Adel Taarabt's New Deal Marks a Changing of the Tide at QPR, Big Things May Just Be Around the Corner

Adel Taarabt: "This is my club. I feel at home"

Barely a year has passed since Adel Taarabt was being linked with a big money move to the super-rich French club, Paris St Germain.

Following Queen's Park Rangers' promotion to the Premier League, it seemed almost certain that the Moroccan international would be leaving.

Yet this week he has committed his future to the West London club by signing a new long-term contract.

Naturally, the more cynical football fans will say he has been tempted to stay because of the money; Rangers now backed by Air Asia tycoon, Tony Fernandes.

Indeed, in modern football, it is not something you can rule out all together – and besides, it probably was a factor, even if it was not the main reason for Taarabt staying.

“This is my club and it's given me the opportunity to show what I can do and trusted me,” Taarabt said, in the sort of PR fuelled manner that is sure to get the doubters on his side. “I feel at home here.

“Now I can focus on my future. I want to take the club as far as I can.”

And he's probably not the only one thinking that way at Queen's Park Rangers now. This is a new era – the sort that their fans could not possibly have dreamed of four or five seasons ago.

"These are exciting times, and my goodness, there hardly seems a more worthy group of people than the QPR fans."

For years they looked on as the poor relations of West London football, as just across the tracks Chelsea were glorying in title after title thanks to big Russian money, and Fulham were defying the odds en route to the UEFA Cup final under Roy Hodgson.

How quickly things can change.

Many were quick to criticise Fernandes for the sacking of Neil Warnock last season, with some arguing that his highly public image might even mean he was interfering with team selection and the likes.

But perhaps his decision has been proven justified. Warnock was unable to land another Premier League position, and in Mark Hughes they appointed an extremely gifted manager with an awful lot to give.

QPR managed to avoid relegation at the end of last season, and this summer has been one of rebuilding, with big names arriving at the club.

The arrival of Park Ji-Sung from Manchester United is possibly the most exciting. The South Korean will offer more than just Eastern marketing opportunities – he will add steel to the midfield, as well as that touch of class that saw him make over 130 appearances for Manchester United.

He is joined by the loan arrival of Fabio from Old Trafford, a player who many have tipped to be the best left back in the world in years to come.

In Robert Green, Andy Johnson and Ryan Nelson, they've added real Premier League quality and experience. Yet there is bound to be more to come.

The only worry surrounding this meteoric rise is it has desperate similarities to Portsmouth during those heady days under Harry Redknapp.

That is not to say that QPR will end up in the same situation – the goings on in the board room are much more transparent, and Fernandes seems like the sort of businessman who really has his head screwed on.

Big names are arriving, for sure, but ridiculous transfer fees are not being thrown around recklessly. The R's are taking a far more considered approach to things.

But there must be a certain word of warning.

These are exciting times, and my goodness, there hardly seems a more worthy group of people than the QPR fans. For years they have had to settle for mediocrity, uncertainty and second best.

Now let's wait and see what the next chapter in this fascinating story is.

In a tournament of shocks, don't be surprised if Balotelli and co win it

Super Mario: Brace helped his side to final

This was Germany's year. A golden age for their national team, with some of the brightest young footballing talent on the planet. Winning Euro 2012 was written in the stars for them, everything else would just be a formality. Or so we thought...

There have been shocks in this year's European Championships – Greece advancing to the knock-out stages at the expense of Russia, the Netherlands imploding spectacularly and Sweden defeating the Group D favourites, France. But how many people genuinely expected Italy to make it to the final?

For starters, they were drawn in one of the toughest looking groups, having Spain and Croatia for company. With an ageing team, many doubted their chances of even making it to the quarter-finals.

Indeed, draws against both the Spanish and the Croats left them on the brink of crashing out early on. It was only last minute drama in the the game between those two sides that meant Italy would advance.

Then came 'plucky' England, as the media constantly refer to them as. After winning Group D against the odds, Roy Hodgson's men suddenly found themselves as favourites against a side who had supposedly struggled for form of late.

In truth, though, only one team deserved to win that game in the end, and there was certainly no sense of injustice when Alessandro Diamanti calmly slotted home the winning penalty.

You didn't have to be an expert to realise that the star man in that game was a certain Andrea Pirlo. Now aged 33, but with hardly a hair out of place, the deep-lying midfielder was coolness personified, controlling the game with almost metronomic rhythm, precision and grace.

