QPR keen to secure best young talent, Norwich heading for sell out
Wednesday, 13th Oct 2010 22:57 by Clive Whittingham

Youth team boss Steve Gallen says the contracts awarded to Bruno Andrade and Mo Sharif highlight the clubs commitment to holding onto their best youngsters.

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Rangers have lost Raheem Sterling and Dean Parrett to Liverpool and Tottenham respectively in recent years for big money packages before they have even kicked a ball for the first team. While making money for the club despite the lack of an academy set up may be seen as some sort of success Gallen, who coaches Rangers’ youth side with Marc Bircham, is keen to see some of his pupils turning out in Hoops rather than being absorbed into giant Premiership set ups never to be seen or heard of again.

Gallen told the Kilburn Times: “I want to keep our best players here – losing players is not success to me, even if the financial settlement is a good one, as it was in Raheem’s case. Getting £500,000 and possibly up to £1m for a 15-year-old is a great deal. But I don’t want that to happen again. We’re now making a statement, saying to other clubs ‘these are our players and, if you want them, bring your chequebook’.

“I told the manager about what happened before, so he’s fully aware of it, and he and Mick Jones have been a big help to me and the youth department. We’re looking everywhere – but so are Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea, Fulham, Watford and Brentford. There’s a saturation of clubs in this area and you have to be quick. What matters to me is seeing Antonio German and Josh Parker in the first-team squad. If we can get Bruno and a few more out there playing League football, either for QPR or on loan, that’s more important.”

Gallen also spoke to the paper about a pair of Indian youngsters who fought off competition from 2,000 rivals in Mumbai to win places on the QPR youth programme. Click here to read more.

In the first team, full back Clint Hill says the return from injury of a number of key players is sure to boost performances from the players in possession of the shirts. Rangers potentially have Bradley Orr, Alejandro Faurlin, Leon Clarke, Fitz Hall and Rob Hulse returning to action after the international break but the likes of Kyle Walker, Akos Buzsaky, Matt Connolly and Heidar Helguson have been outstanding in their absence as the R’s have maintained an unbeaten start to the league season.

Hill told the Kilburn Times: “We’ve got a tough game against Norwich, who are third and flying, and the gaffer’s going to have one big headache – but one that he likes, I think. Getting those lads back will keep us on our toes because, if you’ve got good players behind you, one bad game and you might not be able to get in for another ten. Up to now, I’ve always been knocking about at the other end of the table, so to be at the top is a new experience, one that I’m determined to keep enjoying and hopefully can enjoy for the rest of the season.”

And there may yet be more competition to come with Neil Warnock telling the Fulham Chronicle that he may yet add to his squad further in January. He said: “It's been a great start but I think we can get better and I don't think we can make any decisions about January until we get there. Three months is a long time in football. A football team is like a jigsaw puzzle and I think we are still a work progress because we've had nine new players at this club since the summer. But it's definitely surprised me how well we've done. You don't expect to have a run like ours in your wildest dreams. "Players have responded better than I thought they would and the lads coming in off the bench have all wanted to impress. Sometimes you just come up with the right formula. It's an exciting time at the moment and I don't need to keep a lid on that excitement either because there's nobody who's got their feet off the floor. We've got no big time Charlies. If anybody got carried away, with a Clint Hill in your dressing room, a Shaun Derry and a Paddy Kenny, they'd soon be sorted out. I wouldn't have to do the job.”

QPR return to action this weekend with the visit of high flying Norwich to Loftus Road followed by a trip to Swansea on Tuesday night. Norwich have long since sold out their allocation of 3,100 School End seats and the other three sides of Loftus Road are set to sell out by close of business on Friday. When LFW purchased a guest ticket at 4.30pm on Wednesday we were told it was the last seat in South Africa Road upper and only 300 tickets remained, mainly in Ellerslie Road X Block.

After his adventures with Scotland over the last week striker Jamie Mackie says he is keen to get back in a QPR shirt and set about winning his place in Craig Levein’s next squad. Mackie said: “I feel I am here on merit, the same as the other players. I think it’s been a brilliant experience and, now I’ve had a little taste, especially here at Hampden, I want more. It has given me more motivation to go back to my club and do my best. Like I say, I’ve had a little sniff of it and I want a lot more.”

