STURRIDGE EYES STARRING ROLE
By Ben Kosky
LAST time Dean Sturridge was involved in a March transfer, he made an impact that changed his new club's destiny and left the watching thousands on the edge of their seats, writes Ben Kosky.
QPR fans will be hoping their new striker can play a major role - just as he did for fictional Premiership club Harchester United in the first series of popular Sky One soap 'Dream Team' some years ago.
Sturridge was 'signed' from Derby County just before the transfer deadline and scored the goals that helped Harchester avoid relegation by a whisker, before disappearing the following season to resume his career with Derby, Leicester and Wolves.
But now, rather than escaping the drop, the 31-year-old - who made his Rangers debut as a second-half substitute at Rotherham - is aiming to guide QPR into the Premiership, a feat he has already achieved with both Derby and Wolves.
"I've been waiting for someone to remind me about Dream Team," Sturridge admitted with a rueful grin. "I tried to keep it quiet, but some of the lads at Wolves saw the video and were winding me up a few weeks ago.
"I tried to be a footballer in that, not a star, but some people might say, the way I played at Rotherham, I should go back to Harchester United!"
Joking aside, Sturridge admits he remains short of match fitness, having been out of the picture at Molineux since before Christmas, but believes his new team-mates are capable of emulating what Wolves managed two years ago.
"I saw the ingredients you need at Rotherham - players who stand up to be counted and are ready to die for the cause. They had to win the war before they could win the match and that was very impressive to see.
"I thought we were well on top and the only way they were going to score was from one of our mistakes. We opened them up in certain areas and played some decent football, but I'm sure there's more potential in this team."
Sturridge has signed a contract at Loftus Road until August 2006, including a clause that guarantees him an extension of the deal, depending on appearances next season.
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DAVIES TARGETS PLAY-OFFS
By Ben Kosky
DEFENDER Andrew Davies believes QPR have nothing to fear from any of their play-off rivals as the scramble intensifies for a place in the top six, writes Ben Kosky.
The Middlesbrough centre-back, who joined Rangers on loan for the second time last week, went straight into the starting line-up and helped the team keep clean sheets at both Derby and Rotherham.
The four points gained from those two games have pushed Rangers up to ninth place in the Coca-Cola Championship, within striking distance of that coveted sixth spot and Davies declared: "There's no team in a play-off position that we can't get the better of.
"I think the play-offs are definitely within our reach and we've shown that by getting results from the last couple of games. We've defended well as a team and, as long as we can keep doing it, that's the main battle.
"The whole back four's done well, the keeper's helping us out as much as he can and we just have to keep playing as we have been, picking up as many points as possible."
The 20-year-old originally moved to QPR in January and his arrival coincided with the team's revival from their mid-season slump, with seven points gained from four games before Boro recalled him as cover for their UEFA Cup campaign.
Rangers then bid twice to sign Davies permanently but, although their second offer was accepted, club and player were unable to agree terms and eventually settled on the compromise of a second loan deal until the end of the season.
Amid reports of excessive wage demands, Davies and Rangers boss Ian Holloway have both stressed that the main stumbling block to the deal was relocation to London rather than money.
And Davies added: "It's really good being back with the boys at QPR and I'm enjoying playing regular football again because obviously I hadn't played a game for four weeks.
"I'm aiming to settle in and hopefully the club will offer me something, then it's up to me and my family to sit down at the end of the season and make a decision as to whether I come up here full-time."