QPR vs Stoke City: Harry Redknapp craves Peter Crouch reunion to lift Rangers

Much as Harry Redknapp would like to be reunited with Peter Crouch yet again come the January transfer window, he will receive the same negative response as during the summer from Stoke City. One of the features of Redknapp’s long managerial career has been how often he has re-signed the same players for his different clubs. On Saturday he did nothing to discourage speculation that hooking up with Crouch again at Queen’s Park Rangers was very much in his mind after a goal and an assist from the flagpole striker earned the visitors their well-deserved 2-2 draw.

“He’s still a good player,” said Redknapp, never afraid to express his admiration for other clubs’ employees. “I’ve signed him enough times, haven’t I? I bought him originally from here [QPR] at Portsmouth, took him back to Portsmouth, Tottenham, Southampton, he’s been everywhere with me.” Another reunion come the new year then? “You never know, do you?”

But Stoke’s manager Mark Hughes thinks he does know, after Rangers enquired about Crouch during the last window. “People asked if he was available and I said ‘no’, and that was as far as it went,” Hughes said. Same answer if the question was repeated in four months’ time? “Yes!”

When Stoke wanted to rethink their attacking options, despite finishing ninth in the Premier League, Crouch’s modest tally of eight goals in 34 appearances might have made him a candidate for offloading. Instead they shed Cameron Jerome, Matthew Etherington and Michael Kightly, while adding the pace of Victor Moses, which has proved crucial in leading counter-attacks and providing service to Crouch. Twice on Saturday that pair undid the home defence, which should have been sufficient to ensure a second away win after the success at Manchester City.

It took a stunning late intervention from another of Redknapp’s regular signings, Niko Kranjcar, to deny them victory. Having been kicked from pillar to far post, he dusted himself down and drove a free-kick perfectly over the defensive wall for a point. However, even though it prevented a fourth defeat in five games it could not stop Rangers yesterday slipping into the bottom three ahead of two away games.

Serious concerns were still evident at the end of a week in which doubts were raised about the chosen location for a new stadium. The crowd was little more than 16,000; defenders Mauricio Isla and Rio Ferdinand struggled; strikers Charlie Austin, Bobby Zamora and now Eduardo Vargas after his home debut have one goal between them.