It has been a good day for graduates of QPR’s youth set up with Romone Rose signing a two year deal and Angelo Balanta earning praise from a team mate. The system has however been criticised by the manager of a local junior side.
Rose, still only 19, made his first team bow at the tail end of the 2007/08 season when Luigi De Canio and although his first team appearances have only been fleeting since he has shown flashes to suggest we could have a good player on our hands. Rose is still a little lightweight but he has good touch, pace and skill and after returning from an unsuccessful loan spell with Histon during the winter he caught the eye in the FA Cup defeat at Burnley in January. The club has obviously seen enough and today Rose signed an extension to his contract taking him through until summer 2011.
Meanwhile Rose’s fellow graduate Angelo Balanta has been tipped for a big future at Loftus Road by experienced team mate Gavin Mahon. He told the Kilburn Times: “I train day in, day out with these players and if you look at Angelo, he's got everything. He's got two good feet and he's well-balanced for a youngster. If he keeps his feet on the floor, which I'm sure he will - that's the sort of character he is - he can have a good future in the game. This isn't an easy league, whether you're an older pro or a youngster coming in, and with youngsters you have to give them encouragement instead of going on at them. They're going to make mistakes, as we all do, but if you can play in this league and handle the physical side and the hustle and bustle, you'll be good enough.”
Despite the deal for Rose and praise for Balanta the QPR youth set up that brought the pair through has been criticised by a local junior coach who says Rangers need to do more to scout promising talent in the local area. Vince Purdue, manager of Mill Hill Rangers and the man who brought through Spurs’ John Bostock, told the Kilburn Times: “I haven't seen one QPR scout at an under-15 game, even though we've won the league for the fourth time in five years, plus the county cup and league cup. There are scouts from Luton Town, Millwall, Norwich City - but not QPR, even though we're QPR-mad. Everyone at the club is, that's why we're called Rangers.”
Rangers did sign Bruno Andre from the club and Purdue believes he has a great chance to make it at Loftus Road. He said: “QPR obviously rate him and he loves it down there as well - he gets the train over to Harlington, while the boys at Watford get picked up by cab. But QPR are trying to sort out a deal before agents get involved, which I'm sure they will when Bruno turns 16 in October, and I don't think they want anyone else to see him. I think QPR need an overhaul of their youth set-up - when I started watching them there were kids coming through all the time, now that just isn't happening.”
Elsewhere midfielder Liam Miller has been speaking to Breking News Ireland about his future following his release from QPR at the end of the season. Miller said: “There are one or two places I'd like to be and being in the Premier League would be great. It was frustrating at QPR. After the manager left I didn't play the last four or five games. I didn't really know myself what happened but we were all disappointed to see the manager go because all the players liked him."
Elsewhere in the Championship today Kevin Blackwell has pledged his immediate future to Sheffield United despite intimating he may be considering resignation following their play off final defeat on Monday. The victorious manger from that match Owen Coyle continues to be linked with Celtic with the Scottish club confident of getting their man, Coyle has distanced himself from the stories this evening. Nottingham Forest have had a bid rejected by Preston for midfielder Paul McKenna, always a stand out performer whenever we play PNE, and the Lancashire club are also resisting overtures from Reading who would apparently like Alan Irvine to replace Steve Coppell. One time QPR target Karl Henry has signed a new contract with Wolves as they prepare to move into the Premiership.
And finally congratulations to Dave Thomas and AKUTR’s for once again winning top prize in their category in the annual Football Fanzine Awards. The long running QPR fanzine has been even bigger and better this season, and I’m not just saying that because I finally got the chance to fulfil an ambition and write for it. The articles in there are second to none and it is terrific value for money. Few people can work as hard at something for so long as dave has and he is thoroughly deserving of the recognition that has at last started to come the way of his publication.
The judges said: “The QPR fanzine takes an award for the second year running. With excellent design, creative covers and terrific content AKUTR’s is a labour of love and a great read for any QPR fan. The fledgling website launched this year could be one to watch for the future.”
LFW was named on the ten site shortlist for best online Football League fanzine for the second year running but missed out again – better luck next year. Thank you to everybody who took time to nominate us earlier this year.