Back in 2011, then Tottenham Hotspur manager Harry Redknapp likened QPR's Adel Taarabt to footballing greats Paolo Di Canio and Zinedine Zidane. High praise for a player that Redknapp sold to Queens Park Rangers in 2010 as a result of being unable to incorporate the Morocco international into his Spurs first team. Nevertheless, the veteran manager had his chance to exploit the ability of the player following his appointments as R's boss last November.
‘Harry Houdini’ couldn’t conjure up enough to secure QPR's top flight status following his appointment, even though the squad he inherited from predecessor Mark Hughes was bursting at the seams with talent. Those seams are now tearing and after Loïc Remy's move to Newcastle United, Taarabt is the next out of the Loftus Road exit door.
The attacker had his fair share of potential suitors in 2012 - Paris Saint-Germain, amongst others, reportedly showed an interest - and after Redknapp confirmed he’d be prepared to listen to possible offers for Taarabt this summer, Fulham have leapt to the front of the queue. Should a deal be completed, it’ll be the first time the 24-year-old and Martin Jol have crossed paths since the latter’s sacking by Spurs in 2007.
He was one of QPR's better performers last season, and having attained an average WhoScored.com rating of 7.2, it’s somewhat surprising that the list of admirers isn’t longer. Netting 5 and assisting a further 4 saw Taarabt directly contribute to 30% of QPR’s 30 league goals last year. His direct play was often an asset to the west London side; only Luis Suárez (255) attempted to dribble past an opponent more times than Taarabt (147) in the 2012/13 season, the player successful with 83 of those 147; only Suárez (95) and Santi Cazorla (86) completed more.
This willingness to run at defenders denotes not only his capability with the ball at his feet, but also the confidence he has in himself, with his 'try again' attitude one that the games best players possess in abundance. Understandably, it's this facet of his game, coupled with his mental toughness, that attracted Jol to his availability as he looks strengthen his playing squad and bolster his attacking options.
Last season, Fulham’s most used formation was a 4-4-1-1, with Dimitar Berbatov usually the lone frontman supported by a nimbler, tricky attacker in Bryan Ruiz. Operating in a similar role to that of Ruiz in 11 of his 25 Premier League starts last season, it's certainly a conundrum as to how he will fit into the first team, and Jol would be reluctant to compromise Ruiz’s role in the starting XI. As a central attacking midfielder, it was in this position that Taarabt was at his best, scoring 3 goals and assisting 2 more, attaining an average rating of 7.57.
Costa Rican Ruiz made 22 starts in the same position, netting 3 but also adding 5 assists; his WhoScored rating of 7.35 as a central attacking midfielder may not have been as impressive as his potential new teammate, but it hardly warrants being forced into a peripheral role at the expense of Taarabt.
The QPR attacker made 11 Premier League starts on the left last season, garnering an average score of 7.31. While this figure is lower than that of the one he attained when in a more central positon, it's still impressive and one that isn't to be diregarded by any stretch, further championing for Taarabt to be used on the wing.
In the central role also, while dribbling is a useful weapon to call upon, the ability to pick out a pass is perhaps more pertinent. It’s here that Ruiz edges out Taarabt, with the 27-year-old boasting a pass success of 84.8% compared to Taarabt’s 81.5%, whilst also averaging more passes per game (45.8 to 37.2).
With his ability to ghost past the opposition, his place in the starting XI will likely be on the left wing. As Ruiz provides the creativity for Berbatov on the frontline, pressing forward with intent on the wing will be exactly where Taarabt can excel for Fulham next season and add another dimension to their attack.
While this would see Alexander Kacaniklic dropped, averaging just 0.9 successful dribbles per game was significantly lower than that of Taarabt’s 2.7 and further enforces the case that perhaps Fulham are right in moving for the Moroccan. The main worry would undoubtedly be any defensive solidity being compromised with Taarabt's lack of defensive contribution a particular concern, although Jol has moved to address these worries with the signings of Derek Boateng and Fernando Amorebieta.
Fortuitously, with the mooted deal a loan one, it’s of little risk to Jol and Fulham. If the Dutchman can integreate a system that not only improves their attacking fluidity, incorporating both the Moroccan and Ruiz, while ensuring the defensive side of the team isn’t jeopardised, then it will be viewed as an astute piece of transfer business by the club. His attitude may be questionable from time to time, but with the club aiming to build on their 12th placed finish, he might just be the type of player to help Fulham push up the Premier League next year.
