Jamie Mackie’s broken leg, and Blackburn striker El-Hadji Diouf’s reaction to the injury, has prompted a huge reaction from Neil Warnock and the other QPR players.
The news about Mackie’s condition is surprisingly good, considering he broke both his tibia and fibula in the clash with Gael Givet and revolting photographs of his leg looking like a jelly are circulating.
Physio Nigel Cox told the club’s official website: “We will know more in the next 48 hours but we are not anticipating Jamie being out for anywhere near the nine months that has been reported. Initially we did not think it was as serious as it is. Jamie saw the doctors at Blackburn as well as an orthopedic surgeon, and we sent him for what we all deemed a precautionary X-ray. Unfortunately that revealed a crack in both the tibia and the fibula bones. I have been in touch with Gary Lewin who is a good friend of mine, and we are endeavouring to ensure Jamie sees the best. We are seeing the surgeon tomorrow but are not anticipating surgery at this stage."
But it’s the reaction to Mackie from Blackburn player El-Hadji Diouf that has caught the attention most. Diouf was seen shouting at Mackie while he was laid on the ground receiving treatment and was then involved in an after match fracas with Bradley Orr on the pitch that spilled over into the tunnel as the QPR players objected to his behaviour. Blackburn are preparing to back their player according to today’s Guardian but the condemnation has just kept coming from from W12.
Mackie himself said on his Twitter account: “Proper disappointed that e diouf was in my ear while I’m on the deck with a broken leg saying fuck u and fuck your leg. thanks.”
He later told the Evening Standard: “I'm lying on the floor with a bad injury and even his team-mates were embarrassed by what Diouf was saying. There's no room for that in the game - and in my opinion he's an absolute disgrace. I'm trying hard not to think about Diouf. That's because when I do it makes me want to snap my cast off and run up there and find him. There's no place in football for the likes of Diouf. There's a line and he crossed it. Diouf was repulsive."
Orr also offered the following via the micro-blogging site: “Never come across a more repulsive human being than E H Diouf! The things he was saying were disgusting! The lad has just broke his leg! You horrible disgusting man E H Diouf! Your time will come!”
Neil Warnock was furious after the game saying: “What sort of person does that when they have a broken leg? There's no need for it in the game. Steve will not put up with that. One lady from the Blackburn staff came and apologised to me. I think their lads were all the same as the lady. I said to our lot: 'Eh, don't get carried away, lads. We only see him once; they've got to live with him.' You don't need that in the dressing room.
"I can't abide people like that. I don't know why he wants to take on the world every week. For many years I have thought he was the gutter type – I was going to call him a sewer rat but that might be insulting to sewer rats. I think he is the lowest of the low and I can't see him being at Blackburn much longer because I can't see Steve Kean putting up with someone like that in the dressing room when he is trying to form a new image for Blackburn. I think he will be the first to go and good riddance – I hope he goes abroad because I won't miss watching him. He is a nasty little person.
"It was not a malicious tackle but it is his standing foot and you can see in the slow motion his leg bends. It is disappointing for everyone and the result pales into insignificance. I'm pulling my hair out because I didn't want to play him but he pleaded with me to play yesterday – that's how he is, he wants to play in everything. We will miss him, it is a massive blow because I can't see him playing this season."
Clint Hill, who branded Diouf a ‘c***’ on his Twitter account and promised the Senegalese player would get what was coming to him, was more considered when he spoke to the QPR official website about the game. He said: “For the first 20 minutes we were all at sea, but apart from that we coped really well but, for me, it's all about Jamie Mackie. He's a character and, with what he brings to the team, he's been an inspiration to us all. I can't put into words how bad we all feel for him. We wish him a speedy recovery and hopefully we can all pull together and do something for him by achieving the goals that we want to. The effort that he puts in on the training pitch tells me that we'll see a fully recovered Jamie Mackie back in action as soon as he can do. We'll all give him the support that he needs."
