Adel Taarabt - a mercurial talent

Super article Fletch; is he rally in the Bowles / Marsh class - remember both of them were also brilliant in the First Division? Perhaps Warnock needs to identify a Venables or Don Masson character; any of them around??
Would have been fitting to see you receive an award for "Services to Football League Journalism".

A real talented individual, but obviously the kind of player who needs to be the centre point of a team and have it built around him. Similar to Van der Vaart at his old club spurs in some regards, where he is now thriving because Redknapp plays him in his best position and has developed the formation around him. Warnock seems to have done this and also has been able to get the best out of him by nurturing him and making him know he's special. I remember the hype and reputation he got when he moved to Spurs but he never broke through, but now seems to be likely to get his chance to prove himself in the EPL.

Comepletely agree though that QPR won't be able to allow him to just do his thing if they go up. In the EPL they can't afford to play with effectively ten men if he's not at his best, but on the other hand, he could be a game winner for them. Will be interesting to see if he can adapt, and finally live up to his early reputation.

Glad you pointed out the way that Warnock has harnessed this talent.. I never thought he would stand for a player like that.. like Charlie Adam he only needed a manager to believe in him enough to give him freedom to dictate the play.

Adel is easily the finest talent seen in a Qpr shirt since Les Ferdinand left almost a generation ago.

Granted he is moody, sulky and if he doesn't fancy passing he clearly wont.
Saying that, in the two years he has been with us he has matured greatly, he is less inclined to strop at the drop of a hat, he is less inclined to take on 5 opponents when an easy pass is on, he has become much more of a team player as the season has gone on and Warnock and Qpr have reaped the benefits.

He still has poor games, the kid is only 21 years old. He will grace and light up the Premier League next season be it with Qpr or someone else and I can only see him going from strength to strength the more he matures.

1)Kwiniaskagolfer: Faurlin=Masson
2) How do I share this informed and excellently written blog straight onto my facebook profile? Not interested in bookmarking with del.icico.us,Digg or Reddit.

As a follower of an established Premier League team (Liverpool) I love watching the Championship purely because the outlook of the Managers is not as cynical as it is in the PL, and young exciting players seem to play with freedom that would never be allowed in the PL.

Warnock has a reputation as being negative and long-ball, so it's great that he is able to put his faith in a player who seems to represent all the things Warnock has criticised throughout his career. Seems you can teach an old dog new tricks.

I was at the Ipswich game, and it was interesting to see what happened after he was subbed.

He walked off, and kicked the bottle. From my viewpoint, it looked like one of the backroom staff was going to have a go, but Warnock turned around to speak, and Taarabt was left alone. A couple of minutes later, this scene played out again, with Warnock going over to speak to the physio, to leave Adel alone.

As I was driving home, Warnock was asked (on the radio) about it, and said the most telling sentence....

(Paraphrasing) "We know that he's like that, but he can throw his shirt at me, and kick bottles around, for all I care. He's a fantastic talent, and I'll do whatever I can to draw that out of him"

That speaks volumes for Warnock's man-management skills.

Taarabt fully deserves his Player of the Season gong. Long may he stay at Loftus Road, though I fully expect him to go to a "BIGGER" club!

This player deserves the award. An excellent talent. But can someone tell me why Danny Graham was not nominated. By far the best striker in the league.. 25 goals in the league & for a team outside the 3 it's very impressive? Had DG been nominated Adel may not have won the award?

As a QPR fan living in Brasil I have only had the chance to see him play live once, but what I have seen on the internet shows that he really is a talent. He is the spark that has been missing at QPR since the days of Tony Currie and King Stanley.
Next year if Rangers are in the Premier I hope to see him more on TV as coverage in Brasil on the Premiership is excellent. Give him another year at QPR and he will be the new Stan Bowles.................

I have always been a huge fan of Taarabt and I had always felt Redknapp was bonkers to let this talent slip away. However, Redknapp has that no-nonsense attitude as a manager and he probably would have got very fed up with Taarabt very quickly. Warnock knows how to get the best out of him and being a Gooner im pretty glad he didnt stay at Spurs. :)

I'm not looking forward to facing Adel next year. I think he will come back to launt us. No one doubted his talent at Spurs, just trying to fit him in was difficult. Berbatov said he was the most talented player at the club when he was there. I remember being at Upton Park when he changed the game from the bench in 87th minute away to West Ham in the famous 3-4 game that helped relegate those pesky Hammers.

He is an exeptionally talented player and when Redknapp arrived he said that Taarabt was one of the most talented guys he's seen. The problem is his attitude stinks, he felt he should have been a starter at Spurs and when he was originally on loan at QPR he said that clubs like Barcelona and Real were watching him. He has nothing positive to say about his previous club when he only has himself to blame, going as far to say he should have joined Arsenal.

He could be one of the best players in the PL with the talent he has but until he stops acting like a spoilt, self-centered, petulant child the 'bigger' clubs will be reluctant to take him on.

Adel Taarabt will be regarded as one of the best players in the world within 3 years maximum. I've never seen anyone as talented as him, i support Arsenal, yet each week look out for qpr's results purely for my love of Taarabt!

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

I think he is a worthy winner, he really is the ace in QPR's team of solid championship players.

He clearly has become a better player since he left Spurs but thats what regular first team football does for young players.

