Harry’s just made for the big spenders

QUEEN’S Park Rangers’ wages bill last season was larger than that of Borussia Dortmund. As ever, it is the stat from left field which makes the deepest impression.

This one seemed to encapsulate the lunacy of their financial predicament. Rangers are more than £177million in debt. Their playing assets are largely unimpressive and they face a potential Financial Fair Play fine of £50m. The owner, Tony Fernandes, has issued a statement which declares: ‘The directors… have a reasonable expectation that the company and the group have adequate resources to continue in existence for the foreseeable future.’

Strangely, this did not sound as reassuring as he intended.

The manager, Harry Redknapp, struck a similar tone: ‘Whatever happens, they (the chairman and directors) are here for the long haul. They are looking to build a stadium and training ground, they want to take the club forward. I don’t think QPR could be in better hands.’

Which would have been more convincing had he not used similar phrases before. In April 2008 he announced: ‘It’s all going to happen here. A new training ground’s going to happen, a new stadium’s going to come along as well. Sasha Gaydamak has been fantastic. He’s come in and invested and given us a real opportunity to bring better players in.’ Redknapp was then the manager of Portsmouth. It did not end well.

Fernandes seems a genuine fan; open-hearted if a touch naïve. He has done his best for his club and has doubtless learned some expensive lessons.

As for Redknapp, he will emerge with his hands clean, his reputation unsullied and his pockets full; ready for a last, lucrative challenge. If they are not too picky, Borussia Dortmund may have found their next manager.