QPR striker Charlie Austin has now scored 11 goals in 15 Premier League appearances this season
On Saturday QPR clinched a vital 3-2 victory over fellow relegation candidates West Brom at Loftus Road and inevitably their hero was star striker Charlie Austin, who fired home a hat-trick to help his team recover from going two goals down.
The victory moved the Hoops two points clear of the relegation zone and into 17th place in the Premier League table.
Goals
Charlie Austin is a predatory striker and has scored in every league he has played in. At 25-years-old the striker is just starting to hit his peak as a player.
With every Premier League appearance he looks more and more confident at the top level.
Austin now has 11 Premier League goals in his 15 top-flight appearances and is the top English goalscorer in the league, which for any striker is an impressive record. In fact Austin is now just three goals behind Manchester City’s injured star Sergio Aguero and one behind Chelsea’s Spanish striker Diego Costa.
Hard Way
Charlie Austin has arrived in the Premier League the hard way. The striker started out in non-league with Kintbury Rangers, Hungerford Town and then Poole Town, before being spotted by Swindon Town.
Since his arrival in league football Austin has a superb goals to game ratio for Swindon, Burnley and for Rangers. It seems the fact that he had to come through non-league football has made him hungry for success at the highest level.
He comes across as a very humble guy, who feels lucky to have his opportunity to make his living playing football, which is rare for modern day footballers. However, he deserves his chance in the top-flight, as he has produced the goals for all his clubs.
Questions
When the Hoops were promoted to the Premier League there were questions about whether Austin could score goals at the highest level. Two goals in his first seven Premier League appearances did not point to Austin being prolific this season.
However, Austin now seems to have adapted to life in the Premier League, having scored nine goals in his last eight top-flight appearances. I doubt there are many are questioning his pedigree at the moment.
If Austin continues to score at his current rate then he may just be competing with the likes of Costa and Aguero for the Premier League golden boot at the end of the season.
Vital
Every team in the Premier League is looking for a prolific striker and for a team fighting against relegation a player who is so good at finding space and finishing chances when they come his way is vital.
There is no doubt about it QPR are a far better team with Austin leading their attacking line. If Austin can get 20-plus goals this season then it may just be good enough to keep Harry Redknapp’s team in the Premier League.
At the moment the likes of West Brom, Hull, Crystal Palace and Leicester do not have a prolific striker in their squad, so Austin’s goals may just be the difference between survival and relegation come what May.
Burnley are in a similar situation with forward Danny Ings, who looks to have a knack of grabbing a goal, but is maybe not as prolific as QPR’s star man.
England
With Austin being so prolific in front of goal this season, surely now he deserves a call-up to the England squad. The 25-year-old looks like a natural goalscoring and with a dearth of English strikers currently playing first team football Austin could be a useful option to England boss Roy Hodgson.
I just hope the fact that he plays for a club battling against relegation does not influence a call-up to the Three Lions squad. Hopefully the striker continues to score goals and makes himself hard to ignore to the England coaching staff.
The Three Lions do not play again until March, but Charlie Austin is currently looking like a player who could make the step-up to international level.
Survival
At the moment QPR are outside the relegation zone because of the form of Austin. If the striker stays in form, then the Hoops will more than likely survive in the top-flight. Last time round they were a one-season wonder.
If Charlie Austin has anything to do with it Harry Redknapp’s team will be hanging around in the top division of English football for a lot longer this time around.
Will Austin’s goals be enough to keep QPR in the Premier League?
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