Just five days after signing Rio Ferdinand on a free transfer, Harry Redknapp continued to strengthen his back line for the season ahead with the acquisition of Steven Caulker from relegated Cardiff City.
Joining up on a four-year contract, the 22-year-old admitted that the presence of his former Spurs boss and the arrival of the veteran centre-half were both key to his decision:
“I am very excited to be here. It was important for me to be back playing in the Premier League, and Harry Redknapp has given me the opportunity to be at this fantastic club. Harry was a big factor for me, having worked with him at Tottenham. He was very keen for me to join and that was a big plus, knowing the manager wants you. Being able to play with Rio was also a big draw. He has been a role model of mine for many years, along with Ledley King. To have the opportunity to play alongside him was something I felt I couldn’t miss out on. Our first aim this season has to be to get to 40 points, to make sure we stay up. That’s our first goal.”
The History
A product of the Tottenham youth academy, Caulker’s career got underway in 2009/10, when he played 44 times on loan at Yeovil Town. The centre-half was again farmed out to a lower league club the following season, scoring twice in 29 matches for Bristol City, before making his way to Swansea in a year-long loan deal in 2011/12.
Under the guidance of then-manager Brendan Rodgers, Caulker featured on 26 occasions for the Premier League outfit, with only a knee injury curtailing his game time. Retained by his parent club for the following season, he failed to nail down a regular role and, after making just 18 appearances under Andre Villas-Boas, was sold to Cardiff City last summer.
Nailed-on for The Bluebirds, Caulker was the only defender to play all 38 league matches in last term’s top-flight and his aerial threat in the opposition box saw him score on five occasions; only Martin Skrtel and Seamus Coleman, with seven and six respectively, registered more.
On the international stage, Caulker has turned out 21 times for England youth teams and found the net twice. Despite scoring on his debut for the senior side back in 2012, he has yet to feature for the Three Lions since.
The Prospects
Having watched his side muster a mere nine clean sheets at home in 23 Championship matches last season, it’s no surprise to see Redknapp strengthen at the back as he attempts to keep the R’s afloat. Ferdinand’s experience and leadership qualities, allied with the agile Caulker’s threat in the opposition box, suggest QPR have every reason to approach the upcoming campaign with increased optimism.
Redknapp – who handed Caulker his Spurs debut – lavished praise upon the new boy after the deal was confirmed by the club’s official website:
“Steven’s a top player, so we’re delighted to have him at QPR. I know the ability he has and I think it’s an important signing for the club – for the here and now, and for the future. I had him at Tottenham and I was very surprised when they decided to let him go last summer, because I thought he had a big future there. He’s young; he’s a good age; he’s already a fine player but he has so much more potential – it’s a really excellent signing for the club. When good players like Steven become available, who can come in and have a real impact, you’ve got to try and get them. I’m sure he will come in and show exactly what he’s capable of – he’s got everything to be a top, top centre-half, so I couldn’t be more pleased to have him.”
Barring injuries, the Caulker-Ferdinand partnership looks set to be rolled out for the entirety of the 2014/15, leaving the likes of Richard Dunne and Clint Hill as no more than bench-warmers. Coming in at 5.0 in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) and 5.5 in the Sky Sports game, Caulker’s extra goal threat makes him the most expensive option amongst Redknapp’s backline but, as his heroics for Cardiff showed last term, he’s more than capable of justifying the extra outlay. With 19 bonus points accrued, he ended the previous campaign on 122 points – 15th amongst defenders – despite the Bluebirds mustering a mere seven clean sheets and conceding on 74 occasions.
The only real issue is that Caulker’s attacking potential makes him difficult to bench and trickier to play the fixtures – two of those five goals arrived on the road last time around. Bearing in mind that QPR rotate home/away with Palace for 34 of the 38 Gameweeks, some will perhaps turn to the cheaper Ferdinand, at 4.5, as a more budget-friendly option to dovetail with the Eagles. Such a pairing would hand you eight kind home fixtures (HUL, WHM, SUN, BUR, STO, LEI, AVL, SUN) in the first 10 rounds of matches, for example.
Further analysis of last season’s stats, however, underline Caulker’s capabilities and strengthen his case for consideration. He had more touches inside the opposition box (116) than any other defender and, as a result, was also top for attempts in the area (32) amongst backline options. If Ferdinand can help bolster resilience at the back, then, a 5.0 price tag could prove excellent value for his new central defensive partner.
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