With a glaring hole in the squad at left back following the departure of Damien Delaney former Liverpool full back Gregory Vignal has been linked with QPR. Meanwhile Martin Rowlands will again skipper the side this season.
Vignal is currently playing France for Ligue One side RC Lens where he has been since 2006. English football fans will remember him most recently from a loan spell in the Championship with Southampton the season before last when he made 20 appearances and scored four goals, mostly from the penalty spot. Prior to that he made 11 appearances for Liverpool, 42 on loan at Glasgow Rangers where he enjoyed his best spell on these shores and a brief time at Portsmouth as well.
The 28 year old is predominantly a left back although can also play further forward on the left flank. QPR currently only have Gary Borrowdale as a recognised left back at the club, and he awaits his full debut for the R’s eight months after first moving to Loftus Road. Damien Delaney was sold to Ipswich Town earlier this summer. French media reported over the weekend that Vignal will trial at Loftus Road this week, possibly turning out in one of our two remaining friendlies, before the club decides whether to offer him a deal. That story has today been picked up by The Mirror.
Back at HQ Jim Magilton has today announced that Martin Rowlands will captain the side again this season. Rowlands is progressing well after rupturing ligaments at Derby in January Magilton told the club’s official website: “We're very fortunate in that, in this group of players, we have a lot of very strong characters. Martin will wear the armband when selected, but we're lucky to have a lot of leaders all over the park. If Martin isn't around for one reason or another, I know I can rely on other players to step forward and take the armband on, but Martin was the unanimous choice with the entire coaching staff. Martin has been here a very long time, but he is also a very, very good player. He's someone that people look up to and whilst it's never an easy decision, he ticked all the boxes.”
Magilton must look elsewhere for a reserve goalkeeper this summer though with Czech Martin Lejsal seemingly set for Bristol City, Lejsal failed to impress in QPR’s 3-1 pre-season defeat to Croatian side NK Karlovac last week but kept a clean sheet for City as they beat Premiership side Wolves 2-0 at the weekend. City recently transfer listed Brazilian stopper Adriano Basso when he refused to extend his contract and are hoping to sign Lejsal on a season long loan deal from Brno as cover. After the Wolves win manager Gary Johnson told the BBC: “With Adriano Basso still on the books we can't afford a transfer fee and big wages so it might suit us at this moment. I'm going to talk to his representatives. He did everything asked of him and he's a big lad who looks nice and solid.”
Elsewhere in the Championship today Sheff Utd have offered terms to former Reading winger Glen Little, but decided against a similar deal for former Palace man Julian Gray. Peterborough have signed two teenage prospects from Conference side Crawley – Romone McRae and Danny Mills wil both play for the London Road side next year. Darren Ferguson, who has vowed to play two up front next season, has developed a reputation for picking up the likes of Craig MacKail Smith, Aaron Mclean and George Boyd from non-league and developing them into Football League stars. Middlesbrough star Matthew Bates could be out for the whole of next season after damaging his cruciate ligament in a 2-0 win at Carlisle on Saturday.
Finally with the season less than two weeks away the first of three LFW competitions is getting underway. With a prediction league and knock out prediction cup, wish cash prizes, still to come LFW members are busy signing up for the annual Fantasy League competition. Last season our league was with the Daily Telegraph however as the paper has this season decided to charge for entry, and forbid ex-pats abroad from entering, we have decamped to the new Texaco competition. Pick your team at this link and enter it into the private LoftforWords league by using code 1208.