Blackburn are yet to comment on the incident but their former player Simon Garner told the Lancashire Evening Telegraph: “What Warnock has said is bang out of order. I don't think I have ever heard anyone launch such an attack on a player like that. I am not going to say Diouf is an angel because he clearly isn't. He is a wind-up merchant and does step over the line too many times. So does Warnock, though. Warnock needs to take a long hard look at himself. What is it they say about people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones? All our thoughts go out to Jamie Mackie but it is not as though Dioufy has broken his leg, is it? Things are said on the pitch, but how was he to know he had broken his leg? At one point Mackie actually got up and I think everyone thought it was Givet that was more seriously injured. In the heat of the moment, Diouf was angry at the initial tackle. Mackie's tackle could have broken Gael's leg and that is what Diouf was initially upset about. Would he be getting this stick if Givet had broken his leg, like some feared at first?”
Despite Mackie’s leg break it is hoped that the QPR injury crisis will ease slightly ahead of this weekend’s game at Burrnley. In defence Matt Connolly returns from suspension and Fitz Hall has declared his fitness via his Twitter account. The club is keen to avoid yet another relapse for Hall whose injury situation has become a standing joke among QPR fans since his arrival from Wigan three years ago and have told the player to find a home closer to the Harlington training ground believing his two hour daily commute is exacerbating the situation.
Neil Warnock told the Ealing Gazette: “He can’t go on like this. He agrees the car journey can’t be doing his legs any good and he’s willing to try anything. Hopefully he can fix up a new apartment a lot closer.”
Elsewhere Kaspars Gorkss has been called up to the Latvia squad for their friendly with Bosnia on Wednesday, February 9.
Some good news for QPR, although not so good for assistant manager Keith Curle – Bristol Rovers have appointed former Doncaster boss Dave Penney as their new gaffer. Curle, a former Bristol Rovers player and popular figure among the current QPR squad, had applied for the job but Penney’s superior experience as a number one seems to have won the day.
And finally, in a rare and glorious moment of common sense, QPR and Hull have agreed to fill a spare Saturday 3pm kick off slot with their fixture that was postponed in the big freeze before Christmas. The game will now be played on FA Cup fourth round day, Saturday January 29, after both QPR and Hull were eliminated from the competition at the weekend. Well done and thank you to both clubs for this decision, so often in the past we have sat twiddling our thumbs on fourth round day with a stack of Tuesday night games still to come so it makes a refreshing change to see a decision like this being made so swiftly.
Mikele Leigertwood remains a loan player at Reading despite the Royals being apparently keen to sign him permanently. Last week the player was linked with a £1m move to Ipswich but the sacking of Roy Keane may have brought that to an end. Leigertwood played another 90 minutes for the Royals as they beat Premiership side West Brom 1-0 in the FA Cup at the weekend.
Yeovil Town remain unbeaten since the arrival of QPR youngster Max Ehmer on loan. The Glovers are struggling in the relegation zone in league One but since Ehmer arrived at Huish Park they have won two and drawn one, without conceding a goal. Ehmer played a full 90 minutes in a 2-0 defeat of Brentford at the weekend.
Joe Oastler came on in the final minute of Torquay’s 1-0 home victory against Carlisle at the weekend in the FA Cup. The Gulls will face giant killers Crawley in the fourth round at the end of the month.
QPR continue to be linked with out of favour West Ham striker Benni McCarthy in a variety of outlets. The R’ are also giving a trial to 23-year-old Cambridge City striker Craig Hammond who has scored 23 goals in 22 Zamaretto Premier Division games this season. There is also talk, and our man in Argentina has dropped us a line confirming as much, that Emmanuel Ledesma could be set for an unlikely return to Loftus Road this January with the player himself telling journalists in his homeland that the deal is as good as done. Ledesma has spent time with three Serie B sides - Salernitana, Novara and Crotone – since his season long loan deal was cut short by Paulo Sousa two years ago. Whether the mercurial Argentinean could ever possibly play in the same team as Adel Taarabt remains to be seen.
The sacking of Mark Stimson as Barnet manager has had ramifications for three of our former charges. First striker Kevin Gallen who had scored one goal in eight appearances for the Bees since Stimson signed him on loan from Luton has not had his deal extended. Secondly our former trainee Liam O’Brien has been signed on a free transfer following his release from Portsmouth, and made his debut in a surprise 3-1 win at Bradford City at the weekend. That meant another former QPR goalkeeper Jake Cole, who has been the first choice at Barnet for the last couple of seasons, was dropped to the bench by caretaker boss Paul Fairclough at Valley Parade.