It will be interesting to see how he does in the Prem I have a suspicion he will be something like Huckerby, Routledge etc flashes of brilliance but very inconsistant. Too good for the championship but not good enough for the premiership.

It would also be interesting to see how he would get on under a different manager as few would put up with his strops, for this reason he deserves player of the season but for me i'd take Scott Sinclair over him every time.

Taarabt definitely deserved to win the award out of the three players that were available.
But Graham should of been on the shortlist instead of Holt who seems to fall over quite a lot for such a big frame.
Becchio scoring 16 goals this season without scoring penalties. Holt scoring 16 but including two penalties.
And a certain Max Gradel scoring more outfield goals than Scott Sinclair and play in the same position.
I think Andy King deserved a top three for his goals from midfield or Howson. Even if that is Leeds based bias talking....

HushUK - I remember being at Upton Park when he changed the game from the bench in 87th minute away to West Ham in the famous 3-4 game that helped relegate those pesky Hammers.

I think you'll find West Ham stayed up that season, just sayin'. Maybe you need to check your fact book?

It’s an insult to place Taarabt in the same category as Huckerby and Routledge. It's also false to compare him to Sinclair. None of those players are in his league.

Last season Charlie Adam 18 goals and 8 assists and Andy Carroll 17 goals and 9 assists in the Championship. Taarabt has 15 goals and 19 assists with 8 games to go. Like them he is more than capable of bringing this form into the Championship. He is still improving and will continue to improve. I am confident next season he will prove himself as one of the best players in the Premiership.

I wouldn't say that Scott Sinclair should have won it instead, but he would have been just as worthy a winner, he's had an excellent season. I wonder if Taarabt's poor attitude is because he is in a lower league, maybe it will improve when he's playing against the best in Europe. A precocious top talent would find it hard to motivate himself when playing against a Scunthorpe or a Barnsley. Sometimes I think there is a confidence issue though, hence being made captain. I think this season will fill his boots and give him plenty of confidence to attack the Premiership.

It sounds like he's similar to Balotelli, brilliant, but a liability. I can't imagine any 'big' club coming in for him for that reason. If Taarabt had Bale's attitude then I'm sure he'd be a world beater.

I watched him at Elland Rd, the slightest touch and he was rolling around on the ground, sitting up and appealing for a foul. As soon as the ref waved play on he got up and played until someone dared to touch him again and he did it all over again. If he'd spent more time playing than play acting QPR might have got a result. Talented? Yes. That good? No, not yet. Or at least until he learns to cut out the histrionics!

He is a league apart from the rest of the players in the championship, when he moved to spurs, he was regarded very highly as an extremely skillful player who has mesmerizing skill and ability on the ball and can manipulate the ball to do what he wants as he demonstrates with his amazing runs and outside of the foot crosses. At QPR though he has just blossomed, i don't think the step up to the premier league will prove to be a daunting task for him as he is more than good enough technically to fit in. The standard of football is obviously higher, but i think that will suit him, the defenders will be better and teams will know how to play against him by doubling up on him. But he is intelligent enough to use that to his team's advantage and is good enough to beat 2 or 3 players. I think a move to one of the big clubs is on the horizon anyway, maybe not in the summer as he may wish to play in the premiership with QPR but if not next january then certainly next summer if he keeps showing this type of form.

19. At 14:48pm on 21st Mar 2011, RobSteiner wrote:

I am confident next season he will prove himself as one of the best players in the Premiership.

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He's clearly got the ability and technique to hurt teams in the PL, however it is very different going from being a top player at a top club in the Championship to a top player at what is likely to be a lowly team in the PL compared to the more established PL teams.

He will need to show his ability against the lesser teams as his selfish approach when playing at OT or the Emirates will essentially mean he won't see the ball unless the rest of the team is competitive which unfortunately i think is unlikely, Warnock will go to teams like Utd and Arsenal and play defensively (quite rightly) and a player like him isn't that useful in those circumstances.


I think if he is awesome in the PL he's the sort of player who will stamp his feet and get a move, the key is for QPR to spend a bit more next season to bolster the team. But as long as Warnock gets good money then the club shouldn't complain, in the Pl they'll be able to recruit good players.

22. At 15:36pm on 21st Mar 2011, KeithT3103 wrote:
I watched him at Elland Rd, the slightest touch and he was rolling around on the ground, sitting up and appealing for a foul. As soon as the ref waved play on he got up and played until someone dared to touch him again and he did it all over again. If he'd spent more time playing than play acting QPR might have got a result. Talented? Yes. That good? No, not yet. Or at least until he learns to cut out the histrionics!
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And yet you can say that about x number of players who are already in the Premier League.

Drogba? Well known for similar tendencies. Henry? Not above going down like a sack of spuds. Ditto for most of the foreign players, and a fair few British ones too!

Open your blinkered Leeds eyes, and see that he is ideally suited to the Prem!

Is the media's thesaurus missing? When are you going to think of a descriptive word for this guy that isn't 'mercurial'. It's not hard.

So the lad has had a great season in the championship and im reading coments such as:

I am confident next season he will prove himself as one of the best players in the Premiership

and

Adel Taarabt will be regarded as one of the best players in the world within 3 years maximum.

Please.......lets a reality check here.

The step up is huge from the championship to the premiership, Taarabts attitude, passion, skill and commitment will be tested to the very limit if QPR go up.

Im not one for counting chickens, but more for one of seeing how a player turns out in time........

To hype a player up so much can be your biggest downfall............

