QPR’s Charlie Austin praised for his cool handling of transfer unease
• Manager Chris Ramsey lauds striker for ‘professional’ approach
• ‘He’s not rocked the boat or made disturbances in the changing room’
QPR's Charlie Austin has shown other players how best to deal with uncertainty around transfer deals
Chris Ramsey, the Queens Park Rangers manager, has praised Charlie Austin for not “rocking the boat” while his future at the club remains in doubt.
Austin has been the subject of intense speculation following QPR’s relegation from the Premier League last season and it is widely expected he will move to a club in the top-flight before the close of the transfer window. QPR have turned down a £12m bid from Leicester for him while Everton and Newcastle have also been linked with the striker, who scored 18 times in his debut Premier League campaign.
Having left Austin out of the squad that beat Yeovil 3-0 in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday – partly due to a lack of fitness and partly because QPR do not want to cup-tie any player who could leave Loftus Road this month – the manager praised Austin for his professionalism.
“He has not rocked the boat or made any disturbances in the changing room about not wanting to be here,” said Ramsey, who also omitted Leroy Fer from the QPR team that faced Yeovil. “Nobody wants a bad professional around the place. And what they don’t want to see is somebody throwing tantrums because they haven’t left. He has not done that and he has been professional.”
Ramsey said Austin’s exemplary behaviour would only increase his attractiveness to potential suitors and has been an example to other players who react badly to transfer uncertainty. “The worst thing in the world is ... when you do that,” he said. “Other managers look at that and think, ‘If things go wrong there, then what is he going to do here? What is he going to be like in the changing room?’ I think nowadays more people are looking at the characters of players first, before their ability.”
Ramsey could bring back Austin for Saturday’s visit of Cardiff, which could be the last time QPR supporters see him in the team shirt. “I am hoping he is here. I think he is going to want to play at the weekend,” he said. “I don’t know if there is anything that is going to happen before the weekend. We have not had anything concrete on the table because, if we had something that was concrete – an offer that the club would accept and Charlie would accept – then the inevitable happens.”
Ramsey was equally effusive about Joey Barton, who has missed out on a transfer to West Ham. The midfielder, who was released by QPR over the summer, looked set to join Slaven Bilic’s side earlier this week, only for the move to fall through.
Barton posted an online video on Wednesday confirming that he would not be joining West Ham after all, although the 32-year-old did not explain why. It is thought the club pulled out of a move after some supporters protested against the proposed signing.
“I think Joey would have done really well for West Ham,” said Ramsey. “I am a believer in taking people as you find them, as long as they haven’t done anything horrific. While he was with me, he prepared properly and showed the correct respect. Obviously he has his opinions but he never went against what I asked him to do.”
Ramsey added: “I want it well documented that some of the senior players that were here last year – not the ‘bad eggs’ – were outstanding professionals in the way that they conducted themselves, namely Rio Ferdinand, Joey Barton, Richard Dunne and Bobby Zamora. It is obvious that [some] people were not helping the club but they were not among those people. They were very professional.”