Finally young defender Lee Brown has extended his loan spell with Hayes and Yeading after a successful first month. Hayes have lost just one of their last five games and kept four clean sheets in that time. Brown, who has one substitute appearance for the QPR senior team to his name so far, has made eight appearances so far at left back covering for injured regular Adam Green who is set to return to fitness next Saturday in an FA Cup game with Poole Town according to the Uxbridge Gazette.

Rumours

The Swindon Advertiser reports that QPR are one of a host of clubs tracking Swindon’s giant centre half Sean Morrison. The 19-year-old scored a clever header for Town as they beat Bristol Rovers 2-1 in a live Monday night match this week and is being watched by scouts from Bolton, Newcastle and Sunderland. The paper reports that QPR assistant Mick Jones had been due to attend the game to watch Morrison but pulled out at the last minute.

Former R’s

Ian Holloway will be forced to watch Blackpool’s third home match of the Premiership season from the stands as the Tangerines face big spending Man City live on Sky this Sunday. Holloway has been handed a one match touchline ban for berating referee Mike Dean in the wake of Pool’s 2-1 home defeat against Blackburn earlier this month.

Olly said at the time: “I thought the referee had a poor game and he is going to report me for what I said to him in the tunnel," said Holloway immediately following the Blackburn game. I can't believe what he saw. I thought there were some unbelievably strange decisions out there. I waited for him in the tunnel. Never mind, I have got to learn and I should know better, but it is ridiculous."

Andy Sinton has described the elimination of his Telford side from the FA Cup by lowly Buxton on Tuesday night as the most frustrating game of his career. Sinton, who left QPR in controversial circumstances to join Sheffield Wednesday in 1993, included Stefan Bailey in an experienced line up for the replay with a Buxton side ranked two divisions below. However after bringing the minnows back to Telford for the Third Qualifying Round Replay his side was eliminated 5-4 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in which Buxton had two players sent off.

Sinton said: “It’s the most frustrating night I’ve had in football, certainly in management, and I probably would have said the same had we won the game. Decisions have cost us from the first two minutes tonight and what I saw tonight was a little bit of naivety.

“We haven’t lost the game, so it’s another game unbeaten, but we’re out of the cup because we’ve lost a lottery. It’s not all doom and gloom. We’ll bounce back. We’ll be sore tonight, I’ll be hurting tonight but the sun will come up in the morning. The boys have been great all season and there’s a lot to be proud of.”

Things aren’t set to get a lot easier for Sinton’s side who travel to Conference North leaders Alfreton this Saturday. Telford are unbeaten in ten matches this season, the only side in the league without a loss, but sit third behind leaders Alfreton who have 27 points to the Bucks’ 22.

Championship Shorts

- Leicester could be set to make their first signing of the Sven Goran Ericsson era with Tottenham right back Kyle Naughton potentially arriving on loan. Naughton saw a loan move to Portsmouth fall through earlier this season because of Pompey’s off the field problems.

- A row is brewing in Derby over the future of star midfielder Kris Commons who is out of contract at the end of the season. Commons says he is keen to stay at Derby but the club has been forced to issue a statement denying a rift between the player and manager Nigel Clough. Commons said: “The decision is not in my hands. I'm sure I will be the last to know but it needs sorting as soon as possible.” Goalkeeper Stephen Bywater has been ruled out for a month with a fractured wrist.

- Watford striker Danny Graham says his side are revelling in their underdog status this season. The Hornets are fourth pending the resumption of the league campaign having been tipped by many for relegation. Graham said: “I think it's great. We just go out to prove them wrong. We know we can compete in this league. We know we can do well. We'll go about our business nice and quietly and we'll see where that leaves us.”

- Palace midfielder Neil Danns hopes to make an earlier than anticipated return from a knee injury that was expected to keep him out until December. Danns said: “It wasn't the best news but it's one of them, it happens in football so I'm keeping my head up now and trying to get back quicker than anticipated. I could be running in two weeks, straight line running. From there it's about strengthening and getting the confidence to twist and turn on the knee.”

- Sheff Utd say they are waiting to hear back from Man Utd on the future of defender Ritchie de Laet who has been on loan at Bramall Lane for the last month. Gary Speed would like to extend the deal in the continued absence of Chris Morgan and Kyle Bartley.

Photo: Action Images

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