As a Liverpool fan i was hoping the rumours were true and that we would sign him in the January transfer window. God knows we needed a spark though Suarez seems to be doing ok.

Currently Adel Taraabt reminds me more of Rodney Marsh than Stan Bowles. Marsh had really bad off days and threw his toys out of the pram on a number of occasions, especially when playing away from Loftus Road. Bowles was much more consistent. However, Adel's career is only just beginning!

RobSteiner at 19 is right to point out the Player of the Year is not just about the goals he has scored. Adel has single handidly turned matches and the assists outnumber the goals he has scored. How is that not being a 'team player?'.

Warnock plays to Adel's stregnths and that's what good managers do when they have a gem!

To KeithT3103 - I was at Elland Road and apart from the first 15 minutes when QPR should have scoreed twice they were very poor. Adel did not have one of his better days. You cannot however judge a player or team just on seeing them for 90 minutes. After Leeds beat QPR they moved into second place behind Rangers.

I recall after that game Neil Warnock commented ' In the tunnel after the game the Leeds players acted like they had won the league already. Lets see where we all are at the end of the season.'

Prophetic words if you look at the league table now and where both teams are likely to finish up!

As far as falling over etc is concerned the modern game is very different to when Rodney Marsh and Francis Lee were falling in the box looking for penalties. Nowadays top coaches encourage players to go down if they are pulled or in any other way fouled. Players are taught to use the rules to their advantage and not to resist flying tackles by staying on their feet. Like it or not that is a part of modern day coaching and Adel is a modern day player. Attack minded players like Drogba, Taraabt and Fabregas are therefore allowed to express themselves without the fear of a Tommy Smith or Chopper Harris 'leg breaker'.

Finally, do not write QPR off as a small club or Premier League no hopers. Last week in The Telegraph football rich list it was made clear in their view that QPR owner Lakshmi Mittal is wealthier than Manchester City's Sheikh Mansour. Other reports such as magazine 4-4-2 say Sheikh Mansour is the richer, but the wealth is so great and the margins are so small it doesn't matter. Both have at least twice as much money as Chelsea's Abramovich.

QPR will win the Championship by more than the 11 points that Newcastle did last season and their owners will invest in the summer for their teams success next season. Adel Taraabt and QPR have a great Premier League future ahead of them whilst some of the former 'Premier League elite', Liverpool included might not have such a bright future.

With Manchester City's and QPR's wealth and ambition the tide just might be turning. That happens in football. The lower leagues are full of teams who were once the elite of the top tier!

What's going on at Tottenham & their reputation for exciting flair football? In the past year they've let Taarabt and Dos Santos go - two of the best young talents in European football!

I'm not a Spurs fan, but remember seeing Taarabt make a few sub appearances when he first signed & u could see he had some real class. I live in Mexico so see a lot of the national team games, and Dos Santos is always one of their most influential players, and had a great world cup.

Why have several managers at Spurs not been able to get the best out of these players - Warnock is showing that he's done what a manager is meant to do - Work to develop young players and get an effective performance out of them, not disregard them at 20 years of age!..............Major blunder Spurs! Those 2 are going to be big players and worth a lot of money to someone in the future.

It's interesting to see Warnock's attitude to Taarabt. Different to what you'd expect. Must say I'm impressed.

However...

Warnock's number one priority will be to keep Taarabt sweet so that they can hold on to him if/when they get into the PL. You can't survive in the PL without a creative player.

I've had a season ticket at Palace for over 10 years, and he is easily the best player that I've seen during the years we've spent in the second tier. If QPR don't stay up next season, he'll be off like a shot. A class player.

After years of watching us struggle through administration, relegation from the Premiership and a rudderless ship descent into League One, Adel Taraabt is a godsend. I am regularly frustrated by the fact that he doesnt pass the ball enough when others are in better goal scoring opportunities and will go on and try himself for a goal. His defensive talents are also questionable, which is why Warnock has Derry and Faurlin behind him. Yes, he is frustrating and volatile and you never know what he is gonna do next! But, he is the most exciting thing to happen to the club in a long long time and thats worth Warnock giving him free rein and not barraging him when he's having a sulk.

But the really great thing about Taraabt is that he has injected that little bit of magic into the club that has been missing since our days in the Prem when the closest thing we had to Taraabt was Trevor Sinclair, and I make this comparison very loosely as I feel Taraabt is much more creative than Big Trev as great as Trev was. After lacking so long a spark at Loftus road we now have a player that is quite literally "dangerous". Its because of this that other clubs have tried to man-mark him out of the game, and many clubs in the Championship actually fear him and what he is capable of.

I really hope his form and skill can take off and hit a new level if we go up this year. It'd be great if Akos Buszaky can get back to full fitness and be firing on all fronts too...what a pair they could make if they get up and running!

COME ON YOU R'S!!

Good, young talent but where is Danny Graham. Easily the best championship striker.

Excellent article- very well written and thoroughly enjoyable to read from a football fan's point of view.

Fantastic! Well done PF for an excellent blog, especially with Shaun Derry and Adel, two of our most important players this season. Next season, Prem or Championship, we will need Adel to produce double of the great hights he got us this year

36 ManUreSpecial: Doesn't matter whether Danny Graham is or isn't the best Championship striker. The award is for the best Championship PLAYER. And that's Adel Taarabt, by some distance.

