Post by QPR Report on Jan 28, 2010 13:35:24 GMT
Routledge is no Buzsaky
QPR
by David McIntyre - BBC Sport (U1628513) 26 January 2010
Judging by some of the reaction to Wayne Routledge’s move, QPR fans would have broken the internet had it existed the day Rodney Marsh was sold.
Routledge is no Marsh of course. And he is no Roy Wegerle, whose sale to Blackburn left me as inconsolable as some Rangers supporters seem to be today.
More importantly, he is no Akos Buzsaky. And that’s the biggest reason I think the angst at his departure is misplaced.
I don’t know how much Newcastle paid to steal Routledge from under the noses of Middlesbrough, who expected to sign him today.
But I do know that if they at least matched Boro’s offer, which they surely did, then Rangers will bank at least £1m and probably around £2m.
In this era of undisclosed fees and misleading rumours filtering out of Loftus Road, the likes of Dan Shittu, Lee Cook, Dexter Blackstock and others are regularly said to have been sold for significantly more than they were.
But in the case of Routledge, Rangers really will bank around £2m and can justifiably claim to have secured an excellent deal for the club.
No doubt they will now be thinking of a response to try and appease the fans.
Well, if Rangers made a habit of making such a good profit in the transfer market, the club would be in a far better state and the fans wouldn’t need to be appeased.
In my opinion, Routledge is no more than a very good Championship player - as his spells with a number of Premier League clubs underlined.
Anywhere near the £2m mark is a good price for someone of that standard.
Of the many players Rangers have signed with their millions, Buzsaky is the only one with genuine top-drawer ability who could play at a higher level and would be impossible to replace.
Buzsaky, a much better player in my view, can simply slot in to replace Routledge on the right flank.
With the likes of Hogan Ephraim and Angelo Balanta also in the squad, there is no urgent need to replace Routledge and his sale was more than justified – not least because he wanted to go.
If Buzsaky is sold, then it really will be time to despair of the club and the failure of its owners.
Routledge did well and moved for a good price at a good time seeing as Rangers are, to some extent, having to rebuild after creating an expensively-assembled squad which will only take them so far.
That this rebuilding job is required only two-and-a-half years after a major takeover, and after a multitude of player transactions, is a more damning indictment of the regime than the sale of one player.
Routledge is an exception to the rule. Too often, Rangers’ transfer dealings have involved an appalling waste of money.
The fact they are now trying to offload the likes of Fitz Hall, Patrick Agyemang, Matteo Alberti and the unfortunate Rowan Vine is proof of this.
They have this week managed to get rid of Agyemang, who has joined Bristol City on loan with the prospect of a £450,000 permanent move if he impresses.
Alberti, who agreed a four-year contract when he was signed in 2008, is also on his way out.
So, some progress is being made in terms of reshaping the squad.
Whether it means Rangers will finally start to build sensibly remains to be seen.
Cutting their losses is all well and good, but means nothing if another batch of bad signings arrive.
A bid has already gone in for Ipswich striker Tamas Priskin, who has failed to impress since being signed from Watford for big money in the summer.
Rangers are interested in signing the Hungarian – an international team-mate of Buzsaky – on loan with a view to a permanent move.
A number of other players have been lined up, although in QPR Land the same can be said every week.
Half of Routledge’s transfer fee should be more than enough to vastly improve any Championship team.
Sadly, QPR have needed tens of millions just to go from being a bottom team to a mid-table one. This might be why many fans seem to think vast sums of money must be spent for the club to move forward.
For some time I’ve believed the best thing Rangers could do would be to put the chequebook away and stop making signing after signing in an attempt to somehow get it right.
They should put the Routledge cash away, and not throw money at the likes of Dave Kitson to try and clinch a signing to pacify fans unhappy at Routledge's exit.
They should ride out the storm until the end of another season in which supporters were duped into believing promotion was a realstic possibility.
Install a proper manager with a sound backroom and scouting team in the summer.
