Lee Cook says QPR can compete in the Premier League next season if promoted, although whether he will be there with us rather depends on his latest comeback from injury.
Lee Cook says he believes QPR will survive if they reach the Premiership. The R’s need only 12 more points to make sure of promotion (FA sanctions for the Faurlin deal notwithstanding) and lifelong fan Cook believes they will be more than a match for the top flight also rans. He told the Fulham Chronicle: “You look at Wolves and I think our squad is as good as theirs – and they’ve beaten Man U and Chelsea this season. The top seven are a level above – but the rest from 11 to bottom are all the same. It’s not going to be easy, but I’m confident we won’t drop out at the first go. We’ve got the quality and got the workers – and it’s a great mix."
Cook came through 70 minutes of action for the reserves in a 0-0 draw with Fulham at the Harlington training ground yesterday. Rangers named an extremely strong side, probably better than many of our first choice elevens in recent times, but despite Danny Shittu hitting the post and Rob Hulse going close in the first half the scores remained deadlocked.
QPR Reserves: Cerny, Trialist (Parker, 80), Borrowdale, Rowlands (Doughty, 46), Connolly, Shittu, Cook (Tofas, 70), Hewitt, Hulse (German, 65), Buzsaky, Vaagan Moen
Subs Not Used: Rose, Sharif, Gibbons, Parmenter, O'Donnell
The way some of the newspapers are carrying on you’d think QPR are a Premiership side already. Already this week the R’s have been linked with Wolves striker Kevin Doyle should they be relegated and Birmingham’s bad boy midfielder Lee Bowyer who, having turned 34 this year, is said to be attracting interest from the R’s and Derby. Bowyer becomes a free agent this summer at the end of his current contract. More outlandishly, Croatian international Niko Kranjar is said to be “interesting” Rangers and Fulham according to the Metro as he looks to leave Spurs in search of regular first team football. Going through the exit door, allegedly, is Adel Taarabt who will sign for Man Utd/Real Madrid/Newcastle in the summer depending on which news source you trust.
Simon Walton is hoping to put his latest injury nightmare behind him and play for struggling Plymouth Argyle before the end of the season. Walton was highly rated as a youngster and then Premiership Charlton paid £1m to bring him in from Leeds as a teenager before shipping him out to John Gregory at QPR for £250k. Walton broke his leg in a pre-season friendly against Fulham before even making a competitive appearance for Rangers and repeated the trick last summer when he ruptured his cruciate knee ligaments in a friendly game at Mansfield just days after signing on loan for the season at Sheffield United.
Now back with his parent club Plymouth Walton’s rehab is going well and he hopes to feature in what remains of the season. He told the Plymouth Herald: “I feel all right fitness-wise, and with each week and each game it's getting better and better. It's a long process. It doesn't come overnight, but each game I have played I feel like I have got sharper. I'm not kidding myself, I'm not near where I would want to be yet, but I'm a lot further forward than everybody expected six or seven months ago. I'm just glad to be back. I reckon I could do a job. I wouldn't be up to full speed, but I feel capable enough to play. I wouldn't put myself out there and be a hindrance to the team. I have been on the bench for three games now and it has been good to be involved. Hopefully, if I can get a few games in before the end of the season it would be a bonus for me.
“It was one of those things. It was hard ground, my studs got caught and I fell funny. It was unfortunate to say the least. When I first went to see the surgeon and the physio it was a case of, 'look, just concentrate on getting yourself ready for next season’. It was a dream move for me. I'd had a decent season at Crewe so, obviously, people had been watching me. It was a chance to kick-start my career, but there is not a lot you can do when something like that happens. It was tough to take, but I have had plenty of knocks before and it's how you deal with them that makes you who you are."
Elsewhere Tommy Doherty continued his own comeback from injury with an outing for Bradford’s reserve side this week. Doherty, a former Northern Ireland international, has been out for three months with an ankle injury during which time the Bantams have parted company with the manger who brought him to Valley Parade having previously coached him at Wycombe Peter Taylor. Doherty was joined in the line up for the second string game against Sheff Wed by winger Christian Nanetti, back from an unsuccessful spell in Scotland and currently playing for Ashford Town while attempting to earn a professional deal elsewhere.
- Coventry’s crisis continues to deepen, with new chairman Ken Dulieu saying today that an £8m cash injection has been required from the board to keep the club from falling into administration. He said: “Will we have enough money to get to the end of the season? The answer is I'm not sure. We need to get greater funding. This is not sustainable."
- But any suggestion Cardiff could go the same way if they fail to win promotion this season has been refuted. Chief executive Gethin Jenkins says the club’s Malaysian owners will stand by it no matter what the outcome of the season. He said: “If you look at their track record, they stood by us after the play-offs. And they are committed to carrying on with the club. They want us to grow into a strong, sustainable operation and they are fully supportive of doing that development."
- Ipswich have offered new contracts to centre half pair Gareth McAuley and Damien Delaney. Manager Paul Jewell said: “I spoke to Damien and Gareth and I told them we would be putting an offer in writing. Hopefully that will be accepted and as soon as it is it will get signed." Ipswich have 20 players out of contract this summer, including former Plymouth midfielder David Norris who is tipped to join Portsmouth on a free transfer.
- Reading manager Brian McDermott has signed a new 12 month rolling contract. He said: “I'm delighted. This is the place I want to be and the club I want to work at. I've been here close to 11 years and I feel part of things. Now we look to the rest of the season, we've got nine games to go and much to play for."
- West Ham defender Jordan Spence, 20, has extended his loan spell with Bristol City through to the end of the season.
After the controversy surrounding sales of tickets to the final home game of the season last Friday, QPR have produced a carefully considered plan for the distribution of the 1,800 allocations we have been given at Cardiff and Watford.
Tickets will go on sale as follows:
Season Ticket Holders and Members with 100 or more Loyalty Points from Wed 6th April at 9:00am - 1 ticket per person
Season Ticket Holders and Members with 71-99 Loyalty Points from Mon 11th April at 9:00am - 1 ticket per person
Season Ticket Holders and Members with 50-70 Loyalty Points from Wed 13th April at 9:00am - 1 ticket per person
* Season Ticket Holders and Members with 0-49 Loyalty Points from Mon 18th April at 9:00am - 1 ticket per person
For full details please click here.