Looking forward to repeating Jan 1, 1992 all over again next season.... :)

Taarabt's situation reminds me of Kevin Prince Boateng's at Spurs, where he just didn't seem to even come close to cutting it. But I saw him a lot at Portsmouth, where he was given the freedom to play and he was a different player. He has a good season at a struggling club, goes to the WC with Ghana and all of a sudden he's sitting at the top of Serie A with Milan.
I can see the same happening for Taarabt, and there were rumours in January that Fergie was interested. Not sure he's that good, but with a season in the Premiership looking certain, it will be interesting to see what happens...

Bit early, why don't they do these while the season is still in full swing?

This "bigger" club thing is a bothering me... QPR's management structure and owners although they've been fairly circumspect with their $'s are actually incredibly wealthy... from what i've read they match Man City in the depth of their coffers.

I think (or at least i hope) they continue their sensible approach if (when!) we go up... but equally i suspect there will be a an un-Blackpool like decision to spend to compete rather than sticking with the personnel already on the books.

Just a hunch.

Well deserved, excellent player!
Even at Tottenham i liked him, his style of play is very similar to Nani/Quaresma i think Neil has put him on the right path - its up to Taraabt now to push himself to become a football great.
Friend who is a Man city scout in south east tells me they are very interested up there! we will see..

I thought he was called Abdul? I'm sure one of the bloggers on here calls him Abdul. I think the award may have gone to the wrong person

as a blade it's obvious why warnock likes him..because he is like tony currie.. as for spurs .. they seem to be turning into a graveyard for talented players who then have to go somewhere else to resurrect their careers.. like kyle naughton and more amazingly kyle walker who is in the england squad but harry doesn't think he's as good as corluka..

Response to Glass Frazzle at 44

Steve Claridge made an error and referred to Adel Taraabt as 'Abdul Taraabt' on one of his video's. Some QPR fans refer to Adel as Abdul in humour as a result.

To herrera10 re 43 above - Man City appear to be interested in anyone who can kick a ball, so I wouldn't read too much into that. Any professional player who is playing well and scores goals is linked with someone. Nowadays that even applies to the big clubs i.e. Fabregas, Rooney, Gerrard and Kaka all all good examples of top players with big clubs linked with moves this season. The fact that Taraabt has had a good season will automatically mean the media and some fans will raise transfer speculation; this is always the case whether or not there is any foundation for the speculation.

I personally believe Taraabt being linked with Manchester United and Liverpool is complete nonsense. There is much more likelyhood that the reports about West Brom being interested are true, but why would QPR sell to them and why would Taraabt join West Brom as opposed to staying at QPR?

Taraabt is a natural footballer like many other great players - Okocha, Zidane etc. Good that Warnock has realised that there is no point coaching the talent out of him and turing him into a flat, hardworking english-like player. There is value in the magic..

Brilliant article, Ronaldo was very much the same at Man U in the early days, tended to take to many players on and didnt cross as well as later on in his career as he matured, he learnt to be more of a team player and benifitted himself and Man U by scoring and creating huge amounts of goals. Hopefully Adel will do the same as he matures!

Fletch, that one sentence sums him up perfectly; he is about so much more than stats...
and the Danny Graham advocates might bear that in mind.
The beauty of Adel isn't the number of goals or assists he has contributed (are we counting set pieces he's earned that have turned into goals?!) but the fact that QPR are now a team who can score a goal at any moment from any situation - and it is mostly down to Taarabt's genius. He makes creating and scoring goals look easy, and teams are terrified of facing him. The prospect of Taarabt, alongside a fully fit Routledge and Buzsaky is frightening, and that's before you even pick a centre-forward. There may not be Europe beckoning yet, but the existing R's squad could come close to winning 10-12 games in the Prem and get comfortable in the top tier again. Let's just hope the Mercurial Moroccan will stay for the ride.

We should never have let him go. He always looked like a great player when given the chance, but the problem is that youngsters don't seem to get the chances anymore.

There are how many ex-Man United players who are performing as soon as they are playing week in, week out (e.g. Shawcross, Welbeck), and its the same for us. We need to give kids like Adel a chance!

https://www.ilovetottenham.com

Never really liked Neil Warnock, but fair play to him.
What he has done with Adel represents a change in our old fashioned way of development of young players.
I have been told heart breaking accounts of phenomenally talented young players who have left football all together, and I quote from one ex-WBA player, "because I lost enjoyment in the game".
This seems to be the case at most clubs now. Whenever a talent arrives at the doors the first step is to re-position them without regards to where the player has and wants to be playing. This I witnessed with an old school mate of mine, Pablo Mills who was used at CB at Derby County when I always thought he was more of a CM player, which he is now succesfully showing at Crawley Town and previously at Rotherham.

The next step is to "drill them" in to the postions chosen for them until all the raw talent which initially caught the eye in the first place is filtered away.
I know this sounds harsh and constant drills are important, but the focus at clubs seems to be more in consistency and physical fitness rather than talent which is a mental part of a player.
I feel this is a big part of the reason why England are not performing as well as they should be at international level, but lets not open that can of worms.

As for the current structure, I dont think it should be disregarded because coaches are simply doing what they feel is necessary for a player to survive in english football, but dont then expect any lionel messis to be coming out of our academies and clubs.

So, I salute you Neil Warnock, for saving a career which could have gone to waste. I hope Adel repays the faith shown in him and drops the sulk, for the premier league is forever more an unforgiving place.

