Taiwo, Onuoha in relegation battle
By Anonymous - Friday, 11 May 2012
The clash between Manchester City and Queens Park
Rangers on Sunday will be one of the most watched among the 10 games on
the last day of the 2011/2012 Premier League season.
For the
not-so-simple reason that City need the game to win the league for the
first time and QPR need at least a draw to survive relegation, the game
will draw attention even from the fans of rival clubs.
Yakubu Aiyegbeni is already in a dilemma. He will
have to decide whether to remain at Blackburn Rovers or not after the
club were confirmed for relegation following their loss to Wigan
Athletic last weekend.
Three other Nigerians – Taye Taiwo, Nedum Onuoha and Danny Shittu — in the Rangers squad will not want to join Aiyegbeni in the lower division. It will be a battle of their livesto keep the team in the elite division. Besides their commitment to the club, they all have their personal reasons to ensure City don’t win at the Etihad Stadium.
Taiwo was a leading player in France at Marseille,
winning the Ligue 1 title and other domestic competitions with the team
but he moved to AC Milan last season and was tipped to hit his best form
at the Italian giants. Unexpectedly, however, he made just four
appearances for the Serie A club before his surprise loan move to QPR.
Taiwo’s loan deal means he would have to return to
Milan at the end of the season should QPR be relegated just as the club
have the option of buying him for £3.5m if he succeeds with them.
The problem is that the left-back does not want a
return to Italy where Milan manager, Massimiliano Allegri, was not keen
in fielding him during his short spell at the San Siro. Therefore, the
solution to keep playing regular topflight football by next season is to
get result at the Etihad Stadium.
For Onuoha, the story is not completely different; but he faces a little more complex situation.
The defender grew up supporting his local club,
Manchester City, he was a ball boy at the club and subsequently joined
their Academy. He graduated to the first team and played 95 games for
the Blues. No doubt City have been his first love, and they will always
be, as he has admitted. But duty calls on Sunday and he must make sure
City don’t win.
“If City could finish it off and win the title without finishing us off then I couldn’t be happier,” Onuoha told the London Evening Standard.
In one moment, the defender talks with genuine
excitement about what winning the Premier League would mean to City. The
next, he ponders the devastating impact relegation would have on QPR.
But Onuoha will still win even if QPR lose providing
Bolton don’t triumph at Stoke; that could also be said of City as long
as Manchester United fail to beat Sunderland.
The 25-year-old leaves no room for doubt that his loyalties are firmly with his new employers.
He said, “QPR staying up is the biggest thing for me,
no question. As long as we experience that emotion (of having secured
their Premier League status) then everything else is a bonus.
“The Etihad Stadium could be the best place in the
world this weekend if they win and we stay up but unfortunately that is
only one of many scenarios.
“But if it happens then there will be hugs for the QPR players and fans first and then I will give City the credit they deserve.
“I don’t think I’d be invited to their party if they win the league as I only played five minutes for them this season.
“However, it’s all about QPR. It’s in our own hands. We know we can’t rely on anyone.
“On a personal level it will be emotional, though,
going back to where I spent so many years. But to think they could win
the league and we could stay up — it would be one of the best days of my
career.”
Unlike Taiwo and Onuoha who joined QPR during their
topflight campaign, Shittu has a longer tie with the London club.
He
joined them in 2001 when they were still in League One. He helped them
gain promotion to the Championship in 2005 before leaving for other
clubs. He rejoined the club last year just before they gained promotion
to the Premier League.
He has not played any league game since his return
but that will not make him lose his commitment to the club. Besides,
should QPR go down, Shittu could be among the players to be shown the
exit door following the expiration of his contract at the end of the
season.
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