Despite almost joining Blackpool last week, a deal that could still go ahead this summer, Daniel Nardiello has been tipped to make an impact at QPR this season by manager Iain Dowie.

QPR offered Nardiello to Blackpool in an effort to force through the troublesome transfer of Kaspars Gorkss to Loftus Road. That idea stumbled over the settlement of Nardiello’s contract at Loftus Road, which still has a year to run, and may yet go through if an agreement can be reached – although Gorkss is expected to become a QPR player regardless.

If Nardiello does stay Iain Dowie has told the Kilburn Times that he will have a part to play, especially with QPR’s attacking options still looking limited with less than a month to go until the big kick off.

Dowie, who tried to sign Nardiello for Coventry last summer before the player chose Loftus Road, said: "Nards has worked hard and, with Rowan Vine being out for a while, that's maybe opened up an avenue. I've always felt he had goals in him - he didn't play a lot last year for QPR and hasn't yet scored for the club, but his record tells you he always does score. My view is there's competition for places and Nards, like all of them, has a job to get in the starting 11.”

Nardiello made four starts and four sub appearances without scoring for the R’s last season after joining on a free from Barnsley during the summer. He returned to Oakwell on loan after Christmas and scored once in eight starts but missed their FA Cup semi final with Cardiff through injury. Rangers brought him to London on the back of a nine goal season for the Tykes in 2006/07, seven of those goals coming in the final nine games. It’s that form that attracted Dowie to him as Coventry manager and if he can reproduce it he may still have a chance of forging a career at Loftus Road after all. My money would still be on him leaving though.

Dowie also praised former skipper Adam Bolder who was expected to sign for Sheffield Wednesday this summer until the Owls went for the cheaper option of Burnley’s James O’Connor instead.

Be sure to log on to loftforwords.co.uk from lunch time tomorrow as we look ahead to QPR’s friendly at Stevenage this weekend – the first chance for QPR fans to see their new look team this summer.

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