Good article.

I have been going to QPR since 1985 and Adel Taarabt is quite easily the most skilful player since Roy Wegerle or John Byrne.
The important factor regarding Adel is even when he is playing poorly, he attracts the attention of 2/3 players from the opposing team, thus creating space for Tommy Smith or Wayne Routledge.

Adel is an amazing talent and still ONLY 21..

By far and away the most outstanding player in this season's championship, and I expect him to carry this on into next seasons Premiership.

There are so many average sides in the EPL, the likes of FUlham, Wolves, Brum, WHU, Wigan, so Taarabt's real test will be against the defences of the likes of Man Utd, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool etc.

All credit to Neil Warnock in allowing Taarabt to play like he does. If more managers took this view with English talent the likes of Joe Cole etc, maybe England may have a player capable of the brilliance of Adel.

Bring on the Premiership 2011-2012!!!

Taarabt is a great player, much like hammill was for us (Barnsley) one moment of absolute class and brilliance can change a game, but like Taarabt defenders just stuck 2-3 guys on him...... which helped the team out enormously.
Adam Hammill may have given him abit more competition for POY if he didnt already move to PL.

@ Dukey - I have watched Adam Hammill numerous times since his early days at Liverpool to his Barnsley career, and whilst he blossomed at Barnsley and was a decent player; to even put him in the same breath as Taarabt is nonsense.

Hamill is a good old fashioned winger who can beat a man, cross a ball with both feet etc, with Adel Taarabt you are talking unrivaled ability on the ball, a touch and control of brilliance and capable of scoring world class goals.
He also assists with outrageous passes , rather than a good old cross, thus being a danger anywhere on the pitch.

There aren't many players like him...
I cannot stress the talent this guy has.

That's one of the big differences between the PL and the Championship. A PL club can't generally afford a player like Taarabt. He reminds me of Ginola or Ronaldo. You have to build the team around him and allow for his weaknesses just to explore his strengths.

If he can deliver the end product of those two against much tougher defences in the PL, then he can go places. Otherwise the only place he will be going will be Italy, where mercurial talents (Zidane, Veron etc) have the time on the ball to dazzle.

good comment on Joe Cole, above. He was one of the most talented players of any generation, but after repeated managers not understanding how to get the best out of him, forced him to stop doing tricks, and in to being a winger.

Can you imagine asking Ginola or Ronaldo to stop being Ginola or Ronaldo? It's what makes them burn, makes them enjoy playing, succeed.

Instead, Cole was forced into being more like a Gerrard or Lampard, neither of whom come close to having the same skill or guile, or awareness of a pass.

In recent memory, England have had just three truely prodigious creative talents that have made it through to top level football (and doubtless countless others blocked by the likes of the Warnock's backroom staff): Gascoigne, Cole and Rooney. Managers have broken two of them, just one to go.

Many managers (and failed exprofessionals now posing as backroom staff) should take a leaf out of Warnock's book on this. Wrap your talent in cotton wool, UNDERSTAND them, and spend some time working out how to get the best out of them (that's what managing is about, in any walk of life) not try to CHANGE them to fit you.

Fletch, that one sentence sums him up perfectly; he is about so much more than stats...
and the Danny Graham advocates might bear that in mind:-

DG has a phenomenal workrate something AT hast got, yes he's got more natural ability but DG has excellent positional play, is the leagues best finisher, plus many other atteibutes that make him feared. I'm not saying DG deserves the award but he should have nominated. Plus I would like to know how many assists DG has got this season. Great article

Having seen Taarabt play in 2 games against my beloved Norwich, I don't see why he's so special. He's excellent on his day, can play some fantastic football but he's way too inconsistent to make it at Premier League level. He often goes missing in the big games. Yes, he's a fantastic talent and is too good for many Championship sides but I don't think he deserves the award as much as Grant Holt or Scott Sinclair.

@ Rob wfc - Ask any championship fan one player they would want and it would be Adel Taarabt. Saying that, Graham is far better than Grant Holt, and I expect QPR to go in and take Graham next season, as he is a Warnock type player.

@ Timncfc " He often goes missing in big games" Hahaha what a load of tosh..

SO winners against Cardiff, totally destroying Swansea, 2 goals home to Reading, his own personal goal of the season competition... Is going missing in big games, right??

Grant Holt is a big lump who falls over to easily, no skill who heads a ball well, Danny Graham is a far superior player.

Taarabt would walk into any Championship side especially your side.

I still cant get over people bigging Grant Holt up.. Lol...

Anyway, we'll leave you to try winning the play offs which I fancy Reading to do BTW.

@jeffroQPR

Thats only if we don't go up ourselves!

As a Spurs fan, I have tracked Adel's English career with great interest. He still features often on Spurs forum boards with fans still taking diametrically opposed views:

1: States that we (Spurs) didn't do enough to support his undoubted talent.

2: States that, despite his undoubted talent, a team in the Premiership cannot carry a player in the way you have well described above and that his negative impact upon the dressing room (he may be a big star at QPR, but not with the Top 5-6 clubs) isn't worth the trcks, turns and twists.

He also had numerous games in the premiership and those tricks and turns more often led down blind allies, infuriating more senior players.

