Team Focus: Wheeler Dealer Redknapp Needs Alternatives to Austin Up Front
Harry Redknapp doesn't think of himself as a wheeler dealer, he's a football manager. At least that is what he exclaimed in an expletive-filled retort to Sky Sports' Rob Palmer at the back-end of the 2010 summer transfer window, when asked if he would be delving into the market to improve his Tottenham side that had just lost 1-0 at home to lowly Wigan. Now, having guided Queens Park Rangers back into the big-time, it might be time for 'Arry to rediscover his wheeling-and-dealing skills, in real need of strengthening his squad ahead of a new season that begins in less than 4 weeks.
Redknapp has perhaps previously shown best how much business can be completed in that sort of timeframe, but having only brought in veteran defender Rio Ferdinand on a free, he really does need to make the most of this time to bring in reinforcements. Reports would have you believe that the west London club are on the verge of completing a deal for Steven Caulker from Cardiff, adding some much-needed youth in defence alongside Ferdinand, 35-year-old Clint Hill and 34-year-old Richard Dunne, but the sheer defensive numbers in the R's squad are somewhat staggering, particularly when placed against the wafer-thin forward ranks.
Andrew Johnson has been released, Kevin Doyle and Modibo Maiga have returned to their parent clubs, Javier Chevantón is back in Uruguay after making only 2 league appearances for the Hoops, while ageing playoff hero Bobby Zamora has been handed a 1-year extension. It would have been fantastic to have Loïc Remy back at the club, but the Frenchman understandably looks to have his heart set on a move to Liverpool rather than remaining at Loftus Road, which he probably always thought of as something of a stepping stone in his career.
If - or more like when - his transfer is complete, Redknapp will be left with only one recognised forward in his squad; last season's top scorer Charlie Austin. Austin led the club's charts last season with 19 goals in 34 Championship appearances and many fans will be excited to see how he gets on in the top flight, having done so well in England's second tier for the past 3 years. The fact that all of those aforementioned forwards have now left the club may be of little consequence, though, with Austin the only player to make it over 6 goals in their 49-game Championship season (including playoffs).
In fact, midfielder Ravel Morrison, on-loan from West Ham for only the second half of the season, was QPR's second-highest goalscorer with only 6 goals. Zamora's 90th-minute winner against Derby at Wembley was only his 4th of the season. Junior Hoilett, supposedly a transfer target only two summers ago for Spurs and Arsenal, hit just 4 goals in 38 league appearances. The club had 20 different goalscorers, but were promoted with the 12th-best scoring record in the Championship last season. The ages of their defenders gives the best indication as to why Redknapp has set straight out to strengthen in defence (although Ferdinand's age confuses matters somewhat), but nonetheless, surely adding to their attacking ranks should be the priority.
A shoulder injury suffered at the tail-end of January put Austin out for a significant chunk of the season, and without a backup of sufficient quality the club suffered terribly. They won none of their next 5 Championship games. Within a month they had dropped from second in the table to fourth and were suddenly 17 points off top spot. Over the course of the campaign, they won 64.5% of the 31 games that Austin started, scoring an average of 1.45 goals per game, while winning just 27.8% of the 18 games that he missed, netting just 1 goal per game. There was a fluidity and guile lacking going forwards when Austin was missing, and without his sharp finishing they were left blunt at the point of their attack. His importance to the team could scarcely be more glaringly obvious.
And yet, Ferdinand remains their only signing of the summer so far. Caulker will be a great addition to the squad if that deal does go through but fans will surely be crying out for their club, for whom funding transfers is hardly a problem, to finally bring in an alternative up front to star man Austin.
Where Redknapp is involved, however, you can be sure that something will be done about the dearth of striking options at Loftus Road. The worry for the fans will be the previous big-money flops that have gone through the revolving doors at Loftus Road during Redknapp's tenure and previously. Christopher Samba's £12.5m move to QPR ended in failure and the club's relegation to the Championship; fans won't want a repeat of that.
However, money needs to be spent in attack and soon. Austin was, as the only real option in attack last season, only just sufficient to fire the team to the promotion that their significant wage bill almost required. This season survival has to be the aim, and with no alternative to Austin brought in soon through Redknapp's wheeling and dealing, that will become extremely difficult to achieve.
Who do you think Redknapp should look to bring in to Loftus Road? Let us know in the comments below
