Warnock not against Taarabt move

18 November 2011 16:16

QPR manager Neil Warnock would drive Adel Taarabt to France himself if Paris St Germain offered £20million for the maverick forward.

Taraabt, who has been linked with a move away from Loftus Road, is set to miss QPR's trip to Stoke on Saturday after spending the week away on international duty. The 22-year-old was brought off at half-time in QPR's 3-1 defeat at Tottenham and was then left out of the starting line-up for the home defeat by Manchester City.

Warnock admitted Taarabt has not fitted in as well this season as QPR adapted to cope with the heightened demands of Barclays Premier League football. Asked specifically whether QPR would sell if PSG hardened their reported interest in Taarabt, Warnock said: "I would drive him over if they offered us £20million."

He added: "You are never going to change Adel. I don't think we have ever been hunky-dory in our relationship. It is just a different culture that some players have.

"You have to try and fit it into the team situation. We did that quite well last year. It has not worked as well this year because we are playing at a different level.

"We have had to adjust the system that we play so it has been very difficult to get Adel into our system at the moment."

QPR's focus in training all week has been on set-piece defending in a bid to combat Stoke's great area of strength.

Three-quarters of Stoke's goals this season have come from set-pieces and Warnock was full of praise for the job his old adversary Tony Pulis has done at the Britannia Stadium.

"They are fantastic at set-pieces and that is all we have looked at all week. You can't do anything about them, you have got to have a bit of luck - a the thickness of a post, a mis-hit shot, a great save," said Warnock.

"I have had my spats with Tony over the years but I really admire what he has done at the club, to stabilise a club like Stoke and become almost a regular Premier League team."

Source: PA