It’s been a hugely busy day for QPR news wise with Gavin Mahon making a shock return to Loftus Road and former French international Robert Pires also declaring an interest in signing for the R’s.
Mahon was released by QPR at the end of his contract in the summer following a 2009/10 season which was ended for him before Christmas by a knee injury. He has not been picked up by another club since despite vast experience in the game and has been allowed to train with QPR to maintain his fitness. Now the 33-year-old has signed a new one month deal at Loftus Road after impressing Neil Warnock at Harlington and he will travel to Swansea with the rest of the squad on Tuesday with fitness doubts remaining over Akos Buzsaky and Alejandro Faurlin.
Mahon told the club’s official website: “The last few months have all been about getting fit, and I am really grateful to the manager for letting me train with the club, and complete my rehab here. He said to me in the summer that he liked me, but I would need to get myself fit first. This contract is like a trial really, I just have to prove myself. I had to be patient with the injury. I would have loved to join in for pre-season but it wasn't an option. I have been working hard with Carl Serrant and my fitness levels now feel good.
"Team spirit is so important if you want to be successful. We had it at Watford and the lads here have all gelled brilliantly. The gaffer has brought in the right sort of players, and there is a fantastic spirit amongst them."
Neil Warnock said: "Gavin has worked very hard since I came to the club. He is fit and deserves this opportunity. He has got a lot of experience and is a great lad to have around the place. I have been very impressed by him. We will just have to see how his situation develops."
Mahon made 68 appearances for QPR between 2008 and 2010 after initially signing on a one month emergency loan from Watford that was never announced as being extended or turned into a permanent move by Rangers. His last appearance for QPR came last November in a 2-1 win at Sheffield Wednesday that lifted QPR to a season high position of fourth in the Championship.
Over the weekend Warnock was left to reflect on a second consecutive goalless home match, with Norwich the latest side to leave Loftus Road with a point. Nevertheless, having survived a first half penalty miss, Warnock was pleased enough with his side’s effort. He told the Ealing Gazette: “I think away from home is as good as at home nowadays for a lot of teams. I'd definitely prefer to play Norwich away from home if I'm honest. They'll have to come out a lot more with the home fans there and I don't see any reason why we shouldn't enjoy ourselves away from home. We have two tough away games this week, but they'll be tough for our opponents as well.
“I thought it was a good game today. We put some good balls in but there was not enough devilment to get on the end of it really. But I was pleased and I enjoyed it. It was end to end stuff and you don't normally get 0-0 draws like that, with teams trying to win it. You don't get the clean sheets we've got without working hard at it and that's all credit to the lads who are there. If you can't score, the next best thing is a clean sheet and I'm delighted.”
His opposite number Paul Lambert told the Norwich official website: “I thought the players gave everything again today, if anything I'm disappointed we've come away with a point when we could have got all three.The crowd were magnificent again today and the players responded to that and I can't ask for more than that.
“Wes has been brilliant for me since I've been here so I'm not about to criticise him. He's stepped up to the plate in big moments before and he will again, he's that kind of player. He's scored penalties for us recently and the miss today was just one of those things that happens."
Angelo Balanta’s mixed season with MK Dons in League One continued at the weekend as he was sent off in injury time in a 3-2 defeat at high flying Bournemouth. The Dons had led 1-0 just after half time but soon trailed 3-1 to Eddie Howe’s surprise big hitters and things came to a head in stoppage time shortly after Peter Leven had halved the deficit with a penalty. Balanta and Bournemouth’s Rhoys Wiggins were involved in an exchange of push and shove – the Bournemouth player remained on the field, Balanta was sent off and will now serve a three match suspension.
MK Dons manager Karl Robinson told his club’s official website: “I can't condone what Angelo Balanta has done - he's lashed out and I won't accept that so he'll be heavily fined," Robinson insisted. "I won't accept that because we pride ourselves on winning with class, but also losing with a bit of style. In his defence, I thought the referee today didn't give him any protection whatsoever. Players like Sam Baldock, Jermaine Easter, Angelo Balanta, Luke Chadwick - they need more protection because some of the tackles that went in on them were terrible.
"Angelo has got so much ability that it's going to become part of his game, for the next 10 years of his life he's going to have to accept that people are going to want to kick him and push him. I feel sorry for the boy because he's given everything today and then done something stupid at the end that I'm not happy with."
Lee Brown has extended his stay with Hayes and Yeading for a further month. Brown told the Uxbridge Gazette: “I spoke to Warnock and he said for me to come down here and enjoy myself at a good club, which it is. You will always have people watching you and that is exactly what he told me. We have got some good players in the changing room and if we stick together then we can get through it and push on. There is a lot of new players here, but there is a good team spirit and we are definitely starting to gel. I spoke to the manager here before I came and he was so positive about signing me. I wanted to come down here, get some games, and hopefully do well for the boys, and go on from there."
