Warnock speaks for many about ‘nasty’ Diouf

There is no doubt that QPR manager Neil Warnock spoke out of turn after yesterday’s FA Cup game between Blackburn and QPR. There is also no doubt that he spoke for a vast majority of football fans in England.

Controversial

The object of Neil Warnock’s latest rant was Blackburn’s controversial Senegalese forward player El Hadji Diouf. The player, who turns thirty this week, is no stranger to upsetting people and I don’t suppose he ever will be, but once again, he has really caused a huge amount of offence.

The incident that caused the problems was a full bloodied challenge between Blackburn’s Gael Givet and QPR’s striker Jamie Mackie. During Blackburn’s 1-0 win. The tackle left both players on the ground in agony and saw them both carried from the field on stretchers. Givet escaped with a swollen and painful knee whilst Mackie was far less fortunate. He suffered a double fracture of the leg, the tibia and fibula, and is unlikely to play again this season.

Anger

Warnock’s anger stemmed from the fact that El Hadji Diouf allegedly verbally abused Mackie whilst he was lying on the ground in agony with a double fracture of the leg. The QPR players were incensed by Diouf, whatever it was he was saying.

“The lads were furious with Diouf; he was calling Mackie all sorts. I can’t abide people like that, I don’t know why he wants to take on the world. He’s a nasty little person.”

Thinking

Warnock couldn’t leave it there! As is his way, he had to say what he was really thinking.

“I would call him a sewer rat but I think that would be kind to him. He is the lowest of the low. There was no need to put the finger up and call him a disgrace and even the Blackburn people were embarrassed. I can’t see him being at Blackburn much longer because I can’t see Steve Kean putting up with someone like that in the dressing room when he is trying to form a new image for Blackburn. I think he will be the first to go and good riddance. I hope he goes abroad because I won’t miss watching him.”

Nasty

A look back over El Hadji Diouf’s career in England with Liverpool, Bolton, Sunderland and Blackburn, shows that he can indeed be a ‘nasty little person’.

He once spat at Celtic fans during a game. Liverpool fined him two weeks wages, UEFA banned him for two games and he was charged with assault. He pleaded guilty and received a £5,000 fine.

Spitting

Whilst at Bolton he was charged by police for spitting at Middlesbrough fans and then got in trouble for spitting in the face of Portsmouth’s Arjan de Zeeuw. He was fined two weeks wages by Bolton and banned for three games by the FA for that one.

Last season he was questioned by police following allegations that he had racially abused a ball boy at Everton. He claimed that Everton fans had been throwing bananas at him but extensive TV coverage and CCTV coverage showed no such thing.

Arrests

Add to that several nasty challenges, off the ball incidents and arrests for motoring offences in England and in France and you get a picture of a man who it is very difficult to like.

Neil Warnock may have been wrong to say what he said but it will be difficult to find too many people who disagree with him.