 Tuesday, 30th Aug 2011 19:16 by Clive Whittingham Arsenal full back Armand Traore has signed for QPR today on a three year deal after the clubs agreed an undisclosed fee. FactsArmand Traore is a 21-year-old French born Senegal international who can play either left back or left wing. He played for France at Under 19 and Under 21 level before switching allegiance to the African country of his parents’ birth for whom he has won one cap so far. Traore spent his time as a youth team player with Racing in his native Paris and then Monaco before being picked up by Arsenal in 2005 where he has remained ever since. He’s a typical Arsenal player in many regards – fiercely quick, athletic and French but perhaps a little lightweight and lacking in heart so far in his career. It was at Portsmouth where he really made his name in this country. When given the opportunity to go and play some first team football in 2008/09 he played 28 times for the South Coast club both at left back and left wing and impressed with his pace down the flank. At Arsenal he’s been part of Arsene’s Golden Generation – i.e. he’s looked good in a lot of League Cup games but never quite managed to step up to full fledged Premiership player. The flaws in Wenger’s master plan are being brutally exposed this season, and Traore was part of the Gunners side beaten 8-2 at Man Utd on Sunday. In six years with Arsenal he has made just 33 senior appearances and actually spent the whole of last season on loan at Serie A side Juventus where his time was undermined by a series of injuries and a family bereavement. He made just ten starts for the Italian giants in 2010/11 and returned to Arsenal at the end of the campaign. Traore was once caught trying to enter Tottenham’s White Hart Lane ground with a set of knuckle dusters and has recently undergone corrective surgery to remove his many tattoos after embracing the Muslim religion. He has signed for QPR on a three year contract for an undisclosed transfer fee and will wear the number 13 shirt. ReactionWhen I talked to Neil Warnock he was very passionate about what I could bring to the club. He was very motivated about playing me week in, week out, and that's what I need at this stage of my career. I've not been able to prove and show what I'm all about because I've been at two big, big clubs like Juventus and Arsenal. I'm looking forward to coming here and playing regular football. The ambition of the new owners and the calibre of players they are signing is something that really attracted me to the club." -Armande Traore Armand has been my number one defensive target for a while now. I've been speaking to Arsene for a couple of weeks. He's a young and exciting lad who I think can only get better playing for a side like ourselves on a regular basis. He needs games and he'll get that here. Nobody has seen the best of him yet, but over the next couple of years I'm confident he'll show the quality that I clearly believe he has. He'll be a great outlet for us down that left hand side. He's got all the attributes you need to be a top, top defender." -Neil Warnock The stats do not look good, he only played for Juve 12 times and from 12 they won 3 and his brief Arsenal appearances have been average at best but he is in the position we need and has the exact qualities at this level required. Youth, SPEED and you show me one Arsenal developed player that lacks basic techniques and are not composed with the ball on the deck.He is of the age and completed his experience gaining loans where now he needs 1st team football. We can provide him all he needs to develop. I dont necessarily think he will pull up trees and become outstanding but you never know at this point and he is still better than probably Hill as first choice and Connolly as back up. - Simmo OpinionThe importance of good full backs, in my opinion, is grossly underestimated in the British game. The great French team that won the European Championships and World Cup did so with Lillian Thuram and Bixente Lizarazu on either side of their defence – marauding up and down the wing, attacking as much as defending. Man Utd currently have another Frenchman doing the same; Patrice Evra. The very best full backs are as much of an attacking force as they are a defensive barrier and QPR are sadly lacking in this area. Fans who were brought up watching David Bardsley play at right back and Clive Wilson on the other side have been forced to suffer in recent years as the full back positions at Loftus Road became populated with out of position centre halves who could barely do the defensive side of full back play and offered absolutely nothing going forwards. The switch to a 4-2-3-1 formation under Neil Warnock put extra pressure on the full backs in our team with no winger up ahead to act as cover on defence or support in attack. Warnock brought in Bradley Orr, a recognised full back able to go both ways but only to a Championship standard. On the other side he fielded Clint Hill who was magnificent defensively but poor offensively and, again, only a Championship standard player. Kieron Dyer had been earmarked to replace Orr this season before his injury and on Saturday at Wigan Rangers were again reduced to playing two centre halves there out of position. Neither Connolly nor Gabbidon did a lot wrong, in fact the latter was probably the pick of the QPR players on the day, but I can’t remember a single forward run resulting in a cross from either of them. It’s just not their game. We saw last season with Kyle Walker just what a difference it makes to a team in our system having an energetic, skilful, full back in the team who is as comfortable with the ball as without. In a game at Bristol City on Sky he carried more attacking threat than the rest of the team put together and gave us a whole new attacking dimension. Traore is certainly not as good as Walker, but he is as quick and that’s another key element currently missing from the QPR line up. It remains to be seen whether he has the ability to go with the pace that will help him become established in the Premiership. I personally have my doubts – he fits into that Liam Ridgewell/Anton Ferdinand category of not being great but probably better than what we’ve got. At least we now, with Luke Young signing, have full backs on both sides who have the quality to bomb up and down their respective wings and I think we’ll reap the benefits of that almost immediately. Listen, if Rodney Marsh is following @loftforwords on Twitter then why aren’t you? Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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