What the papers say - March 4

Last updated : 09 March 2005 By Editor

BID FOR DAVIES IS HEALTHY SIGN


Ipswich 0 QPR 2


By David McIntyre


Ian Holloway saw his side pull off a fine away victory

– 24 hours after tabling his biggest ever bid for a

player.


QPR’s offer to Middlesbrough for Andy Davies confirmed

their ambitious plans for next season.


Then a surprise but well deserved win at Portman Road

suggested Rangers could yet squeeze into the play-offs

this year.


“It was a great result for us,” Holloway declared.


“My priority is still to get to 50 points and when we

do that I’m going to take my players out for a bit of

a party, because they deserve it.


“After that, who knows? Anything can happen. All I

know is that, whatever happens this season, this club

is moving forward.


“To be making offers for players after the financial

problems we’ve had shows how far we’ve come.


“We’ll see what we achieve this season. For the moment

I have to say I’m quite enjoying going to places like

Ipswich and playing without the kind of pressure

they’re under.”


The pressure certainly seemed to get to Town keeper

Kelvin Davis.


He gifted Rangers the opening goal when his misplaced

clearance went straight to Paul Furlong, who finished

tidily for his 16th goal of the season.


Holloway’s team then withstood periods of pressure but

were solid at the back while always a threat going

forward.


And when Davis came to collect Martin Rowlands’

free-kick but then hesitated, Dan Shittu pounced to

head home Rangers’ second goal.


"We deserved it," Holloway added.


"Recently we certainly haven't looked like a team that

lost so many away matches in a row earlier in the

season."


Holloway left Suffolk aware that his bid for Davies

had been rejected but that an improved offer for the
20-year-old was in the pipeline.


And Rangers were given the green light on Tuesday

evening, when Middlesbrough accepted a deal

potentially worth almost £1million.


The club agreed to pay a substantial initial fee with

more cash to follow in May and other payments linked

to appearances and promotion should the Rs reach the
Premiership.


Cash was pledged by a group of shareholders close to

chairman Bill Power.


The party includes a fan that last year paid for the

signing of Arthur Gnohere and offered to fund the

attempted signing of Lee Camp from Derby.


Rangers were hoping to complete the capture of Davies

- who impressed hugely during his recent loan spell -

and field him in this weekend’s game against Reading.


But as the Gazette went to press early yesterday, there
were signs of a possible hitch and fears the deal could be in
running into trouble.


Nevertheless, Rangers were hopeful of getting their

man.


And if Generoso Rossi’s display in his first match in

England is anything to go by, Holloway has also landed

a top-quality keeper.


The former Italy U-21 international, who has been

signed until the end of the season with the option of

then extending his contract by a year, played in a

reserve game against Reading on Tuesday.


Rossi, 25, is eligible to play again having served a

ban after being embroiled in a betting scandal in

Italy, before which he played in Serie A with Siena

and was regarded as one of his country’s best

prospects.


He is still a long way from being match-fit but looked

as good as the glowing reports about him from inside

the QPR camp have suggested.


And his kicking was a lot better than Kelvin Davis’.