think any matches outside of London will be affected.”
Should the game go ahead, manager Neil Warnock insists his team will be ready. After admitting to Sky’s Goals on Sunday programme that he has missed out on targets this season, namely Danny Graham and Wayne Routledge, and that if Adel Taarabt starts the season well he could yet leave during this transfer window he went on to say that “life is too short” and he intends to enjoy the campaign.
Speaking to the official website he said: "I'm right excited about it now. It will be a bumper crowd, a decent atmosphere and we can't wait. We're on the right lines. There's always room for improvement, but we're heading in the right direction. The lads will be up for it and ready for Bolton."
Warnock also told the Daily Express: “The promotion was tainted a bit with the points thing. Rangers never really had a celebration. We never had an open-topped bus or a get-together with the team in the council offices. It has been a bit strange, but we were just relieved to get over all that with everything flying around that there was. But it is great to be where we are. The most enjoyable day for me was Saturday when I saw the Championship play and I thought, ‘thank goodness I am not in that this year’. Since Blackpool came up it has changed everybody’s opinion,” said Warnock. “We are going to come up and enjoy it. I don’t think that we can change styles – certainly not if we have got Adel playing for us.”
One man definitely not involved this weekend is forward Jamie Mackie, whose recovery from a broken leg sustained in January has gone worryingly quiet. There’s a touch of the Rowan Vine about the ‘indefinite’ delay in his comeback from the injury he suffered in the FA Cup at Blackburn last season.
Mackie told London 24: “To be honest, I’m not even thinking about playing, when I’m back I’m back, but for now all I can do is focus on getting my leg right and getting fit. There isn’t really a time-scale. I’m ambitious, and sort of set my own date in my head which hasn’t worked out. It’s frustrating because I was really enjoying my football least season. It’s all part of the healing process, it isn’t one of those things where I can work harder and it’ll heal quicker, it was a bad injury and it needs patience, which I’m not great at. But the medical team here, and Nigel Cox in particular, have been fantastic.
“I’ve missed football massively, I can’t wait to get back in the thick of the action and when I do, I know I’ll score goals. There is going to be more competition for places this season, but that’s essential for us. Jay Bothroyd is a quality footballer and you need players like him in the side because they give everyone a boost. Looking at the first few games, we’ve got a couple of home games and we’re not playing any of the top six sides, so we have a chance to get off to a good start.”
Tommy Smith is also planning ahead and setting his targets for the season. He told the Fulham Chronicle: “When you get promotion you always need to strengthen your squad. You can't just have one player for each position. Obviously I'm fighting for my spot. It's always a bit of a worry when a signing comes in in your position, but the added competition keeps you on your toes. I started seven games during pre-season, which is much more games than I've played elsewhere. Hopefully I've benefited from that come Saturday. With Watford in the Premier League I think I started around ten games and managed a couple of goals. It's definitely something I want to improve on. There's no excuses and I need to get on the scoresheet more. If I could get seven or eight I would be delighted.”
Smith may not turn out to be in direct competition with Kieron Dyer who is being tipped for a right back role after starting there against Luton on Friday night. Dyer told the Ealing Gazette: “He’s (Warnock) got me down for a number of roles and I think one of my strengths is versatility, and I’m happy to play wherever needed.”
DJ Campbell is very positive about the prospects for the coming season. He told London 24: “Hopefully me and Jay can play well off each other. That’s certainly what the gaffer had in mind: the big guy-small guy thing. I’m quite quick and he’s got a good touch, we bring different things to the side and I think we can complement each other. He’s more of a centre-forward, whereas I can play as a wide man or through the middle. I think we’ll all switch around a bit so I don’t mind playing on the wing, although eventually I see myself playing through the middle. We can definitely stay up, there’s no point being in this league unless you believe that.”
In other news West London Sport reports that Rangers have invited 18-year-old Australian goalkeeper Aaron Lennox to the club for a trial. Lennox is a product of the Australian Institute of Sport. Dave McIntyre also reports that Bruno Perone will be signed on by QPR on a one year deal after his summer long trial. The 24-year-old has an Italian passport and played for Xerez in Spain last year so a work permit would not be an issue.
And finally a QPR XI including Petter Vaagan Moen and Leon Clarke won 3-0 at Reading today. Clarke and Troy Hewitt were among the goals.
Angelo Balanta was lucky to escape with only a yellow card on his second debut for MK Dons at the weekend. The Columbian forward dived into a tackle on Evan Horwood just before halftime of their Saturday clash with Hartlepool. The Dons coaching staff were furious with the reaction of the Hartlepool players and tempers flared while Balanta was booked. The game finished 2-2 with the Dons equalising in stoppage time.
Life for Max Ehmer back at Yeovil didn’t start well either, as they crashed to a 2-0 opening day defeat at Brentford. Ehmer suffered a foot injury just after half time and was substituted before the hour mark.
Egyptian right winger Ahmed Fathy has been linked with a move to Loftus Road by his agent. The one-time Sheffield United player currently plies his trade with Egyptian champions Ahly and is apparently set to meet the club’s chairman to dicuss a move to W12. The player’s agent told Ahram Online: “The British club contacted me, showing interest to take Fathy on during the transfer window.
The Daily Mail reports that Leeds are in the hunt for QPR target Ryan Bertrand. The Chelsea full back is apparently wanted by manager Simon Grayson after his side’s horror show on the Championship opening day at Southampton.
For the second time this summer Sky Sports are linking Shaun Derry with a surprise return to former club Crystal Palace. The 33-year-old has struggled somewhat in the pre-season games so far but QPR are short of cover at holding midfield to it seems unlikely that he would leave, unless the return of the Jimmy Bullard rumours turn out to have basis in fact perhaps.
“I thought four weeks ago that Neil Warnock would have walked out. I'm not saying he should have but I'd have respected him for it. Because what will happen is he'll go on a streak of games without winning and people will call for his head anyway. Neil's had his hands tied in the transfer market. He did wonders last season, winning promotion was like swimming the Channel with diver's boots on. And he kept Adel Taarabt under control, which is no mean feat. But instead of backing Neil, the club have treated him like a naughty schoolboy who has to stand in the corner in silence.”
- West Brom have signed Reading striker Shane Long for an undisclosed fee believed to exceed their previous club record purchase of £4.6m. Long scored 25 goals for the Royals last season as they lost out in the Championship play off final to Swansea. Baggies manager Roy Hodgson said: "He is a goal scorer and a hard-working player who has a very good attitude to the game."
- Newcastle’s penchant for contracts of outrageous length has continued with the signing of former Bordeaux winger Gabriel Obertan on a five year deal for an undisclosed fee. The Frenchman moved to Man Utd in 2009 but failed to impress and fell down the pecking order when Ashley Young was signed from Aston Villa. Alan Pardew claims: “He has great pace and excellent technique and he has improved his power in the last 12 months.”
- Blackburn’s meagre summer of spending improved slightly today when they signed Partizan Belgrade midfielder Radosav Petrovic for an undisclosed fee. The 22-year-old has signed a four-year contract at Ewood Park after receiving a work permit. The 6ft 4in defensive midfielder has made 19 appearances for Serbia, having made his debut for the country in August 2009.
- Arsenal have once again responded to their clear and obvious lack of a goalkeeper, centre half and central midfielder by signing another tiny tippy-tappy attacking midfielder. Alex Oxlade Chamberlain has arrived from Southampton for a fee that could rise to £12m. That should do the trick Arsene.
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