After the season Adel Taarabt enjoyed in 2010-2011, it is little wonder the 22 year old is being linked with a £13.5 million transfer to French capital club, Paris St-Germain. Scoring 15 goals and creating at least 15 others is a wonderful record for the attacking midfielder who captained QPR to the Championship title. However, despite his marvellous campaign and potential, he is a player who perplexes me. The question of whether he can make it at the top level prompts a confused response in some and it seems dependant on his willingness to play more within a team.
When Tottenham signed him in 2007, it was as part of a plan they had to bring in the exceptionally gifted youth of tomorrow and shape them into a team. This project appealed to Taarabt because of the presence of Damien Comolli, then Director of Football at Spurs. Comolli had engineered him a move to Arsenal when he was their European scout and by Taarabt’s own admission he wishes he had gone to work with Wenger. This was due to his French national hero status and having a reputation for delicately cultivating young players into established footballers.
If indeed he had gone to Arsenal then by now his career could be far more advanced than what it is today. Back to reality though and to the question of if he can indeed become a great.
His lifestyle hints at yes. Taarabt is a devout Muslim who does not smoke or drink and this he feels makes him a more ‘professional’ class of footballer. Physiologically this makes sense and he also seems like a person with solid moral values and a pragmatic approach to discrimination. He values the words of his parents and attempts to ‘explain’ the misconceptions of his religion that fans and even sometimes colleagues have about his faith. This alludes to a considerate understanding of the nature of other cultures and a willingness to correctly analyse situations.
The exhibition of his ability was hindered at Tottenham due to his lack of opportunities and under Ramos not even having a squad number. Last season though, he displayed a fertile creative mind with instinctively direct attacking prowess. Be it his captivating ball control, nonchalant flick-ons, piercing runs or blistering strikes, the man provides excitement.
This allegedly almost earned him a move to Manchester United. Unfortunately a rather petulant incident against Hull when he asked to be substituted during the first half because of a dire performance and subsequent team disruption convinced Sir Alex Ferguson to opt out of any deal. This sparked a blunt; ‘that’s done that, hasn’t it?’ from Warnock on the team bus post match, the Sheffield born manager summing up the situation in typical, honest fashion.
Jokes aside though Taarabt regards Neil Warnock highly and seemingly this is reciprocated. The QPR manager tactically adapted his entire team to accommodate Taarabt last season. This points to an unbridled belief in him which could be what he requires to fulfil his potential. However asking this of a top continental manager of the likes of Real Madrid for example would simply be too much this early on.
He first needs to display a commitment to being a part rather than the main attraction and adjust to team playing. This need is exemplified by the mistakes made last season when he would give the ball away rather than playing in a simpler pass. It would be fantastic for him to stay at QPR for the 2011-2012 season and perform consistently in the English top flight, a step up from the Championship where his limitations were perhaps not being tested adequately enough
If he can do this, then pushing on with his career is entirely possible. The talent is there; the big clubs have been in contact and so may still consider him. With the temptation of Paris Saint Germain, his girlfriend and family however, maybe France will be the place he attempts to showcase his worth. This would still be good for him but a shame entertainment-wise for the Premiership next season.
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I think that Taarabt has bottled it!
This is a guy who at times in the championship looked stunning and then managed to make himself look very poor. I think the game against Derby at Loftus road left him realising that if he cant out play Robbie Savage, how is he going to cope with the premier league?
He is going to go to France where the standard of football is a lot lower than England and therefore make himself good again.