Flavio Briatore has again stated his desire to build a successful QPR over a long period of time but Tuesday night's man of the match Adel Taarabt will only be part of it until the end of this season.
Briatore has come in for criticism this season as ticket prices have soared and the team has stagnated in the middle of the table. Rumours had circulated that the Italian would step aside or sell up this summer with the Mittal family waiting in the wings to take a larger shareholding however Briatore has told the BBC that he is at Loftus Road for the long haul and still believes in the aims of his ‘project’.
Briatore said: “The football is a bit disappointing. We have had a lot of players out, like Rowan Vine and Ákos Buzsaky but when we started this programme we were talking about four years - we've only had one year. Last year we were bankrupt, we paid all the debt and the stadium is ours, 100 per cent. We have put a lot of money behind the club. When you are building a house you start from the base, not the roof. Little by little we're improving the stadium, the company, the image - and I'm sure we're improving the football as well. We have a good squad, so let's see what happens next season."
Meanwhile on the pitch hopes of prolonging Adel Taarabt’s tuime at Loftus Road after an impressive full debut against Swansea on Tuesday seem to be slim. The Morocan made no secret of his desire to return and fight for a place at Tottenham once his spell with Rangers ends in May. It’s also worth remembering that many supporters would have been happy to see us pay the three million euros for Emmanuel Ledesma after his first few games - QPR have a habit of dragging initially promising signings quickly down to our level. All the early signs with Taarabt are promising though it must be said.
Taarabt told the Kilburn Times: “Harry Redknapp called me on Thursday and said because Tottenham are not in a good position he couldn't give a chance to a young player now. But QPR wanted me, so I could go and play some games and I think it will be good experience. In January a lot of clubs wanted me and I didn't want to go to the Championship. People were saying to me 'it's not the league for you because it's more physical and they kick you'. But this time I said 'OK, I'll go so I can get fit and come back more strong.
“I know Radek [Cerny] and he told me QPR was a good club, it was an opportunity and I should go. Wayne [Routledge] also played with me before and I know him well, so it doesn't take so much time to know the players. I have a World Cup qualification game soon, then there are only six games left, so I want to play as much as I can. Then I hope I can go back in pre-season and have a chance with Tottenham."
Taarabt also spoke to the Evening Standard after Tuesday night’s overdue win and said: “This match was good for me, I really enjoyed it. Since coming over here I am used to playing fifteen or twenty minutes but this is a chance for me to play regularly and build my confidence. It hasn't been frustrating at Spurs, Harry just told me to come here and make the most of it. That is what I will do and I will kick on after this. One of the good things about QPR is that they are an attacking side and I don't like to defend. I like to make assists and to score.
“Spurs send scouts to watch, they were here for this one and will watch me closely. While I am here we are going to try to make the play-offs. After that I'll try to break through at Spurs but there is a lot of competition. This season we have had it hard so there has not really been a chance to use the young players.The squad is strong, we have about 35 players. It's difficult for me to play but I'm confident I'll get there eventually because that's my aim. Maybe I'm just lacking a bit of experience, so I can get that here.”
Striker Rowan Vine is again likely to be included in the squad for this weekend’s game with Bristol City after coming through a reserve match against Charlton last night. Vine scored a penalty in a 2-0 win at Ebbsfleet. Ainsworth told the club’s official website: “It was always our intention to bring Rowan back at reserve team level, which is pretty much standard procedure with any long-term injury. Injuries to one or two forced us to bring him back into the squad last night, but thankfully the result went our way and we didn't need to risk him and we've managed to stick to the protocol.”
After throwing Antonio German in for his first team debut as a second half sub at Southampton on Saturday Paulo Sousa has reiterated his desire to give QPR’s youth teamers a chance. Sousa told the Kilburn Times: “First of all they have to have ability but we need to think they will become better and in the future they can help us to get to our target. Because we lost players to injury, I've already given opportunities to some young players. For instance, I brought Romone in for the game against Burnley in the FA Cup and he played fantastic. He could have scored two goals and it would have been the best trophy for him, but the Burnley keeper made good saves. I'm always looking to push the younger players. but first we need a solid team to help them grow. It's not for the youngsters to push the older ones to play a better game - it should be the other way round. Players will get more opportunities if they give me the feeling in training they can be useful and better than the others. It's not about 'younger' or 'older' - it's about what he can give the coach."
Sousa also backed midfielder Hogan Ephraim for international honours after his eye catching display against Swansea on Tuesday night. Ephraim, an England youth international, can also play for Nigeria and Ireland through his parents.
Looking ahead to next season Sousa told the Ealing Gazette: “We will look at players to bring in so we can make a strong step forward. But will we make many changes? I think not. We will make small adjustments. What I want is to bring different types of player, not the same. I don’t want more, I want different. There won’t be many changes because with the injured players coming back we will have a strong team. I don’t have a doubt about that.”
Elsewhere the lesser spotted Gary Borrowdale is back with Brighton after returning to QPR for treatement on a knee injury picked up in his third appearance of a loan spell at the Withdean Stadium.
Although the rumours over Paulo Sousa’s future have calmed somewhat after four points and no goals conceded in two games this week Malaga’s Italian boss Antonio Tapia, recently linked with Newcastle, has claimed he was recently approached by Rangers with a view to becoming the manager at Loftus Road. Peterborough boss darren ferguson was once again linked with the job in the tabloid press at the weekend.