 Thursday, 25th Nov 2010 22:24 by Clive Whittingham Three players who would once have been classed as the first names on the QPR team sheet may be running out of time at Loftus Road after suffering lengthy injury absenses. NewsIt has long been known that Rowan Vine has no future with Rangers, and that was further confirmed today when he joined League One neighbours Brentford on a one month loan deal. Vine has never regained form or fitness since suffering a horrific broken leg in training two and a half years ago. He has not been training with the QPR first team at all this season and recently spent time on loan at Hull City, where he made five appearances without scoring, and training with Portsmouth. Vine spent the 2002/03 season on loan at Griffin Park from Portsmouth, scoring 13 goals in 50 appearances, and will aim to rebuild his shattered reputation over the Christmas period. The 28-year-old will stay with Brentford until January 4 and manager Andy Scott told his club's official website: "It's a big plus for us to be able to attract a player of Rowan's ability and I believe it's an ideal opportunity to bring some more experience to the squad while helping him reignite his career at a club he knows well." Cook has been plagued by knee problems for the last four seasons after first suffering an injury towards the end of the 2006/07 campaign. He pressed through with a move to Fulham that summer but never made a senior appearance for the Cottagers because of persistent knee problems and since returning to Rangers in 2008 he has made just 36 starts in two and a half seasons. After being withdrawn from training during the summer by Rangers' concerned medical staff Cook is now ready for reserve team action but manager Neil Warnock has told the Ealing Gazette that he may have to go out on loan as part of his recovery. Warnock said: "To be fair to Lee, he’s just rejoined the first team in training – and he’s worked his socks off to get there, and I’ve got him in mind for half a reserve match next week. He may still get a chance for the first team. But if not, I’ve already had a couple of enquiries from Championship clubs, and that might give him the extra sharpness he needs.” And there was talk earlier today of Martin Rowlands moving to Championship strugglers Crystal Palace on loan. No deal was struck prior to this evening's loan deadline but the deal may be resurrected in January with Neil Warnock a known admirer of Palace midfielder Darren Ambrose. Rowlands has failed to regain his place in the first team after recovering from a year out with ruptured cruciate knee ligaments and is known to be restless and eager to play. Rumours of a frosty relationship with Neil Warnock have circulated around Loftus Road recently. Meanwhile Cardiff striker Craig Bellamy says his side is gunning for promotion ahead of this weekend's key clash between first and second at Loftus Road. Bellamy told Wales Online: "There have been a couple of setbacks, but hopefully there will be a lot more good times. The aim for every championship side is the Premiership because it is the biggest league in the world. It is everything. We are trying to make strides. We are trying to get there. There’s going to be a few rough times ahead this season, but the whole aim is at the end of the season we do try to get to the Premier League, so hopefully we do come close. Look back and in reality and you can see we are in the right way. There was a transfer embargo on the club. The defeat against Blackpool really let a lot of people down. A lot of people were questioning where this club was going. Yet in the space of a couple of months we have a chance of going top of the Championship on Saturday.” QPR boss Neil Warnock says he is looking forward to kick off. The gaffer told QPR's official website: "It's a great game to look forward to. We're two good teams and it promises to be a great game. They've probably got a better forward line than us at the moment but we're a hard working team and we've got players of real quality. We've got a good squad here and it's a great opportunity for us both to show what the Championship is all about. I'm sure there will be a fantastic atmosphere and I'm really looking forward to it now." Adel Taarabt was in typically confident mood when he spoke to Teamtalk ahead of the game saying: "I'm the type of player who lovesd games like this one. It is a big game where you can judge yourself. I don't get nervous - I get excited." And striker Rob Hulse told the Kilburn Times he is looking forward to adding to his tally for Rangers after breaking his QPR duck against Preston last weekend. Hulse said: "I’m just pleased to get the monkey off my back and get a goal, and a good result as well. I’ve scored a few scrappy goals in my career and hopefully I’ll score a few more. That doesn’t bother me – I’d score them every week if I could. I’m still a bit off full fitness but I’m getting there, all I can do is work hard during the week and turn up on Saturday. I think we’ve got some good strikers here, but I’d like to start every