Hayes had lost just one game in five, keeping four clean sheets in the process, prior to the weekend match up against Wrexham but sadly they crashed to a 3-0 home defeat. Brown played the full 90 minutes.
There was worse news for Josh Parker who has yet to taste success in three games so far for League Two side Northampton. The Cobblers were 3-0 up at half time on Saturday against bottom side Hereford thanks to a hat trick from Leon McKenzie but blew it after the break and lost 4-3, conceding three goals in eight minutes after Parker had been withdrawn.
It was a similar story for Joe Oastler at Torquay as they blew a 2-0 lead to lose 4-3 at home to Bury in League Two. Oastler was an unused substitute. Rowan Vine played 70 minutes for Hull City, without scoring, as they drew 1-1 at Leicester.
Antonio German could be the next name featuring in this column, with Wycombe interested in taking the striker on loan and QPR keen to hear from League One sides. Neil Warnock told the Fulham Chronicle: “I couldn't let him go until now because we've not had everybody fit, but now Leon Clarke's fit, Tommy Smith's here and Rob Hulse will be fit next week, then we will have a choice and it would be a good time for Antonio to go out and play five or six games. One or two League One clubs have made enquiries and one or two League Two clubs definitely want him, but I want to try and get him a bit higher than that if I can."
In one of the more bizarre QPR rumours of all time, and there have certainly been a few, much travelled French international Robert Pires has said he would welcome an approach from the R’s as he continues to look for a club. Pires, best known for his time at Arsenal but recently released by Villarreal in Spain, told Sky Sports: “England is probably the place where I have the more chances to find a club. In England, people don't look at your age. In Spain it was not the case, which is why I had to say goodbye. Even for a club like Birmingham or Stoke City? Of course, if I have an opportunity from Aston Villa, I will rush. But I will analyse any proposition. I don't want to go anywhere and fight every weekend for salvation. QPR? I would be attracted. I am not necessarily looking for a six-month contract. I could imagine myself playing much longer. I will give myself until January 31. If at the end of the winter transfer market I have not found a club, I will hang up my boots."
Injury prone centre half Dom Shimmin is one of nine players being released by Scottish First Division outfit Dundee following their second bout of administration in seven seasons. The club is £2m in debt and Shimmin was joined through the exit door by eight of his team mates and manager Gordon Chisholm as the administrators made savage cuts to the wage bill on Friday in an effort to keep the club going until Christmas by which time new investment must be found. While the majority of the money owed is to directors, £420k of it is unpaid tax which is the reason the legal process has begun.
Shimmin was signed from Arsenal along with Matthew Hislop on free transfers in 2005 by then manager Ian Holloway. He initially showed great promise at Loftus Road but, like a previous signing from that part of north London Matthew Rose, had an uncanny ability to suffer serious injuries at every turn. Since leaving Loftus Road in 2008 he has had spells with Bournemouth, Crawley and Morton as well as Dundee.
Gary Waddock has signed goalkeeper Paul Jones for the second time in his fledgling managerial career. Veteran Welsh international Jones, now 43, was Waddock’s first signing as QPR boss in 2006 and has joined Wycombe as a goalkeeping coach. Waddock told the Bucks Free Press: “It’s nice to have a person of his experience and the knowledge he’s got will help the goalkeepers we’ve got. It will be a different voice and different ideas and it will keep everything fresh. We don’t know how long he will be here for but it can only help."
- Gordon Strachan’s disastrous spell as Middlesbrough manager is at an end after his resignation today. Boro are languishing fifth from bottom in the Championship with just 11 points from as many games, 16 less than leaders QPR after starting the season as title favourites. Boro lost to Leeds live on Sky at home on Saturday and Strachan’s side was booed from the field by supporters. Chairman Steve Gibson said: “He offered his resignation but not only that - in doing so he tore up his contract. He sought no compensation and walked away from the club with empty hands and it's a measure of the man. Gordon would be the first to admit that things haven't turned out as we'd have hoped.”
- Leicester have added former Aston Villa striker Darius Vassell to their arsenal. Vassell, 30, was released by Turkish side Ankaragucu during the summer and is set to undergo a medical at Leicester – he has 22 England caps and six goals. Leicester have already signed Curtis Davies on loan from Villa and Kyle Naughton from Spurs since Sven Goran Ericsson took over as manager last week.
- Swansea have signed forward Marvin Emnes on loan from Middlesbrough for a month. Emnes cost Boro £3.2m from Sparta Rotterdam in 2008 and is available for Tuesday’s match against QPR.
- Following a howler by Matt Duke at Leicester on Saturday Hull City have signed Arsenal goalkeeper Vito Mannone on a month long loan ahead of Tuesday’s match against Sheffield United. The Italian Under 21 international spent time on loan at Barnsley last season and has 12 senior appearances for the Gunners to his name.
- Ipswich defender Mark Kennedy will be out for three weeks with a hamstring injury. Meanwhile the Tractor Boys have signed defender Jack Colback on loan from Sunderland following a successful spell at Portman Road last season.