I wish him well at QPR and am intrigued to see if he can really cut the mustard in the Premiership but wouldn't swap him for any of the midfield players in the Spurs squad. VDV, Bale, Modric, Sandro, Lennon and Huddlestone are all a class above and Wilson Palacios and Jermaine Jenas add more to the team, even if they can't compete technically.

Probably not that he goes missing in the BIG games (a la Lampard), just the smaller ones. Maybe that will work out when every game in the PL is a bigger game, but will QPR have enough defensive strength to carry on carrying a flair player?

Who knows, but I hope so. Better to win 3-2 than hope to get a scrappy goal.

Has he played internationally yet? If not, can we get him an English passport ASAP (so he can be ruined by Capello)?

@ Genesis - Yes Adel is a full Morroccan international. A simply you tube search and you will see his skills on a world stage. He scored a goal against Camerooon I think in which he beat 5 players before slotting in from a tight angle.

@ 56.

Ah, the Joe Cole myth.

The problem is that Joe Cole was never that good.

He was built up as 'the next big star' because he was english and came through the West Ham academy. The new Gazza? He was never even the new McManaman. England had no one to play on the left hand side for a few years so he got games there and was suddenly hailed as our left wing saviour. Where was he when we needed to open Portugal up in those Euro 2004 and WC2006 quarter finals? He joined Chelsea at exactly the right time when they were buying a great team, and they haven't missed him one bit. Now he's being found out at Liverpool.

Joe Cole is one of the most overrated players this country has ever produced- if I hear one more person talking about his amazing tricks as a youngster at West Ham and how it was tragically coached out of him I'll scream. I like the bloke- he's a nice enough guy, a good pro, but never anywhere near as good as some sections of the media and some football fans have often claimed he was.

What's with all the Holt-bashing? He was rightly nominated probably because noone expected him to carry on his form from League 1 and be in the top 5/6 scorers in the Championship at this stage, with Norwich sitting in 2nd partly due to his influence
Holt has often been described as an 'old fashioned' centre forward, big target man who hassles defenders with his frame and grit, and i'm not complaining as long as he carries on doing what he does best

@ 56: That last sentence of yours should be cut out, framed and hung on the wall of every manager's office in the UK!
@ 32 & 46: Taarabt wasn't helped at Spurs by the fact that the club was struggling to build the management team to bring the success they craved (Jol too soft; Ramos couldn't communicate; great random Comolli buys, but not directed at building a balanced side). Also, as others have mentioned, talent has to be harnessed (not shackled) to team performance or it goes to waste in the PL. HR may have been precipitate in letting Taarabt go, but I think Bale has been a lesson for him - young players need to be playing to develop their game. Consequently, the club has effectively ditched the reserves squad system and strategically places its most promising talent out on loan. Walker has blossomed and will seriously challenge Corluka for, and probably take the RB spot next season (bye, bye Hutton). Giovani is on loan in Spain and the club is keeping tabs on him. I too think he's a prodigious talent that the club must groom for the future. Shame taarabt didn't benefit from the same level of attention and opportunities while he was there.

Holt is a good player, strong, good in the air and deadly in front of goal. Probally not as naturally gifted as Graham but still a good player nonetheless.

Tarb is something completely different, its hard to draw comparisons to other players as im not sure he has any. Possibly Ronaldo but he was more of a winger. Tarbs lack of electric pace will probally mean when he does fully mature in a couple of years and develops his game a bit more then im sure he will drop into centre midfield as a playmaker in the Zidane mould.

Anyone disbelieving Taarabt's vision need only google the 2nd goal in Qpr's 2-1 at home to Coventry. Truly world class.

It's bizarre that fans of other teams (Norwich and Leeds) should suggest that he's not that great a player because he happened to not play particularly well in the game against their team. I saw Grant Holt play at Loftus Road and he did pretty much nothing all game. This doesn't mean that he's not a good player and I'm sure he's been consistently good all season.
Taarabt is allowed to be player of the season and have a couple of off games.

@ GenesisRed. He plays regularly for Morrocco unfortunately.

To say that Taarabt has been far the best player in the championship is just a joke. Sinclair has been as good if not better than him for large parts of the season and he doesn't need to have a team moulded around him! Like Taarabt he always has two players marking him and also could have his own goal of the season collection.

@jontheswan - After what he did to you at Loftus road???.. Im very suprised you have the nerve to come on here and say that.. Why dont you ask Marc Allen what he though just after Adel mugged him off , put the ball between his legs, before bending the ball in from 25 yards...

Sinclair good player but nowhere near Taarabt's level - Hence Adel winning POTY..

JeffroQPR - Does anyone know who Marc Allen?I know of a welsh midfielder named Joe Allen but thats it!Not sure if i can take you seriously after that blunder. No doubting that was a great goal but i could go on and say look at Sinclair beating 5 players on sat and we would be here all day comparing. I never said he didn't deserve it but i don't think there is that much between them.

This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.

@65, Vox, i don't get what you don't see. But then, not everyone agrees about Taarabt either. They didn't about Ginola either.

"He was built up as 'the next big star' because he was english and came through the West Ham academy. The new Gazza? He was never even the new McManaman. England had no one to play on the left hand side for a few years so he got games there and was suddenly hailed as our left wing saviour. Where was he when we needed to open Portugal up in those Euro 2004 and WC2006 quarter finals? He joined Chelsea at exactly the right time when they were buying a great team, and they haven't missed him one bit. Now he's being found out at Liverpool."

