Punch bagged
Thursday, 1st Sep 2011 15:52 by Clive Whittingham

QPR did complete the signing of Southampton winger Jason Puncheon on loan before the transfer window closed after all, the club has claimed.

Facts

Jason Puncheon is a 25-year-old winger from Croydon who started his career with the old Wimbledon club before drifting into non-league and working his way back. It was at Barnet where Puncheon really made his name – following his release from MK Dons he spent time with Fisher and Lewes before moving to Underhill where he scored 17 goals in 93 appearances from wide right and had scouts flocking to that corner of North London.

It was Championship side Plymouth that took a chance on him, spending £250k to secure his signature in June 2008 but he would go onto appear on only seven occasions for the Pilgrims and actually played more than 50 times back with the MK Dons while he was at Home Park in three separate loan spells across three seasons.

He did enough there to earn another permanent move to a south coast club, Southampton this time, but again he failed to make the grade and by the middle of last season his relationship with the usually affable Saints boss Nigel Adkins had disintegrated to such an extent that he was allowed to leave the club on loan again. Ian Holloway took a chance on him, signing him for then Premiership side Blackpool, and he impressed despite their relegation scoring three goals in six starts and five sub appearances. He also spent time with Millwall. Blackpool were keen to tie up a deal for him this summer but couldn't agree a fee with Southampton who have held out for £1m despite not giving Puncheon a squad number and forcing him to train with their youth team.

Puncheon has signed a loan deal with Rangers until January.

Reaction

"It just made sense to give him an opportunity to come in until January and show us what he can do.This all happened very late in the day so I am very pleased we got him in. Jason is a good acquisition because he brings pace and plenty of desire. To be perfectly honest, he was so keen to come to QPR I think he would have paid us. He is desperate to do well, and that really impressed me." - Neil Warnock

"Yes he has had problems at other clubs, but when he was with us (Millwall) he was superb, we have been after him for a long time. Kenny Jackett rates him highly and I think he will surprise a lot of you. We went to £750,000 to sign him, but refused the £1m asking price. Disregard what you hear if he likes where he is, he will be as good as swp, good luck." Kitkev

Opinion

I find this the strangest of our post takeover transfers by some distance. Puncheon was a player Neil Warnock was looking at before Tony Fernandes arrived and having since increased our ambitions somewhat, and signed England international Shaun Wright Phillips, it seems a little strange to me to have continued to pursue him. To be honest when I saw him rushing into Loftus Road last night I assumed it was because the Wright Phillips deal was in doubt and he was a late back up in a position Warnock clearly feels we need to strengthen.

I’m not convinced by Puncheon as a Premiership player. He was reasonable last year for Blackpool in a brief loan spell, nothing more than that, and as I said when I wrote up the DJ Campbell signing it wasn’t hard for forwards to impress in that Blackpool team given the tactics of the team. Puncheon has always had a lot of potential, but he’s had good chances at decent clubs in the Championship like Southampton and Plymouth and he not only hasn’t succeeded, but he’s consistently fallen out with people while doing it.

Shaun Wright Phillips is a superb signing, but we’re not short of options for that side of our attack. Jamie Mackie is on his way back, Tommy Smith has started the season well, Akos Buzsaky likewise, Joey Barton has now arrived, Adel Taarabt can play there, Jay Bothroyd, DJ Campbell and so on and so on. It just seems to me that Puncheon isn’t as good as a lot of those players, and is already somewhat surplus to requirements. It’s a strange one, I look forward to seeing what Neil Warnock has in mind for him.

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QPRski added 16:21 - Sep 1

Clive I am also slighlty confused by this one. I thought Puncheon was the a back to SWP. Unless NW can unleash tremenous potential I see Puncheon well down the pegging list.

I can enviage the starting line up against Newcastle to only have 3 squad member from last seasons Championship winning team (Kenny, Faurlin, Taraabt), but I really cannot see Jason Punchon on it.

As you mentioned - a strange one. Could they have signed him "by mistake" during all the last minute excitement of the transfer window closing?

N12Hoop added 16:35 - Sep 1 Apparently he's left footed so a bit of natural sided cover may have been in mind. If you try put down 25 names for the squad to be announced there's only room for 14 of last year's squad. Discount 2 'keepers and there's going to be a lot of expensive bodies floating about
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N12Hoop added 16:40 - Sep 1 When I say floating around I mean either not in the 25 or in the 25 but only to make up the numbers and only likely to get a game in the FA Cup: Agymang, Ephraim, Hulse to name but 3.
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RBLOCKPAT added 23:06 - Sep 1

I think Puncheon can be a good impact player from the bench and if for any reason NW wants to line up a 442 formation Puncheon and SWP on either flank would be interesting, shame they couldnt try it against Rochdale and if NW had known we would be signing all these players he might have changed his mind about staying in the competitiion because the more games the squad plays the better they will gel. I am really excited about the future its going to be very interesting to see who plays and how we play. Jamie Mackie coming back will be like a new signing and I am sure he will have a big part to play in the season. Cannot wait tiil the 12th, what an atmosphere its going to be that night and hopefully Tony Fernandes is there to receive our appreciation!

LambournR added 08:27 - Sep 2 Agree with Clive about how much we need Puncheon - we don't need him and Mackie and we know what we have with Mackie if we are willing to wait for him to regain fitness. Hopefully after the Wigan game NW has finally given up on Dave and Puncheon is his replacement in the 25
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bishom added 12:10 - Sep 2 The Gaffer says "He was so keen to come to QPR that I think he would have paid us". Now that would have put ideas in the previous regimes minds! Lucky they put the gag on NW before they left.
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