uRRRs blogI Can't Help Faurlin in Love with You... |
Posted: April 2nd 2010
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The ‘story’ from Neil Warnock’s first game down W12 way was how the new man at the helm had inspired his latest charges to victory over the mighty Baggies barely 48 hours after taking charge of his first training session (though for me the real story of the day was how a team as bereft of ideas as Albion could be all but nailed on for automatic promotion – what’s that say about the rest of us?).
Overcoming the less mighty Plymouth three days later was again billed as a case of ‘Warnock inspires...’ (more importantly - what are Paul Mariner’s specs all about?)...the draw at Bramall Lane inevitably focussed on Colin’s return to his old stamping ground, likewise Paulo Sousa’s return to Loftus Road the following week with Swansea. Sandwiched inbetween, it was the ref that stole the headlines at the clash of the (ahem) hooped titans at the Madjeski; and a QPR vs Derby match inevitably saw much talk of the contrasting styles of the two managers.
Onto Warnock’s seventh game in charge, a comeback draw that really should’ve been a win at Deepdale, with Spurs loanee and most immodest footballer on the planet Adel Taarabt stealing the show and then some.
So in each case, the media collective found an angle, and doggedly stuck with it...and in each case the angle was somewhat predictable. For me, there’s been another story, and it’s one I’m quite glad the press pack is overlooking, as that suits Rangers just fine...it’s the outstanding form of our Argentinean midfielder Alejandro Faurlin.
Faurlin arrived from Argentina’s second tier in the summer in “a deal worth £3.5 million” (copyright qpr.co.uk). Our board was keen to show that it was prepared to dip its hand in its very well-endowed pocket...but we ain’t dumb, we can spot the difference between “a deal worth” and “a transfer fee of”. Having said that, even deducting signing on fees, future payments that may or more likely may not be triggered, wages and the rest – it still seemed risky to spend what was probably not far short of a seven figure sum on an unknown youngster from several thousand miles away.
In 2008/9 we had bought or loaned in no less than 4 “highly promising youngsters” from more glamorous climes, but our supposed CCC version of the ‘Arsenal way’ proved to be somewhat more haphazard than Arsene & co’s meticulous system. 2 of the 4 were home for Christmas, the third disappeared without fanfare at the season’s end, and the fourth (the only permanent signing) is currently missing presumed rotting in the reserves.
Fans desperate to convince themselves that this wasn’t more of the same (only worse as it involved a significant fee rather than a loan arrangement) argued that this was the manager’s signing rather than that of an interfering board. Messrs Magilton & Gorman had picked up another promising Argentinean whilst at Ipswich, so the reasoning went that Alejandro simply must have been spotted on the same trip.
Faurlin was, quite rightly, eased into first team action, but after an impressive performance in the Carling Cup at Stamford Bridge (epitomised by one exquisite 40 yard pass played first time whilst turning 180 degrees), injury to skipper Martin Rowlands and Prem loanee Ben Watson’s propensity for getting suspended saw Faurlin alongside CCC stalwart Gavin Mahon as the ‘2’ in a free-form 4-2-3-1 formation that took the division by storm in October.
Since then chaos has been order of the day at the Bush...but whilst others have blatantly hidden behind this mask of convenience, Faurlin has continued to shine, to develop weekly in front of our very eyes, to belie his tender years and relatively recent move to a new continent (never mind new club & country)...and in short, he looks a shoe-in for Player of the Year.
With a great range of passing (both short and long, rarely wasted), a willingness to tackle hard and track back, the ability always to keep the ball moving whilst retaining possession for his side, and above-average heading ability for a midfielder, Faurlin only needs to add a few goals to his game to be the complete midfield package...and when he does get that first goal, the roof will come off Loftus Road.
For all my misgivings about his appointment (which I still hold despite the expected crawl back up the table his arrival has fast forwarded), I fancied immediately that Faurlin may prove a Warnock type of player, and so it seems, with the youngster not missing a minute’s football in March’s seven fixtures. The mix of bite and guile that he provides could yet set a blueprint by which QPR’s traditional ball-playing style and Warnock’s frills-free football can blossom hand-in-hand. And he tops it all off with a superb mullet.