He wasn't a winger. He isn't a winger. He hasn't got the pace or the left foot to play on the left. He was merely one of a number of players who Lampard's bulky but fairly unimpressive (for England at least) presence has shoved out of position to the "problem" left wing role.

You can call him overrated, but the same would have been said about Taarabt had he not had his chance in a team built around him. The English league is a burial ground of potentially glittering flair-player careers.

For some surprising reason, this one at least has found a place with a manager who is maybe making a late push for a shot at the England job (god knows he couldn't do worse)!

As far as having been found out at Liverpool, Cole was allowed on a free having been injured at Chelsea and with the manager wanting to make his own mark on the team. He probably can't offer what he once could, but in his day Cole was a huge talent, whatever you say. Mourinho ground away the final bit of flair left, and stuck him on the wing rather than down the centre, because he didn't truck with giving a flair player the space to play.

Was Robben overrated too? He just refused to buckle and lose himself to Mourinho's will.

Well done to Adel, he has been in fine form this season.

But, to those QPR fans claiming that Graham, Holt etc didn't deserve a look-in, that is where you are wrong. Every player does different things well. The main reason Adel is being criticised here is that for such an amazing player, he often doesn't live up to the hype. When we (Watford) travelled to Loftus Road, Adel barely turned up. In fact, he was subbed off after half time at a time when Watford were 3-0 up and not letting him play. Guess who had scored two of the goals? Danny Graham, the never-ceasing, always fighting for the team, player who never puts himself above the team.

So, yes, we can call Adel "mercurial" and "world class" all we want. But we can only do that when he actually warrants it. At the moment, he doesn't.

Sinclair should have won.

Taraabt's a muppet!

Watched him in Spurs reserves - - the bloke is the epitome of 'fancy-dan' play with no idea of teamwork or team-spirit - - I saw seasoned Prem players lose their rag with him & he paid not a blind bit of notice cos he thought he knew better.

Waste of space.

Warnock should sell him this summer to some Italian or Spanish Club with money to burn.
With the proceeds then buy a couple of really reliable, out-&-out, good quality Prem players.
He should also plan for a rapid QPR departure back to the Championship.

Thanks for the reply Paul. For what its worth (zero), I think you're the best writer on here but I find no fun in agreement and praise as I am a petty man. I agree the word 'mercurial' probably applies to Taraabt more than most, just a shame its been done to death with those less worthy.

For anyone interested apparently you're not allowed to say 'two fat ladies' for 88 in Bingo any more, it has to be 'two round people'.

Adel is certainly the best in the division this season a true rangers no. ......... 10 ..... but Bowles, Marsh, Stainrod (have you forgotten), Currie, Goddard, Byrne, Wegerle were also there or thereabouts, but I don't know how much longer he will be with us for... we shall see, I bank more on guys like Faurlin (hoping that he doesn't get us docked any points) for next season although I obviously hope that Adel will stay with us.

Yes a talent but not a "real" footballer in my book - I guess that's what Sean Derry is trying to say.. when QPR came to Hull they cemented their nickname the "Drama Queens" (previously awarded by the tiger nation) in folklore as Tabby had a face on big time, acting all stroppy and wanting to come off just because he felt Andy Dawsons tackle.. hey Adel, grow up and you might become a real player, in my book at the moment you're a circus act..

Taraabt COULD become a genuinely top-class player BUT he needs to sort his attitude out. Granted he's only 21 but Christiano Ronaldo, Leo Messi and plenty of others had already established their credentials as WORLD CLASS by that age so Taraabt's preening isn't yet justified, as he is currently a very good championship player but nothing more.

It's always exciting watching a player that can dribble past opponents, that can twist and turn through defences and that's prepared to improvise so I genuinely hope that he does manage to make the most of his talents.

I watched him play against Palace. He was brilliant. It's a simple game plan for QPR: win the ball back and pass it to Taarabt. I can see him enjoying the Premier League but they will need to buy at least 8 new players, including a new back four, or they will get thumped every week

74. At 16:53pm on 22nd Mar 2011, GenesisRed wrote:
@65, Vox, i don't get what you don't see. But then, not everyone agrees about Taarabt either. They didn't about Ginola either.

Mourinho ground away the final bit of flair left, and stuck him on the wing rather than down the centre, because he didn't truck with giving a flair player the space to play.

Was Robben overrated too? He just refused to buckle and lose himself to Mourinho's will.

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I'll make it simple. Joe Cole is not, and never was, in the class of Ginola, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi or any other world class player you care to name. Taraabt is a class apart in the Championship but lets see if QPR can give him that kind of freedom in the Prem and if he can do it against tighter defences.

Also you seem to be of the opinion that Mourinho grinds away flair from players. Um...who is Cristiano Ronaldo's current coach? Um...who brought the best out of Deco? Wesley Sneijder?

If Joe Cole was as good as these players, Mourinho would have built a team round him. He wasn't/isn't, and Mourinho didn't. Even if you are a 'flair' type player you need to be of the necessary class. You can try things, but if you lose the ball more than you can keep it and if you don't create or score enough goals, then you're not good enough at what you're doing. Zidane was a flair player, but when he was at his best he hardly gave the ball away.

Mourinho lost faith in Robben because he was injury prone and inconsistent, as Bayern Munich have found out.

