Livid Redknapp says reports of Dubai booze-up are a ‘fabrication’

Harry Redknapp has angrily denied reports of player unrest at QPR and insisted the squad are united in their bid to avoid relegation.

It was suggested that the club’s recent training camp in Dubai descended into boozy free-for-all, with unnamed players speaking out about the unprofessional nature of the squad’s behaviour.

But Redknapp, speaking after his team’s crucial 2-1 win at Southampton, called the reports a “total non-story” and “fabricated”.

“This story has come from somebody trying to disrupt the football club,” said the Rangers boss.

“I know exactly who it is and I know he’s reasons for doing it. The chairman knows, I know, [chief executive] Philip Beard knows, so it’s not come from players.

“It’s an absolute load of nonsense. There were six or seven teams in Dubai – two teams went out there and never trained. We trained every day.  We didn’t have one day off.

“On the Tuesday the sports scientist came to me they shouldn’t train tomorrow, and I said ‘No doc, we’re here to train every day’.

“I had them on their knees, I worked them that hard. I gave them one night when they could go out, and when they went out they told me there was five other teams out too – why has no-one wrote about the other teams?

“They may have drunk one night. They can go home tonight those players and they can drink five bottles of wine.

“All I said to them was ‘Nobody be late tomorrow morning’. If they weren’t on the coach, I would have fined them one week’s wages. Where’s the problem?”

Redknapp also revealed he called a meeting with his squad on Saturday night to discuss the story.

“The players were disgusted with it,” he added. “I called them in and they couldn’t believe it.

“Today I told the players to put in a performance to show people, and that’s what they did.

“It’s history. Fish and chip paper – that’s all it is tomorrow.”

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