So then, you would have thought the ever efficient Germans might notice that stopping him would be the key to their successful progression to the final. Close him down quickly and stick Sami Khedira to him like a limpet.

Strangely, they didn't, so it was little surprise that the Italians made light work of their much hyped opponents. Whether it was a reckless lack of respect or a just a serious error of judgement is open to debate, but the facts are clear, Italy will contest the final – not Germany.

Aside from Pirlo, the Italians were thankful for another master performance on the night from none other than Mario Balotelli. Popularly referred to as Super Mario, both of his goals were taken with the sort of devastating incision that would leave anyone thinking he genuinely had just stepped straight out of a video game.

"...with hardly a hair out of place, the deep-lying midfielder was coolness personified, controlling the game with almost metronomic rhythm, precision and grace..."

Spain will have to take note. For all their tiki-taka football is much heralded, and at times supremely beautiful, it is also painfully negative.

For much of the tournament they have played a bizarre sort of 4-6-0 formation which has seen talented goalscorers like Fernando Torres and Fernando Llorente left to watch from the sidelines. It was little wonder that they only reached the final by beating Portugal on penalties after a dire, goalless 120 minutes of football.

Don't get me wrong, the Spanish have played great football over the past four or five years, but with that has come a certain arrogance. Suddenly, they are trying to reinvent the beautiful game; as if they are too good for corners, set-pieces and, God forbid, strikers.

When Italy go head to head with Spain on Sunday, there can only be one winner. For the sake of football, please let it be the Azzuri.

Villas-Boas Is Still The Man For Chelsea

Recent poor form combined with last night's crushing 3-1 defeat to Napoli has left many wondering how much longer Andre Villas-Boas is going to be in a job for. As is always the case at Chelsea, there has been no public backing for the manager from their very silent owner.

Indeed, the night started so well for Villas-Boas and his men – Juan Mata toe-poking a close range volley past the Napoli keeper to give them a 1-0 lead midway through the first half. But by half-time the home side had over-turned the deficit and it was 2-1.

The second half saw relentless pressure from Chelsea, but as was the case with Manchester City merely a few months ago, they were simply unable to break down their opponent's defence and were inevitably hit on the counter attack to give the score a more convincing look.

"Look at Fernando Torres – no one is talking of sacking him with his £50 million price tag."

Many will now be questioning whether Villas-Boas can continue in his job, with talk of him having lost the support of a number of players, but the fact is, it would be simply foolish to sack him now.

The first and, in my opinion, the most abundantly obvious reason not to call time on the Portuguese's time in charge is the quite staggering amount of money Roman Abramovich lavished in trying to bring him to the club. After all his success with Porto, the Russian oligarch shelled out £15 million, no less.

It broke all records for compensation paid for a manager. At that cost, you do not want to be pulling the trigger less than 12 months later. Look at Fernando Torres – no one is talking of sacking him with his £50 million price tag.

Of course, money is not the only reason Villas-Boas should keep his job. Whatever anyone says, he is a very good young manager who undoubtedly has a bright future in the game. He was the man all Chelsea fans wanted in charge, so make the most of having him.

It is true, Chelsea's Champions' League hopes hang in tatters right now, but unlike Arsenal, the situation is still salvageable. Likewise, their current standing of fifth in the Premier League does not make good viewing for fans, but they must accept this is a transitional phase for their side.

Many of the players who were such a big part of their success four or five seasons ago have either left or are now well over 30. The Frank Lampards, the Didier Drogbas, the Ashley Coles are simply not the players who can bring success back to Chelsea.

Villas-Boas' transfer policy, therefore, has been shrewd. He has brought in the likes of Juan Mata, Gary Cahill and Romelu Lukaku in an attempt to add a bit of youth to his ageing side. Furthermore, adopted a more inclusive approach to young players like Daniel Sturridge who were already at the club.

The final point I will make, though, is success takes time – whatever Manchester City and Chelsea fans of old will tell you. Villas-Boas simply cannot walk into Chelsea and undo all the problems that were already there. He is a good manager, but he is not a magician.

Just one look at the team he fielded against Napoli last night proves that this is not 'his team', most of the players were already at the club and the manager cannot be blamed for their mistakes. In 18 months time perhaps we will be able to look at the Chelsea team and say whether Villas-Boas is doing a good job.

Until then, he must absolutely keep his job. It would be a mistake to let him go, and I could really see it coming back to bite Chelsea one day. The club need some solidarity and some structure, the chairman needs to back his manager.

If they do that, maybe, just maybe, success for Chelsea is not too far around the corner.