Having seen Taarabt play in 2 games against my beloved Norwich, I don't see why he's so special. He's excellent on his day, can play some fantastic football but he's way too inconsistent to make it at Premier League level. He often goes missing in the big games. Yes, he's a fantastic talent and is too good for many Championship sides but I don't think he deserves the award as much as Grant Holt or Scott Sinclair.

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A Few years ago I remember reading something similar, it went something like this


Having seen Ronaldo play in x games against my beloved , I don't see why he's so special. He's excellent on his day, can play some fantastic football but he's way too inconsistent to make it at a world class level. He often goes missing in the big games. Yes, he's a fantastic talent and is too good for many Premiership sides but I don't think he deserves the award as much as or .



I am not saying he is as good as Ronaldo, but all the criticism's in your post have been used against someone who is now considered one of the worlds best.

Having seen Taarabt play in 2 games against my beloved Norwich, I don't see why he's so special. He's excellent on his day, can play some fantastic football but he's way too inconsistent to make it at Premier League level. He often goes missing in the big games.

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Taarabt's best 3 games this season (in order):

Swansea (H) Scored 2, made one, terrorised Swans for 90 mins.
Forest (A) Magnificent performance, only an inspire Lee Camp stopped an adel hattrick.
Cardiff (H) Fantastic winner when the game was in the balance, a threat throughout.

Good shout with the 'missing in big games' comment tho. ;)

Always risky building a whole team around one player. Lose that player (through injury or through cheque books from bigger clubs) and what do you do then?

@85

We've built the team around him, but as many others have found, during the season, we are far from a one-man team. Something that Donnie found at the weekend.

He has already said that he will be staying with us for the first season in the Prem (If we DO get there) and I'm pretty sure he means that, at the moment.

sounds like another nani

Very good article.

I've never seen the guy play, but he sounds like Maradona... Only better, so I'm looking forward to seeing him in the PL next season.

Top article.

Footballs a team game, and while Tarrabt can bask in the personal glory, youre only as good as the players around you.

Tarabat as Warnock calls him, divides opinion not just on here, but with the QPR fans, his own team mates, and those that have managed him (judging by the 47 managers QPR have had over the previous 18 months when he initially joined on loan).

There is no doubt he is a talented footballer, there are not many 21 year olds in the English game even in the Premier League, who can score, create, have you drooling one minute, and tearing your hair out the next, but he has undoubtedly made big strides in the last 2 seasons.

Big praise to Neil Warnock for encouraging him to play his football, build a team around him, because without him, QPR would be somewhere in the top 10, and not 9 points clear at the top. He´s flourisHed because of the players around him, whatever people may say about QPR, 4 defeats in 38 games, 25 goals conceeded or something like that, is one hell of an achievement.

While praising Warnock for bringing Tarrabt to the club, Warnock also brought in Kyle Walker, going nowhere in Spurs 3rd reserve team, whose form when at QPR, earned him an England call up, and Jamie Mackie, who went from relegation with Plymouth to the 3rd tier of english football, to being one of the most sought after properties in the championship and an international, pre injury curtailed his season, while salvaging and enhancing Paddy Kennys career.

Hopefully Tarrabt will see he´s better off staying with the superhoops certainly for one more season should as looks likely, promotion to the premier league be sealed soon. At this stage he would be no more than a squad player at a top club if they are interested, and I cant see many managers taking him and his baggage on, just yet.

He´s created up to 20 goals and scored 15 this season. If he had passed the ball to team mates in better scoring positions 70 per cent of the time, he´d have 30 goals and made 50 ! But to be honest, call me old fashioned, I like to be entertained and if he wants to nutmeg 2 defenders 3 times and then do it a 4th time before releasing the ball then I´ll live with the memories.

Suprised like some others Danny Graham wasn´t in the frame, and those nominated bring different qualities to the table. Sinclair, it´s taken him a long time to find a club that suits him, while Holt has been a thorn in many defences this season. (One year left on his contract......hmmmm........swap him for Rob Hulse ? anyone ?).

I may be biased, but this fella tarbuck, is a scorer of goals, provider, and an entertainer. On his off days, of which there haven´t been that many this season (mostly away from home mind), he can still make a difference in a second.

Adel we salute you,and will enjoy whatever time you have left with the club.

Great article Paul. I have no doubt Taarabt can become one of the best players in the world in the near future. He has so much ability!! He´s so entertaining to watch on his day. He reminds me of how Cristiano Ronaldo was when he first arrived at United. For anyone who doesnt believe just how good Taarabt is, just youtube him. PURE CLASS!!!!

cONCERNNING jUAN DE rAMOS ,that he did not even give him a squad numbe
ISAN SPANISH coach and spanish hate Moroccan PLAYER .

we can see how many Moroccan plays in Spain?? ZERO..

@79 Tigercity

That is one game you have seen him at. He has far more great games than just average. Even when he has an average game he is still ft too good for most Championship opposition. There is not one player in the Hull squad who comes anywhere near him.

'Mercurial'!

More like 'misguided' over-inflated opinion of his own talent and bone idle at times.

Watched him at Spurs a few times - - he drove fellow players, fans & managers barmy with his mood-swings - - of course he may have changed/matured, but the Prem will find him out very quickly.

I remember a chap called Graeme Souness had the same problem at Spurs when he was 17.They wouldnt play him,but played guys of lesser talent.So he left & went to Middlesbourgh.He became one of the best players in the world & won everything with Liverpool.Not maybe the same type of player as Taarabt,but he knew he had the talent to play with the best.