Rob Green says he has a task to keep Alex McCarthy at bay - but at least this time QPR's number one understands the challenge.
Back in January 2013, Rangers faced West Ham at Upton Park and Green was ‘gutted’ to be left on the bench in a struggling side.
That was because the bizarre signing of Brazil international Julio Cesar the previous summer eclipsed the former England keeper’s chances.
It was all the more galling bearing in mind Green helped Hammers to promotion the previous season.
“I was gutted not to be playing, and even more so in a team that was struggling,” Green said. “To go back to West Ham and feel miserable shows how football can be so fragile and how it can change.”
McCarthy has been brought in from Reading to try and take Green’s gloves, but the man in pole position is OK with that.
“Alex is a great talent and a threat to my position, and I need to be on it to keep my place,” he said. “I can understand a club with a keeper at 34 and another at 24. But having two keepers who were both internationals, and both the same age was a bit of a head scratcher.”
Green, Bobby Zamora, Rio Ferdinand and manager Harry Redknapp all return to the scene of former glories, with the keeper hoping to turn wretched away form into a first point.
This time last season in the Championship, the keeper was enjoying a club record breaking spell of eight clean sheets - so far he’s conceded 10 in three games - cue an explanation.
“There was six shots on target in the whole game against Stoke and a 2-2 draw,” Green said. “That shows the clinical nature of the Premier League, and in the Championship there’s a chance of more clean sheets because there are more games.”
Keep up to date with all the build-up, matchday and post-game reaction to West Ham v QPR right here on GetWestLondon.
