Mbia backs QPR boss over Bosingwa row but hopes for peace
Stephane Mbia says he would never refuse to sit on the substitute’s bench as QPR team-mate Jose Bosingwa did but hopes the dispute can be resolved.
Full-back Bosingwa was slapped with a �130,000 fine and may never play for Rangers again after snubbing a place on the bench against Fulham.
It infuriated manager Harry Redknapp leading to the punishment of two weeks’ wages and an outburst in which he said that some of his players earned “far too much for their ability and what they give”.
But Mbia, who has played every game under the former Tottenham boss, has urged his team-mates to remember who decides the team.
He said: “If the manager tells me to sit on the bench I will do it.
“The only way to show him you should not sit on the bench is by performing well on the training pitch.
“It’s up to the manager to make the decisions.”
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Mbia does hope, however, that the Loftus Road hierarchy can resolve the ongoing argument with Bosingwa.
“It’s a very difficult and complicated situation. Hopefully at the end of the day the club and player can sort it out,” concluded Mbia.
However, the midfielder is confident that Redknapp is the man to steer QPR to Premier League safety.
The Hoops have experienced mixed fortunes since the 65-year-old’s arrival in November but the Cameroonian still “believes in him”.
“It’s up to the players to give 100 per cent, but the manager will give a lot to us,” said Mbia. “He will enable the players to get the best of themselves.”
“I believe in him. I believe he is the man to get us out of trouble.”
In a week where Hoops’ players have come under scrutiny from both inside and outside the club, Mbia is keen to paint a different picture.
Redknapp has opted to play the former Marseille defender in midfield – a decision that is happily accepted by the player.
“He has helped me a lot already. He has tried to make me a more intelligent player,” the 26-year-old said.
“If he tells me to play somewhere I make sure I play there. It is important to listen to what he says.
“That is the only way we can move forward as a team.”