Do QPR have what it takes to win promotion?

This article was recently published on soccerlens.com.

As we stumble towards December, Queens Park Rangers remain unbeaten and are, so far, making a mockery of the much touted “most competitive league in the world” tag that the Championship has attained in recent seasons. Do they have the strength to maintain this form right through to May?

Long before Manchester City’s bizarre financial rebirth, Queens Park Rangers were the billionaires’ play-thing du jour. Following a takeover by Formula One tycoons Flavio Briatore and Bernie Ecclestone, the club fell into the hands of the world’s eighth richest man, Lakesh Mittal, in late 2007. At the dawn of each Championship season since this takeover, Rangers have been touted amongst the division favourites, only to spectacularly prove everyone wrong by January, and finally limp home in eleventh place. 2007 was no “year zero” for QPR.

Along with the money came the rumours; the proposed transfer of Luis Figo never materialised, and it seemed as if that multi-million pound saviour of the club was destined to be just a pipe-dream. That was until salvation arrived in the unlikeliest of guises.

21 year old Morrocan, Abel Taarabt was described as a genius by former QPR manager Jim Magilton during his two years on loan at the club from Tottenham, but a mixture of injury and unsettlement prevented the young winger from truly finding his feet at Loftus Road.

His permanent signing by new manager Neil Warnock appears to have galvanised the player’s performances and his 8 goals in 18 games are a testament to that. Taarabt’s devastating power and accuracy on either foot, and dazzling skill and technique on the ball have instilled something into the opposition that has been unheard of since Les Ferdinand’s Premiership glory days- a fear of playing QPR.

Taarabt’s genius doesn’t come without a price however, and the notoriously fiery Moroccan has had more than his fair share of temper tantrums at QPR. Neil Warnock was quick to play down Taarabt’s sulking following his substitution in Rangers’ 3-0 win over Ipswich in September saying “He’ll probably take his shirt off and throw it at me at times- but if I can cope with that, everybody else can as well.”

But such pandering does nothing other than nurture a “bigger than the club” attitude within a player, and it is this temperament that Warnock needs to erase if he is to get the very best out of Taarabt. This is the same Adel Taarabt, after all, who ingratiated himself to the fans of former club Tottenham Hotspur by stating in a press conference that he would rather have played in the red of their North-London rivals than at White Hart Lane. At 21, Taarabt’s career should still be in the ascendency, but this potential will go to waste if his indiscipline is not reigned in.

Warnock is no stranger to big egos, he has been in possession of one himself for sometime now, and maybe it is this awkward dichotomy of two sulky- and it pains me to say this- geniuses that will give QPR’s promotion challenge that extra bit of longevity this term.

After all, Warnock’s summer signings have been low-key but inspired choices, acquired in exactly the opposite manner to the much trumpeted big-money rumours of the past few years. Barring the signature of Taarabt, QPR have made no marquee acquisitions, preferring to doggedly go about signing quality players that fit into Warnock’s tactical vision.

Rob Hulse, Jamie Mackie and Leon Clark all filed in and quietly set about putting together an unbeaten run of 18 games. QPR’s quiet upheaval is illustrated by the 7 changes in their starting eleven for the trip to Nottingham Forest from the corresponding fixture last season, compared to just 3 for the reds.

History suggests that Queens Park Rangers are due a dip in form and fortune after this phenomenal run, but with the quality squad Warnock has assembled, and the almost supernatural skill of Adel Taarabt in the midfield engine-room, there is no reason why Rangers won’t still be in the race for promotion by the time May rolls around. We’ll just have to see if the two egos can hold it together for long enough.

Scotland's Refereeing Crisis Deepens as Iceland Refuse to Help

This article was recently published on suite101.com

Iceland’s referees will not take charge of Scotland’s Premier League games this weekend.

The Icelandic referees association today voted unanimously to support their striking Scottish colleagues and to not answer pleas from the Scottish FA to referee this weekend’s SPL fixtures.

Sigurder Thorleifsson, head of Iceland’s referees association, had initially approved the proposal, but the union’s members emphatically decided not to travel to Scotland.

Kristinn Jakobsen was the first Icelander to referee a Champions League game, he told of solidarity amongst international referees.

“The referees all around the world are one team, so I think we are going on the same line.” He said. “I expect the same stance will be taken by officials in Ireland, Wales and Scandinavia.”


The Scottish referees strike is the culmination of a long period of tension between referees and the players and officials of football clubs. This came to a head on October 17th when referee Dougie Macdonald apparently changed his mind after awarding a penalty to Celtic at Dundee United, for a foul on Gary Hooper. The Bhoys came away with all three points at Tannadice, but this decision and a series of others have led to a general feeling of anger amongst Celtic’s players, staff and fans.

This bad feeling between referees and football clubs is in no way restricted to the Scottish Leagues- the Respect campaign in England was launched to combat increasing abuse of referees at all levels of the game- but many feel that the abuse suffered by Scottish refs is getting out of hand.

Former referee, Kenny Clark, told Channel 4 news that events in Scotland had reached crisis point;

“This goes far beyond criticism- it is now at the level of personal abuse”, he said. “And not only are referees fearful of their own safety, they are fearful of their families’ safety as a results of threats and emails they have received.”

The Scottish FA have said their meeting with Icelandic officials were part of a contingency plan and that they hope to resolve the issue in talks with the Scottish Senior Football Referees Association on tonight.