Adel Taraabt had an astonishing year in the Championship last season, winning the Championship player of the year and leading QPR to Premier League promotion. Despite his amazing amount of talent, doubts still linger around the player, and so far he seems to be proving the doubters-who thought he would be found out at this level-correct.

Taraabt was QPR’s hero in the Championship, his impressive statistics of 19 goals and 16 assists saw him propel the side to the top flight. He has all the talent in the world- skill, vision, technique, pace and passing, but his terrible attitude and discipline problems hold him back. You can have all the talent in the world, but that alone does not always cut it in the Premier League.

He obviously has the skills, but his huge ego and terrible work ethic continually let QPR down at this level, and he is simply too brittle to succeed in this league. Even in the Championship he went missing at times during away games, and he has a tendency not to turn up in the games that matter. It isn’t hard to see why Harry Redknapp was willing to let him leave Tottenham in the first place, as he is a liability for a team at this level. His lack of teamwork and defensive play just cannot be tolerated in the Premier League, especially as he has the potential to be rendered wholly ineffective if a side manages to mark him out of the game.

Neil Warnock indulged him in the Championship, but he simply can’t do that in the Premier League. Bowing to his every whim is the price QPR have paid for his mercurial talent, but his behaviour simply can’t be tolerated in this division, and his shortcomings have been immediately exposed. He has no work, or team ethic, and it has been suggested that some of his team-mates are shocked at his lack of effort on the training field, and puzzled as to why he is allowed to get away with it.

[ad_pod id='unruly-2' align='left']

The Championship suited Taraabt, but the Premier League is a huge step up, and it is one he has yet to prove he can succeed at. He could get away with giving the ball away in silly areas, and being greedy in the Championship, because he was a cut above, but in the Premier League he is just a small fish in a big pond, and he can’t afford to do that. He was anonymous at Fulham last weekend, and was hauled off at half time, much to his dismay, as he apparently left the ground during the half time break. There was a lot less pressure on him in the Championship, but this season there are a lot of expectations on him, which he has so far failed to live up to. It is a tough season for QPR, and they need steely individuals to get them through it, and Taraabt is simply not of the required mould.

The arrival of Joey Barton and Shaun Wright-Phillips has seen him forced down the financial and star name pecking order, and it seems it hasn’t sat well with Taraabt. He also lost his captaincy to Joey Barton, and it seems he doesn’t like sharing the limelight with other players. He is no longer top dog and he clearly doesn’t approve.

He has always had a reputation as a talented player, but sadly the negative aura surrounding him is holding him back. On his day he is a great player to watch, and he can be a match winner for QPR, but he is yet to set the Premier League alight. The next few months are really make or break for him, as we see whether he is willing to put in the effort to ensure he makes it at this level.

QPR probably over-relied upon him to some extent last season, and now he really needs to step up, if he is to help them avoid the drop this season. If he isn’t prepared to adapt then he is setting himself up for failure. The top flight is a huge step up and many consistent performers in the second tier fail to carry their form on at a similar level amongst the big boys. He could be exceptional if he was to get his head down and work hard, but it just seems like that is something he is unwilling to do, and ultimately he will not succeed at this level because of it.

Do you think Taraabt has been found out at this level? Let me know your thoughts by commenting below, or following me on Twitter @LaurenRutter for more comment and debate

[divider]

FREE football ad that pays you to view ads

[ad_pod id='qs-2' align='left']