Usually I give the majority of my attention to possible arrivals
to Loftus Road, so I thought I would give some time for those leaving their
current home, and it’s not just players.
Hogan Ephraim is currently on loan at Charlton in League One
and has started brightly. Manager Chris Powell has hinted that he would like to
keep Ephraim permanently, but the midfielder hasn’t given up hope of a
prolonged career with the R’s.
Ephraim was unsurprisingly disappointed to be left out of
the 25 man squad and like Patrick Agyemang (another left out) didn’t see the
snub coming. By all accounts it sounds as if Ephraim was pushed out right at
the last knockings by the late arrival Jason Puncheon. I feel a little sorry
for Hogan as the two previous seasons he started in good form but found himself
out of the team by the end. In reality I don’t think Ephraim is of Premier
League standard, yet, he is still a young-ish lad.
For me his effective replacement, Puncheon, hasn’t impressed.
He has only made a couple of substitute appearances and done little to stake a
claim in the first team, relaying my fears pre-purchase of his ability to
perform at the highest level. So for this reason alone, Ephraim can count
himself even more unlucky.
Fans favourite and boy-hood Rangers fan Lee Cook has left on
loan to join League One’s Leyton Orient. A fully fit Lee Cook is undoubtedly
too good for League One and possibly even the Championship but unfortunately
injuries have taken its toll on the left footed wizard.
In Cook’s first spell with QPR he was top quality and I
tipped him to be a good Premiership footballer, maybe even an international
player (filling the void of that tricky left wing position at the time) after
his move to Fulham. But constant setbacks have hampered a very promising
career. However, all is not doom and gloom. A loan spell could be the spring
board for a dramatic comeback, possibly not on the same scale as his initial
rise may have projected but back to a decent footballing standard.
It looks as if we are willing to let Adel Taarabt go in
January, with the club apparently hiring third party to find him a new club. I’m
not sure about other R’s fans but the term “third party” still unnerves me!
The Moroccan has found life at the top almost as tough as
holding onto his passport and his form almost as shocking as a Shaun Derry
moustache. Taarabt, like his passport, has been missing, but he has hardly been
missed. The newly adopted 4-4-2 formation currently in use, a throwback to the
good ol’ times you could say, is working well. It is difficult to see Taarabt
fitting into a traditional 4-4-2 as there is nothing very traditional about
him. He is a great talent and still young, but in his current form and the
money supposedly being offered to capture his services, could be a tempting
offer. The money would come in very handy to expand the squad, which is thin,
identified by our subs (or lack of) in recent weeks.
Other stories circulating are the growing appreciation of Argentinean
midfielder Ale Faurlin. He has been in impressive form “this season” (he has
been impressive ever since he joined) and the list of admirers is believed to
include, Spurs, Arsenal, Napoli and Inter Milan. While I find it easy to
understand that these admirers exist, I find it hard to believe that we would
consider selling. As a financially sound club on the rise it would be shameful
to sell one of our top players. A fee of £12m is being thrown about and as
tempting as that may be I am finding it difficult to come up with a name who
would be of equal or better quality for this (relatively low) fee who could be
as inspirational as he.
Faurlin has recently expressed his happiness to remain at
Loftus Road and let’s hope it stays that way. If he continues to develop at the
rate he has been then it is very likely that he will be playing for a big club
soon, but who is to say that a few years down the line we won’t be a big club.
The last of those that could be leaving Loftus Road are,
well, everybody. Owner Tony Fernandes has again declared his intentions to
build a 45,000+ seated stadium that will be home to the Hoops. I have heard a
suggestion that the new stadium should be sponsored by a well-known brand of
crisps and therefore be known as the Hoola Hoop Stadium ,but I think that plan
is full of holes (thank you, I’m here all week). I am impressed by Fernandes’
ambition but I am also impressed by his realistic approach, stating that
survival is the main priority, which we will all agree with.
It’s refreshing to hear a money man who talks sense rather
than the likes of the Blackburn owners, whose business background is chickens.
They are making Blackburn into more of a dog’s dinner than a chicken dinner. It
is also nice to have an owner who puts his money where his mouth is rather than
a businessman of smaller stature with short arms and deep pockets. naming no
names of course.
