Harry Redknapp Blasts 'Overweight', Overpaid Adel Taarabt
Queen's Park Rangers manager Harry Redknapp demanded the 25-year-old Moroccan prove he was worth his weekly wage of about $100,000.
Queen's Park Rangers boss Harry Redknapp has blasted the weight and attitude of star midfielder Adel Taarabt who he said is carrying too many pounds to finish a game.
Redknapp demanded the 25-year-old Moroccan prove he was worth his weekly wage of about $100,000 (80,000 euros, £60,000).
The Rangers boss hit out after his struggling side's narrow 3-2 defeat by Liverpool on Sunday.
Asked about Taarabt's injury status, Redknapp snapped.
"No, he's not fit: he's not fit to play football, unfortunately," said Redknapp.
"I can't keep protecting people who don't want to run about and train, who are about three stone (42 pounds/19 kilos) overweight." (Also Read: Brendan Rodgers Salutes Raheem Sterling)
Redknapp said the Moroccan had a problem attitude.
"He played in a reserve team game the other day, and I could have run about more than he did.
"So no, I can't pick him.
"I pick people that want to try, and deserve to be at a good football club like QPR, and want to work, and come in every day and want to work, and train, and show a good attitude.
"And that's what I got today from the players.
"When he starts doing that, whether he ever can do it, maybe he'll get a game.
"The other lads, I've got a fantastic group of lads here, absolutely superb, all of them."
"What am I supposed to keep saying, keep getting your 60, 70 grand (97,000-112,000 dollars) a week but don't train?
"What's the game coming to?
"The others are as good as gold," he said praising the side that were beaten by a last minute own goal by Steven Caulker.
Redknapp shrugged off speculation linking former Tottenham boss Tim Sherwood and others with the Rangers' job. He said the side are improving after a chaotic pre-season.
"I think you have to understand that two weeks before the season started I had 12 players," he said.
"Now I'm not making excuses, I had 12 players at this football club, outfield players.
"I went on tour to Ireland and I took 12 players with me.
"There wasn't another one injured, or hiding behind the training ground, that was what I had, 12, left over from last year's Championship.
"And it was a last-minute job when we had to bring players in.
"I couldn't give a monkey's about speculation. There's no one could do any better here at the moment than me, I don't think.
"I hear other names mentioned, but they couldn't do any better than what I can do, that's for sure," said the 67-year-old Redknapp, who is coming up to his second anniversary at Rangers.