Only then should that chequebook reappear.
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A62394348
QPR
by David McIntyre - BBC Sport (U1628513) 26 January 2010
Judging by some of the reaction to Wayne Routledge’s move, QPR fans would have broken the internet had it existed the day Rodney Marsh was sold.
Routledge is no Marsh of course. And he is no Roy Wegerle, whose sale to Blackburn left me as inconsolable as some Rangers supporters seem to be today.
More importantly, he is no Akos Buzsaky. And that’s the biggest reason I think the angst at his departure is misplaced.
I don’t know how much Newcastle paid to steal Routledge from under the noses of Middlesbrough, who expected to sign him today.
But I do know that if they at least matched Boro’s offer, which they surely did, then Rangers will bank at least £1m and probably around £2m.
In this era of undisclosed fees and misleading rumours filtering out of Loftus Road, the likes of Dan Shittu, Lee Cook, Dexter Blackstock and others are regularly said to have been sold for significantly more than they were.
But in the case of Routledge, Rangers really will bank around £2m and can justifiably claim to have secured an excellent deal for the club.
No doubt they will now be thinking of a response to try and appease the fans.
Well, if Rangers made a habit of making such a good profit in the transfer market, the club would be in a far better state and the fans wouldn’t need to be appeased.
In my opinion, Routledge is no more than a very good Championship player - as his spells with a number of Premier League clubs underlined.
Anywhere near the £2m mark is a good price for someone of that standard.
Of the many players Rangers have signed with their millions, Buzsaky is the only one with genuine top-drawer ability who could play at a higher level and would be impossible to replace.
Buzsaky, a much better player in my view, can simply slot in to replace Routledge on the right flank.
With the likes of Hogan Ephraim and Angelo Balanta also in the squad, there is no urgent need to replace Routledge and his sale was more than justified – not least because he wanted to go.
If Buzsaky is sold, then it really will be time to despair of the club and the failure of its owners.
Routledge did well and moved for a good price at a good time seeing as Rangers are, to some extent, having to rebuild after creating an expensively-assembled squad which will only take them so far.
That this rebuilding job is required only two-and-a-half years after a major takeover, and after a multitude of player transactions, is a more damning indictment of the regime than the sale of one player.
Routledge is an exception to the rule. Too often, Rangers’ transfer dealings have involved an appalling waste of money.
The fact they are now trying to offload the likes of Fitz Hall, Patrick Agyemang, Matteo Alberti and the unfortunate Rowan Vine is proof of this.
They have this week managed to get rid of Agyemang, who has joined Bristol City on loan with the prospect of a £450,000 permanent move if he impresses.
Alberti, who agreed a four-year contract when he was signed in 2008, is also on his way out.
So, some progress is being made in terms of reshaping the squad.
Whether it means Rangers will finally start to build sensibly remains to be seen.
Cutting their losses is all well and good, but means nothing if another batch of bad signings arrive.
A bid has already gone in for Ipswich striker Tamas Priskin, who has failed to impress since being signed from Watford for big money in the summer.
Rangers are interested in signing the Hungarian – an international team-mate of Buzsaky – on loan with a view to a permanent move.
A number of other players have been lined up, although in QPR Land the same can be said every week.
Half of Routledge’s transfer fee should be more than enough to vastly improve any Championship team.
Sadly, QPR have needed tens of millions just to go from being a bottom team to a mid-table one. This might be why many fans seem to think vast sums of money must be spent for the club to move forward.
For some time I’ve believed the best thing Rangers could do would be to put the chequebook away and stop making signing after signing in an attempt to somehow get it right.
They should put the Routledge cash away, and not throw money at the likes of Dave Kitson to try and clinch a signing to pacify fans unhappy at Routledge's exit.
They should ride out the storm until the end of another season in which supporters were duped into believing promotion was a realstic possibility.
Install a proper manager with a sound backroom and scouting team in the summer.
Only then should that chequebook reappear.
www.bbc.co.uk/dna/606/A62394348
