Can QPR become a Premier League force?
One of the most long-winded sagas in football history came to an end on the very last day of the Championship season and Queens Park Rangers were at last able to celebrate winning the title and take their place in the 2011/2012 Premier League campaign. The saga revolved around the 2009 signing of Argentine midfielder Alejandro Faurlin and despite being found guilty of two of the seven charges that they faced, the club only received a fine. An FA statement read: “The Regulatory Commission hearing charges brought by the FA against Queens Park Rangers FC wish to announce that although two of the charges have been found to be proved, there will be no points deduction made from Queens Park Rangers FC in this season or the next.”
There were many at the club who had feared that QPR would be docked 15 points, which would have stripped them of their title and left them in the play-off spots, jeopardising their promotion to the Premier League. However, the verdict meant that the cloud that was hanging over the club dissipated and the celebrations could begin in earnest. “There have been a few tears in the dressing room. It's been a hell of a time and how they have been able to focus I'll never know. I can't praise them highly enough. It hasn't sunk in completely. It's just a relief to know we are the champions,” said QPR manager Neil Warnock in reaction to the verdict.
It is now a few days after that great day in the club’s history and the party is only just winding down, but the club is already picking itself up and dusting itself off and is starting to plot the course for the upcoming campaign. Expectations will be predictably high for the so-called 'richest club in the world' and this summer looks set to be an interesting one for all involved.
Billionaire backers
Back in 2007 it is fairly safe to say that there were a number of eyebrows raised when Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone and Renault team boss Flavio Briatore invested in the club and became majority shareholders. These eyebrows were raised even further when Lakshmi Mittal (Britain’s richest man) decided he would like to enter the fray when he purchased a 20% share in the club.
With this sort of financial power behind them, the world suddenly became the club’s oyster and fans began to dream of a return to the glory days of the 70’s when they were challenging Liverpool for the league title. However, it is fair to say that investment has been less forthcoming over the years than many involved with the club would have hoped. The ironic thing is that the most expensive signing since the billionaires descended on West London has been the £3.5million Alejandro Faurlin (the transfer that very nearly cost them promotion).
It would now seem though that the purse strings are going to be loosened slightly and the club will enter the transfer market with gusto, as Mittal has already said that investment will be made: “There is still much we need to improve,” he said recently. “But it is very different to a year ago. Then, if you had asked me, I would have said QPR should not go into the Premier League. But now we are ready.” On the subject of money being made available, Mittal said: “I think so because it is a big responsibility. You have to live up to the Premier League.”
Before we get too carried away though, it is important to mention the difficulty that clubs face when they get promoted to the Premier League, as history is against them from the outset. In total, it is just under half of all teams that gain promotion that are sent tumbling back into the Championship after only one season in the Premier League. These statistics do improve considerably though for teams that are promoted having won the Championship, so it is not all doom and gloom for QPR. Couple this with the fact that if QPR were to flex their financial muscle and attract some Premier League quality players then they could well avoid the drop first time around.
Rumour mill
The transfer gossip surrounding the club has already begun in earnest. Tottenham right back Kyle Naughton is a top target and a deal is apparently already in place for Wayne Routledge to turn his loan from Newcastle into a permanent move. Ipswich midfielder Jimmy Bullard and Fulham striker Andy Johnson are also early targets for Neil Warnock as he looks to strengthen his team.
Perhaps more important than the numerous signings that will be gossiped about until the transfer window closes at the end of the summer, is that QPR manage to keep hold of their talismanic captain Adel Taarabt. Taarabt could be a crucial player next season if QPR harbour any aspirations of making their stay in the Premier League a permanent one. He was crowned Championship Player of the Year, scored 19 goals in the process and he topped the assist charts with 15.
One of the critical elements of being able to stay in the Premier League is the ability to pose a goal threat, which is what Taarabt offers, making him a vital cog in the team’s machine. The problem for QPR though is that so far he has refused to pledge his future to the club despite their promotion and there are a number of clubs reportedly monitoring the Moroccan midfielder, including Real Madrid, who, it has been reported, are potentially considering a shock £6.5million move.
The Championship and the Premier League are very different places and it can be very difficult for clubs to establish themselves, although it certainly isn’t impossible for teams to make the jump (Stoke and Sunderland instantly spring to mind). Expectations are now high at QPR and if they are able to combine management stability, investment in the team and the club infrastructure, then becoming an established Premiership force is certainly not out of the question.