week if I was fit. I came here wanting to challenge myself. I’m 31, but I’d like to have a few more years in me and do as well as I can. “It’s been frustrating the last couple of games where we’ve been away from home, not really had many chances and ground results out. You look back at those results now and you think they’re good results. Portsmouth away and Forest away, we’d take a point from there, and the games at home we’ve opened up, created more chances and could have scored more really. Cardiff will be a big game, but you’ve got to remember it is still November and it’s just another game. We need to defend and hopefully chances will open up, as they did against Preston, and we can get the result. Going into that game on a good performance, having played well, that’s what you want. But it’s very early days and we’re not getting carried away. We’ve had a great start but we’ve got to keep working hard and hopefully the results will look after themselves.” Former R'sDexter Blackstock will be out of action for the next year after rupturing his cruciate ligaments in Nottingham Forest's win at Cardiff last week. Manager Billy Davies is fuming with the challenge from Seyi Olofinjana that led to the injury and is exploring a possible official complaint to the league about the Cardiff midfielder. Meanwhile Davies has moved quickly to strengthen his squad with Sheff Wed’s Marcus Tudgay aand Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey arriving on one month loan deals today. Davies told the Nottingham Evening Post: "It is a horrendous injury. It is going to be 12 months, minimum, before he is back. I have asked our chief executive to look at the video and make a club decision about what we should do next. We have to decide, as a club, whether we want to complain. We are losing key players at the moment. There is a huge amount of quality being taken away from us.”
Championship Shorts- Reading's quest to reinforce their forward line continues. The Royals have been linked with moves for Leicester's Matty Fryatt and West Brom's Ishmael Miller but are now said to be chasing Levski Sofia hotshot Garra Dembele. Brian McDermott is preparing a £250,000 bid for the Frenchman whohas scored 22 goals in 21 games since joining the Bulgarian side in the summer. - Leicester have completed the signing of Wigan goalkeeper Chris Kirkland on a one month loan deal. Leicester have already used Wolves' Carl Ikeme as a loan keeper this season and have made five loan signings since Sven Goran Ericsson took over as manager. - Sheff Utd chairman Kevin McCabe says tough decisions will have to be made in the wake of an £18.6m loss by the Blades in the last financial year. Lower ticket sales and television money were the main contributors, although United had been boosted in previous years by compensation from West Ham over the Carlos Tevez affair and Premiership parachute payments which have now ceased. McCabe said: "Some tough decisions have been taken to totally reshape the group. The time is right to ensure the club is positioned to avoid the type of damage that is currently afflicting or set to affect so many other football clubs." The Blades have extended Andy Reid's loan until January 3. - Cardiff have allowed utility man Miguel Comminges to join League One highflyers Carlisle on a one month loan deal. - Hull City have signed 19-year-old striker Cameron Stewart on a one month loan deal from Manchester United. - Ipswich are hoping to clear a backlog of contract renewals, with 21 players out of contract next summer. David Norris could be the first to sign a new deal, the former Plymouth midfielder said: "I'm happy here, I'm settled here, if I can get a deal done I'd be happy to sign it. The club are speaking at the moment to my agent, I tend to leave it to them, I don't get involved day-in day-out." Town have also reinforced their squad in the loan market today signing Plymouth Argyle striker Rory Fallon and West Brom defender Gianni Zuiverloon until January. - Preston have signed Burnley defender Leon Cort on loan for a month. The centre back has not played since being sent off in a 4-0 defeat by Reading six weeks ago. Burnley boss Brian Laws said: "This has come at a good time for him. He lost his position after being sent off and when you're an experienced player you want to play. It's not just that that's cost him. Michael Duff has come in and formed a good partnership with Clarke Carlisle." Burnley have also signed Man City's 18 year old Swedish striker John Guidetti on a one month loan. - Derby say midfielder Kris Commons has not yet signed a new contract because he is asking for too much money. Manager Nigel Clough said: "We're doing everything we can to keep Kris. There is only one sticking point in contract negotiations and that's money. It's purely what we can afford and what his ambitions are." Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
You need to login in order to post your comments |
   Blogs 31 bloggersQueens Park Rangers Polls[ Vote here ] |
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
