 Friday, 21st Jan 2011 21:34 by Clive Whittingham The second half of QPR’s Friday double in the transfer market is Blackburn defender Pascal Chimbonda who has joined on a six month deal.
FactsPascal Chimbonda started life with Le Havre in his homeland France, where he stayed for the first four years of his career before leaving after their relegation from the French top flight. He did likewise at his next club Bastia, where he compounded their demotion by accusing his team mates and the club’s supporters of racially abusing him – accusations the players strongly denied. He shot to prominence in this country after a £500,000 move to Wigan Athletic, who have made a habit in recent years of picking up cheap foreign talent and polishing it up for big clubs to harvest off at the end of a season. Chimbonda upset fans at the DW Stadium by allegedly requesting a transfer at the end of his first season there while still in his kit in the dressing room after the match. However it came about, after a smashing first season in English football he was snapped up by Spurs for £4.5m. Chimbonda rather forced the move to White Hart Lane, agent Willy Mackay called Spurs’ initial bids of £2m and £3m “terrific” and said his client was looking forward to moving while the Latics steadfastly insisted that having signed an improved four year deal just six months previously he would stay ad rot in the reserves if a sufficient bid was not received. After a summer of brinkmanship he finally moved, for £4.5m, in the last ten minutes of the summer transfer window in 2006. Chimbonda won a League Cup with Spurs before joining Sunderland in 2008, when a job lot of Tottenham players moved to join Roy Keane at the Stadium of Light, for £3m although Sunderland subsequently recouped that when Harry Redknapp (never shy of signing a Willy Mckay registered player) brought him back to Spurs 18 months later. He only made five appearances in his second spell though and was bought by Blackburn for £2.5m before the start of last season taking the total amount spent on him in transfer fees by English clubs in his career to £13.5m. After a good first season, when he famously scored in the derby game with Burnley, Chimbonda has fallen behind Michel Salgado in the pecking order at Ewood Park and at 31 maybe feels that playing football is actually more important than money – the Fulham Chronicle reports that he will take a 75 per cent pay cut to move to Loftus Road. Reaction“It was important we added to our full back options when Kyle Walker returned to Spurs. I had to bring someone in to give Bradley Orr and Clint Hill competition. To get someone of Pascal's experience and quality at this stage of the season is a massive boost." Neil Warnock “I want to play good football here and enjoy myself on the pitch. The style of football that QPR play suits me, and this will provide a good challenge for me. I had a good talk with the manager, and he told me he wants me to come here and give my best. He is a Manager who likes to win, and I am the same. I always give my best and that is what I will do here at QPR. I will do my best to win and I hope the fans will like me." Pascal Chimbonda “Pascal left yesterday. We came to an agreement, mutual consent, that his contract is terminated and we wish him all the best wherever he goes. I have spoken to Chim. We really need to get him playing somewhere away from this club. When he is playing it really motivates him – if he doesn’t it is detrimental" Blackburn boss Steve Kean “He isn’t universally liked for reasons that have been well documented, but people who know Chimbonda well have told me there are few better players to have on board when he has something to aim for. It’s when he gets comfortable that problems set in – which will be worth bearing in mind in the summer, when I expect Chimbonda to have been brilliant for Rangers and the calls for him to be given a longer contract to be deafening. For the time being though, he’s a magnificent player to have on board and Warnock has played a blinder to get him. Chimbonda has never played outside the top division in this country, which speaks for itself. Ability-wise he’s an excellent player, and given Rangers’ position at this crucial time he’s an excellent signing as he can play anywhere across the back four. At Championship level, I fully expect him to be not just good, but awesome.” David McIntyre “He started off well at Rovers but then gradually lost interest and it became obvious he'd rather be anywhere but here. He's a good player when he wants to be but we don't want footballers who turn it on and off when they want. We need them to be giving 100% all the time.” Tim Southampton Rover “Has pace, very attacking full back. I'm no Warnock but maybe after Walker he felt another attacking full back is what's needed. By the way I like Orr. If this turns out to be true then I think it's a good signing.” Mr NITK OpinionOn the face of it we’re getting a proven Premiership player and French international to bolster our defence at a crucial time of the season on a free transfer. As they say in New York; ‘What’s not to like?’ But its Chimbonda’s personality and history off the pitch, coupled with a lack of recent action, that makes this a gamble rather than the no-brainer signing somebody of this calibre in the Championship really should be. Neil Warnock went out of his way last season to say that the team this year would be his players, signed up and committed to the QPR cause, after inheriting a team of disinterested mercenaries like Marcus Bent on various short term contracts and loan deals. Now Chimbonda has represented France at international level and played 29 times in the Premiership for Blackburn last season – so there is a world of distance between him and the Nigel Quashies and Matt Hills of this world who we were scraping off the bottom of the barrel this time last year. But when you talk about dressing room harmony and togetherness Chimbonda’s name is not one that immediately springs to mind. Having made his name in this country playing for Wigan in 2005/06 he allegedly requested a transfer while still in his kit in the changing room after the final match of the season. That could well be one of those urban myths that has become an exaggerated fact down the years, and his manager at the time Paul Jewell has tried to sign him for Ipswich this week which should act as reassurance, but the way he has hawked himself around first Spurs, then Sunderland and finally Blackburn for big money and big signing on fees hints at a player whose primary concern is for himself rather than his team. For that reason a six month deal, rather than a long term lucrative contract, is a sensible option, and the news that he has agreed a massive pay cut to walk away from his deal at Blackburn and play regular football at a lower level is to be welcomed, praised and taken as a positive sign for the immediate future at QPR. Although I’d still say don’t expect him to stick around if his form between now and May attracts offers from elsewhere. If in that six months he knuckles down and is committed to our cause then we’re onto a winner here because he is a quality full back with good attacking instincts and a natural, more experienced replacement for the departed Kyle Walker. His lack of appearances for Blackburn, eight this season, doesn’t seem such a problem having seen just how good their first choice full back Michel Salgado really is in our recent cup tie at Ewood Park. To get a player of this quality for free at a key point in the season is a tremendous coup for Neil Warnock who must now use his famous man management skills to harness a team that, with Routledge and Chimbonda joining Taarabt, has plenty of talent but plenty of ego as well. Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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