Over the past few weeks, Queen’s Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp has been offering a one-man commentary on the deliberations, desires, thoughts and ambitions of Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Scott Parker.
Four days ago, the former Tottenham Hotspur boss announced that a “good offer” had been agreed with his former club for the England international, who just had to “make his mind up now if he wants to come here”.
The day before, Redknapp said: “We’re hoping of getting Scotty signed soon. He’s a great lad and will be a really good signing for us”. This came after owner Tony Fernandes stepped in personally to try and secure the deal last month. Yet despite what amounts to almost live blogging of progress regarding the 32-year-old by the club, Parker penned a deal with West London neighbours Fulham, unsurprisingly opting for Premier League football over the Championship.
While nobody will blame the one-time Chelsea man for choosing to enhance his England prospects with the Cottagers rather than kissing his international career goodbye, it begs the question: why did Redknapp not see this coming ?
Ignoring the fair point that QPR have centred their summer transfer policy around strengthening central midfield, leading to the R’s amassing more players in this position than any club could ever need, it seems Parker was intended as a “marquee signing”.
After all, similarly experienced Gary O’Neil was brought in two weeks ago, but the former Portsmouth enforcer lacks the apparently necessary star value, as does Karl Henry, also the wrong side of 30 years old, recruited last month.
Rangers do not need Parker, especially as natural central midfielder Joey Barton is currently being played out of position on the wing, and if ‘Football Manager’ has taught me anything, it is that signing player after player in one position is always detrimental.
Instead, the Superhoops ought to be focusing on bringing in another option upfront, as the often-injured Bobby Zamora and Andrew Johnson will surely not last the entire season, leaving just Charlie Austin to shoulder the goalscoring burden.
Despite the embarrassment of QPR once again, and thoroughly predictably, losing out on a transfer target after spending weeks and months laying out the red carpet, the season has started well and Redknapp has turned the team’s fortunes around.
Against Liverpool on the final day of last season, Rangers were hopeless, anonymous and utterly defeated, all team spirit had disappeared, morale among the supporters was at an all-time low, and the R’s were a laughing stock.
Whatever Redknapp is doing appears to be working, and like many QPR fans, I believe the levels of performance, motivation, commitment and attacking flair currently on show are far more indicative of the manager’s obvious abilities.
There remains, however, a feeling that QPR may never learn how to do things properly: that is, not to conduct business in public and avoid being duped into signing expensive Premier League journeymen on inflated salaries.
One of the most satisfying moments, barring Chelsea away in January, of recent Rangers fandom came on Saturday when Tom Hitchcock scored the winner. Often neglected in W12, youth players could just be the answer. Parker and Gary Hooper, unfortunately, never were.
Chris King
Twitter @chriskking
Club run by idiots from top to bottom. Hope we never see you in the prem again. COYW’s
I suggest FFC fans (tourists) mind their own, Fat Mo had to sell out with club hugely in debt, if their signings don’t come off then big trouble. I do find it funny how paranoid they are about Rangers. Dear little cottagers ………
Live in hope sunshine…mugs and tourists and no away support
Dear oh dear poor old fulham really want us to hate them when there is no point.
Lets face it the new breed of Fulham fans would be chelsea if they could get in.
Sad state when they go all out to find a rival and you will play us again.
Well said O’Niel or Barton could do Parker role not Henry not good enough backs out of challenges.
Speaking as a Spurs & Redknapp fan – Harry’s biggest problem is that he just cannot keep his mouth shut – he has always got to give the press a quote and he will never change.
If there’s one thing that ‘Arry is good at, it’s talking to the press – you’re never left wondering what he’s thinking… I’m torn between thinking that you guys have dodged a bullet – his record last season was not great, consisting mostly of 180 and 360 degree turns, usually into trouble, before running back and conceding a foul while trying to retrieve the ball. Having said that, he’s a quality player, and in a team less focused on breaking at speed than Tottenham, will still do a quality job.
Back to Harry though – quality manager, but as you’re already finding, sometimes you just want him to pipe down!
Best of luck this season, hope to see you guys in the Premiership next year!
Very well said. Harry keep your mouth shut until business is done.
Agree we could do without Parker, yet we cant count on Barton being with us much longer although I hope he stays. Most worrying is I’ve seen Fulham may be looking at Faulin, to lose him would be devastating and I suspect our Harry is not a great fan of his, has Tarbatt been clueing up Joll about him?
Redknapp is suffering the “Wenger Woes” chasing better players and getting nowhere. Going public about it is not the answer. Harry should do the business in silence then tell the world what he has achieved. He should blood some of his youngsters in this league as Alec Stock did in the mid 1960s with great success. Who knows in Tom Hitchcock he may have another Clive Allen.
A shame that Parker has chosen Foolham over the Rs, but shocked to see Barton’s name being mentioned.I would gladly never see this piece of scum in a hooped shirt ever again. I dont care how good he is(not as good as he,and some of you, think he is),the man is a thug & he will soon be up to his old tricks.
These is a lot of spurs fans saying on various sites that we dodged a bullet so I am going to run with that!
As for Faurlin, I think he wants to stay but Arry is unsure of him hope he stays but don’t think it would be detrimental if he does not.
Barton, oh Joey Barton! In that infamous game against city I was utterly disgusted by his antics. He really seemed to have turned a corner in terms of his attitude as he had a fairly low key season in terms of his previous antics and bar a couple of poor performances was generally a good player for us. Never wanted to see him in the hoops again but we fans are fickle people and at this moment in tome am glad he is and playing bloody good football. I want us back I’m the premier to right the wrongs and if that means playing Joey week in week out, so be it! Last season has left a very bad taste and Barton is making all the right noises. He has a genuine affinity with us and I genuinely think he will still be a hoops player come the end of this transfer window!
Oh and delighted we have Austin over Hooper! Although both would have been bbetter 🙂
Excuse the typos, fat thumbs and in a hurry!!!
no worries mike and welcome to the site