Anzhi director says QPR were 'out of their minds' to splash out on Samba

Harry Redknapp and gambles in the transfer market goes hand in glove, but even by his standards the package to take Chris Samba to Loftus Road was risky.



While most people were scratching their heads that the club would pay £12.5 million and offer £100,000 a week over four and a half years for the former Blackburn centre-half, it seems Anzi Makhachkala themselves couldn’t get over the offer made for their Congolese defender.



Director of the big-spending Russian club German Tkachenko said that the club wept – in a good way – when the offer came in and think that the London club were out of their minds to pay such sums in order to get the defender.



“At QPR he will earn almost as much as he did at Anzhi. In my view QPR have lost their minds,” he told Russian media.



“When they agreed to pay his release fee we wept. He [Samba] wept. Everybody says that he ran away from the club, but that's not true. He didn't put any pressure on the club until we received an offer from QPR for £12.5m, the amount required by his contract,” he added.



He did suggest that Samba is also one of the top five defenders in Europe, but maybe he sees qualities most others don’t.



Seven points adrift of safety, Samba will need to tighten up a porous defence very quickly or we will soon be looking at perhaps the highest earning player ever to feature in the Championship.

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QPR sign Ben Haim on short-term deal

QPR manager Harry Redknapp has confirmed the signing of defender Tal Ben Haim on a short-term contract until the end of the season.



The Isreali international has been a free agent since leaving Portsmouth in August 2012 and joins in time to face West Brom in the FA Cup on Saturday.



The 30-year-old has been training with the R's for the past six weeks and Redknapp believes his experience will help them avoid relegation.



“Tal’s a great professional with vast experience and I’m confident he’ll be a really useful addition to the squad,” Redknapp told www.qpr.co.uk.



“His attitude is first class and the fact he can play anywhere across the back four is obviously a big bonus for us.



“He just wants to play. He’s not here for the money or anything like that. He just wants to come in and do his best for the club.”

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Redknapp to ring the changes

QPR will be aiming for just their second win of the league campaign while West Brom returned to winning ways last Saturday.

Harry Redknapp looks set to ring the changes for QPR after his criticism of the side that lost to Newcastle on Saturday.

Julio Cesar may be available after a back problem, while Nedum Onuoha and Armand Traore are doubts with hamstring problems.

Ji-Sung Park (knee), Andrew Johnson (knee) and Bobby Zamora (hip) are still unavailable, while Keiron Dyer remains a long-term absentee

West Brom's Youssouf Mulumbu is available after suspension for the trip to Loftus Road.

The midfielder was unavailable for the weekend home win over Norwich after incurring five bookings this season.



Baggies boss Steve Clarke will check on the fitness of defender Steven Reid (ankle) and midfielder Claudio Yacob (hamstring) before finalising his side.


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Redknapp on the brink at QPR

Harry Redknapp says he is looking forward to the challenge of attempting to lead QPR away from the Premier League relegation zone.



The 65-year-old is poised to take over the reins at Loftus Road after Mark Hughes was sacked on Friday morning, and is on the brink of agreeing a deal following a day of negotiations.



Rangers are four points adrift at the bottom of the table after failing to win any of their opening 12 matches but Redknapp believes he can guide them to safety.



"I'm hopeful we can get it done tonight, there shouldn't be any problems," said Redknapp, who has been out of work since leaving Tottenham in the summer.



"I fancy getting back into the Premier League. QPR is a good club, with great fans and a great atmosphere.



"I am looking forward to it. It's a big challenge. It will be a tough job to take on but I am up for the challenge."

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Harry pondering Ukraine post

Representatives of Harry Redknapp are in talks over a big-money offer to install him as Ukraine manager.

It has been claimed discussions have been going on for a fortnight after the Ukrainian FA made the former Spurs boss their number-one target.



Redknapp's agent Paul Stretford is thought to be in Kiev thrashing out the details of the deal, which will see his client back in work for the first time since being shown the door at White Hart Lane in June.



QPR had been expected to sack Mark Hughes and chase his managerial services, but Redknapp may well agree a contract with Ukraine by the end of this week.



He previously told Sportsmail: "It's a fantastic job. I found out about it a couple of weeks ago when they got in touch with my advisors. I am serious about it.



"They are an up and coming football country with some very good young players, some great teams like Shakhtar and some great stadiums.



"I will talk to them and see if we can sort something out. I'm definitely interested, without a doubt."



If Redknapp agrees to the offer, he would be set to lead Ukraine when they face England in a potentially crucial World Cup qualifier in Kiev next September.

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Friedel talks up Spurs title challenge

Brad Friedel claims Andre Villas-Boas has given the Tottenham squad the belief they can challenge for the Premier League title.



The north London club will be under new stewardship for the upcoming season after parting ways with Harry Redknapp at the end of the last campaign.



Redknapp was shown the door after Tottenham missed out on Champions League qualification last season following a dramatic slump towards the end of the term.



Spurs were quick to replace Redknapp with former Chelsea boss Villas-Boas, who has set about trying to put his stamp on the team by bringing in Gylfi Sigurdsson and Jan Vertonghen.



The Portuguese coach has also persuaded playmaker Rafael van der Vaart to stay, with the only blow to his plans having been the decision by Luka Modric to leave White Hart Lane.



Friedel says Villas-Boas has injected some renewed belief into the squad and the American keeper claims the players fancy themselves to challenge for the Premier League title this season.



"We want to try to win every trophy this season and as a player that's the type of message that you want to hear from a coach," said the 41-year-old.



"The players are excited by the new era and we buy in to that philosophy. "



We hope we can improve on what we did last season and we weren't that far off for a long spell.



"We have a great squad along with an exciting crop of hungry youngsters. "

You can't just aim for a top-four finish, you have to believe you can win the title."



Punters who fancy Villas-Boas to have more success at Tottenham than he did at Chelsea can back the Lilywhites to win the Premier League with a free bet this season.

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Redknapp wants new EPL job

Harry Redknapp says he has 'faith' he can still contribute as a manager and wants to work in the English Premier League.



The former Tottenham Hotspur man has revealed clubs from all over the world have approached him to be their head coach, but he will not rush the decision over taking a new job.



Having led Tottenham to fourth spot in the Premier League last season and never lower than fifth during his three years in charge, Redknapp remains certain he can succeed at the top of English football.



"I could manage anywhere," Redknapp told Sky Sports.



"I have certainly not lost any faith in my ability.



"I have left Tottenham in an unbelievable position from when I went to the club to where they are now.



"It could not have gone better; it has been four fantastic years."



In the two seasons prior to Redknapp's arrival, Tottenham had finished 11th and eighth.



The north London club qualified for the Champions League for the first time during his second season in charge.



Tottenham sacked the 65-year-old on June 13, and with the job at White Hart Lane the only vacancy in the Premier League, it remains to be seen where Redknapp will find employment.



"That is the only place to manage for me," he said.



"As I say, you never know what comes up."



The former Portsmouth, Southampton and West Ham manager has been heavily linked with a lucrative job in the Middle East.



"I have had loads of offers from abroad," he said.



"But it is not something I am going to dive in and take the first job that comes up.



"If I am going to take a job, it has got to be a good job - the right job."

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