Rowan Vine’s career as a QPR player appears to be at an end. The former Birmingham man has not been given a squad number for the new season and Rangers are negotiating a contract termination.
News: Vine has never been the same player since suffering a horrific leg break in training at the end of the 2007/08 season. Numerous failed operations delayed his recovery and his form since returning to action has been so poor it’s hard to believe he is the same player we signed from Birmingham three years ago.
Today Neil Warnock confirmed that Vine’s time at Loftus Road is coming to an end and the club is attempting to negotiate a settlement on the remaining two years of his deal in W12. Warnock told the BBC: “I'll treat him with the respect he's due, he's a good player and a good pro but I like to be straight with people and I can't see him playing many games for us this season. I'll not be having him train with the youth team or anything like that. He's better than that and deserves to be treated properly.”
QPR today announced their squad numbers for the coming season with Vine not listed. His number eight shirt is now held by Leon Clarke.
The number two and seven shirts, held last season by Peter Ramage and Wayne Routledge, are currently left vacant hinting still further at the imminent arrival of right back Bradley Orr and either Adel Taarabt or Jobi McAnuff. Rangers and Reading still seem someway apart on their valuation of McAnuff and Taarabt continues to chase a move to Spain but Rangers hope to announce the signing of Orr on a three year contract from Bristol City tomorrow. The former Newcastle trainee was at Loftus Road for a medical on Wednesday.
The other big number news, for what it’s worth, sees Alejandro Faurlin drop from 18 to 11, Heider Helguson named at number nine hinting at increased involvement, Damion Stewart moving out from three to 18 and Peter Ramage from two to 22. New signings Paddy Kenny, Clint Hill and Shaun Derry get one, three and four respectively. Jamie Mackie will wear 12.
Martin Rowlands retains his number 14 shirt for the eighth successive season with Rangers, and the club captain has been given the go ahead to start full contact training this week s he continues to recover from another bad knee injury. Warnock told the Fulham Chronicle: “He’s as fit as he can be, and we’re hoping he can go on from here.”
Former R’s
Stefan Bailey continues to find life tough in the non-league game. The combative central midfielder who once won LFW man of the match awards in back to back away victories at Cardiff and Luton under John Gregory has failed to impress at Grays and Ebbsfleet since being released by Rangers two years ago and is currently on trial with his hometown team Luton.
The Hatters were beaten 3-0 by Conference North promotion favourites Alfreton in a friendly at the weekend and manager Richard Money did not see enough from Bailey to suggest a contract offer should be made. Money said: “Stefan hasn't done enough for us at the moment to offer him a contract. We've got to be very mindful of the fact that the ridiculous rules are that if we signed him on a short-term contract, and we didn't renew it after August, he couldn't play for anyone until January. We're maybe looking at a week-to-week thing with him. I think his agent is going to try and find him another club, but until that happens he wants to carry on playing and training with us.”
Championship Shorts
- Barnsley have completed the signing of brilliantly named striker striker Jeronimo Neumann. The 24 year old Argentinean has signed a 12 month contract with the option to renew for a further year following a successful trial.
- Following Preston’s decision to rebuff their bids for goalkeeper Andy Lonergan, West Brom have turned their attention to Hull City stopper Bo Myhill and tabled a £1.5m bid. The Baggies are keen to sign a new keeper following promotion to the Premiership, with Scott Carson rarely inspiring confidence.
- New Bristol City manager Steve Coppell says the Robins have been frustrated in their attempts to strengthen their squad. City have been linked with a move for England keeper David James but are yet to conclude any serious business this summer and Coppell said: “We've spent the last three days on the phone trying to generate business. I try my best to identify players who I think would be good for us, then negotiation is someone else's job. As yet we just haven't been able to push too much over the line. It's disappointed me. I would have thought we would have been able to conclude a few more deals than we have done at the moment."
- Scunthorpe boss Nigel Adkins hopes pacy striker Jonathan Forte can fill the void left by the departures of Paul Hayes and Gary Hooper. Adkins said: “Jonathan's got all the attributes - strength, power and a good attitude. Consistency is what you always strive for. Maybe with not playing regularly you don't get that consistency At 19 he was in the England set-up and the elite leading scorer in his age group. For whatever reason he hasn't achieved the potential we would have liked him to achieve but he's now going to get that opportunity."
- Paulo Sousa says he expects his new Leicester side to be promoted within two years. Sousa, who left Swansea for the Foxes earlier this summer, said: “I will work 24 hours a day to help with my knowledge, ideas, leadership and in my way to achieve that. We can do it and we go to work this season to achieve that but in two years I don't have doubts, we will be there."