Jose Bosingwa was handed the perfect opportunity against Manchester United to prove he isn’t just another mercenary footballer.
Instead he underlined exactly why he has become so unpopular among QPR fans.
His performance was, in many ways, respectable enough.
But he doesn’t look anywhere near the player who made overlapping runs for Porto and Portugal in his prime.
“He’s trained hard and is showing the right attitude again. There’s no question he can play.” – QPR boss Harry Redknapp on Bosingwa.
And then on 80 minutes, he confirmed what I and others have been thinking since he signed: he is not fit to wear the shirt.
He completely bottled a 50/50 tackle with Danny Welbeck in the build-up to Ryan Giggs’ late clincher.
Bosingwa’s body language after the goal – head down and avoiding all eye contact with his team-mates – suggested he knew he could have prevented it.
Instead he dangled his toe like Natalie Portman in Black Swan, with none of the beauty and grace.
For the next 10 minutes he appeared to do his best to avoid getting too involved.
And it was made clear to him, in very colourful language, by fans below me in the commentary box above the Ellerslie Road stand, that his feeble attempt to stop the goal wasn’t acceptable.
If QPR want to stay up – and I can’t see how a side so clearly lacking in real unity are going to pick up the wins needed – then Mr Bosingwa needs to be kept away from the first team.
I’d rather bring young Michael Harriman back from his loan spell with Wycombe than see Bosingwa in a hooped shirt again.
Harriman hasn’t won the Champions League or played in major international tournaments, but he has what Bosingwa is so clearly lacking – the ability and desire to fight and scrap for every ball.
What Rangers also desperately need is a Roy Keane-like figure to make it clear to the likes of Bosingwa that shirking is unacceptable. Leadership is sorely lacking.
The ‘project’ first put forward under Briatore and Ecclestone and continued by Tony Fernandes is slowly turning into a bad case of the dog eating the homework.
It’s gone horribly wrong this season but then like anything in life, if the foundation isn’t right it will collapse at some stage.
And Bosingwa and his attitude go a long way to explaining why Loftus Road is such a sombre place for R’s fans at the moment.
Rob Brennan is a commentator for blind and partially sighted supporters at QPR home matches and a columnist for The Irish Post.
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This post was last modified on 25/02/2013
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Ole, I like your positivity, you could do with bottling it and then showering the QPR dressing room with it, at times they look a beaten bunch who don't fancy the scrap to stay in the league this season.
Junior, you're right. Newcastle at least have a clear transfer policy - RAID FRANCE! It's working.
They will stay up and will continue to build. You can bet they will invest again in the summer, having not done so much business last summer which meant Mike Ashley had to reach for the cheque book again in January.
Some terrible deals were done at Loftus Road in the summer, the best players in the world work hard, Messi, Ronaldo, Xavi, Iniesta, Bale etc - what makes Taraabt, Traore and Bosingwa think they don't have to work so hard?
Ryan Giggs showed on Saturday what being a professional footballer is about. At 39 he ran that midfield.
Got to say but yes Bosingwa may not have shown any heart for the fight, but sadly QPR seem to buy a lot of players that don't have hunger and for most of them buys they have been players that have been surplus to requirements at other teams. That makes me think that maybe they did just come for the money. Even Remy was'nt having a great season at his club before signing.They would have been better off investing in a few of those french players that are up at Newcastle at the minute who are showing real hunger.
I see your points about Jose B and others in the QPR squad. To me it seems to me you are all preparing for Championship next season. There are still 11 games to go, and if we start winning games it can still be turned around. Problem is that Reading, Wigan, Villa and Southamton play better than us at the moment, so you might be right. I find our situation quite hopeless, but theoretical it is still possible. Among my 11 favorittes you do not find Bosvinga & Traore. I would prefere Ned and Fabio. Taarabt should only play if he are willing to play the ball to others than striking from 35 meters 10 meters wide. Remy, Hoilett and Zamora could change this around. Keep fait !!!!
Also Neil, I agree, the ingredients required to make a group of players into a team, rather than a bunch of individuals are sadly lacking.
Thanks for all the comments, glad the piece has sparked some strong opinions.
Richard, I can't defend a player who doesn't give the impression that he cares whether QPR are a Premier League team next season, or not. He did ok against United, but when ball and man needed to be played in the situation with Wellbeck, he had no conviction in his tackle. I think it illustrated his attitufe since signing his £65k a-week deal.
I didn't see him rushing back to the net to get the ball out and show some desire to at least get a consolation. He is being paid a massive salary and it was little surprise to me that he took an earful after his part in the Wellbeck incident from a section of supporters.
Steve, I agree the touch from Jenas certainly contributed to the 2nd goal but United had the length of the pitch to go before Giggs killed the game. You can point at others, but Bosingwa, if he had any real desire to win that 50/50 with Wellbeck could have started to win over some fans if he'd have just thrown everything into the tackle in the manner that Clint Hill does, but he was like a young schoolboy who didn't want to get his shorts dirty.
G - A, Jon and Westberks gald you enjoyed the piece, appreciate the feedback.
I'm no fan of Bosingwa but find this article a bit harsh.
If anyone was to blame for Giggs' goal, it was Clint Hill. He was the one who was looking for a non-existent offside when he was the player playing Giggs onside in the first place. A case can be made for Jenas copping the flack as well, as Steve has already pointed out!
I Thought Bosingwa did OK, certainly a million miles better that the sad thing that is pretending to be our left back, Mr Traore.
Surely it was Jenas that was responsible for the second goal ?, his shocking "touch" outside the Man United box gifted them possession which led to the Giggs goal.
Anyone who thinks we can stay up needs their heads testing, I reckon we'll capitulate long before the end of the season as well.
Any team that gives super mercenary contracts to the likes of Anton Ferdinand & Shaun Wright Phillips etc whilst simultaneously treating the people that got us here in the first place like dirt deserves everything they get & that's exactly how it has panned out, as big a case of sporting karma as one could imagine, an absolute abomination of a season.
We have had no luck,no guts(from many top earners),no guile,no cohesion,and if we dont sort it immediately,no chance of staying up.itreally hurts to say this but championship here we come
hope that Ned returns at the weekend. Gives 100% and at the moment that is the only thing we can hope for. That unibrowed shirker will never fight for the ball.
Others may make mistakes or have questionable ability, but a lack of heart and effort is unforgiveable in our situation.
well done Rob on saying what most of us already think.
Not harsh at all Richard, it showed how much his heart is in it, you want him next to you in the trenches would you!
A good piece Rob. Love the headline.