Wimbledon are still hopeful of securing a deal for Pat Kanyuka despite a protracted wait for international clearance and the signing of Rushden defender Jamie Stuart. Kanyuka has been playing his football in Romania since leaving Northampton Town and must now have clearance to return to a club in this country. Don’s manager Terry Brown told the Surrey Herald: “The problem is I haven't seen the boy play. He's not allowed to play for us – even for the reserves – until he gets clearance. I don't know how long it will take, but hopefully I can have a look at him during the window."
- Paul Jewell has been confirmed as the new manager of Ipswich just days after the sacking of Roy Keane. Jewell, who will take charge after Wednesday’s Carling Cup tie with Arsenal, said: “I've actually enjoyed my time out and I've done a lot of re-evaluating mistakes I've made in the past. I've had four or five offers but I was starting to get really hungry and was missing the day-to-day of football."
- Bournemouth have confirmed that manager Eddie Howe will be staying at Dean Court despite interest from Palace, Burnley and Charlton. Howe has guided cash strapped Bournemouth into League One and they are currently on course for a second straight promotion to the Championship leading to speculation linking the young boss with other clubs. Burnley have been criticised for their unprofessional approach to their current manager search with Watford and Norwich both objecting to the public way the Clarets have courted Malky Mackay and Paul Lambert. Stuart Gray is likely to remain in caretaker charge for this weekend’s game with QPR. Palace are now being tipped to move for Rochdale boss Keith Hill.
- Cardiff have signed giant Preston striker Jon Parkin, but manager Dave Jones says they lost out to Leeds in the race to sign centre half Andy O’Brien because fans posted on City’s message boards that the player was in South Wales for talks. Jones said: ““I probably lost Andy O’Brien because the famous message boards and everything else alerted Leeds that we were talking to him. We probably could have signed him on the day, but they stepped in and took him away from us. But we’ll just keep looking.” - Leeds have given 18-year-old Everton midfielder Zac Thompson a six month deal after he impressed on trial.
- Reading’s quest for a new striker has taken them to Plymouth who have given them permission to discuss terms with Bradley Wright-Phillips after a fee was agreed. Wright-Phillips has 13 goals for the struggling League One side this season and was left out of their squad for the weekend trip to Bournemouth.
- Norwich stars Wes Hoolahan and Simon Lappin have extended their contracts at Carrow Road. Hoolahan has signed a three and a half year deal, Lappin will remain until 2013.
Championship deals done so far:
Aaron McLean, Peterborough to Hull, £1.3m
Matty Fryatt, Leicester to Hull, £1.2m
James Chester, Man Utd to Hull, £300k
Michael Morrison, Leicester to Sheff Wed, £250k
Jon Parkin, Preston to Cardiff, £100k
Sol Bamba, Hibs to Leicester, undisclosed
Seamus Connely, Galway to Sheffield United, undisclosed
Liam Lawrence, Stoke to Portsmouth, undisclosed
Alex Marrow, Blackburn to Palace, undisclosed
Josh McQuoid, Bournemouth to Millwall, undisclosed
Andy O’Brien, Bolton to Leeds, undisclosed
Matt Ritchie, Portsmouth to Swindon, undisclosed
Marcus Tudgay, Sheff Wed to Forest, undisclosed
Tommy Smith, Portsmouth to QPR, undisclosed
Miguel Comminges, Cardiff to Southend, free
Steffen Iverson, Rosenborg to Palace, free
Eddie Nolan, Preston to Scunthorpe, free
Zac Thompson, Everton to Leeds, free
Liam Cooper, Hull to Carlisle, loan
Mark Cullen, Hull to Bradford, loan
Liam Dickinson, Barnsley to Rochdale, loan
Ben Gordon, Chelsea to Scunthorpe, loan
Brad Guzan, Villa to Hull, loan
Kevin Kilbane, Hull to Huddersfield, loan
Marc Laird, Millwall to Brentford, loan
Vito Mannone, Arsenal to Hull, loan
Ben Mee, Man City to Leicester, loan