Afternoon:
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Rampant Rangers star still fears old King Cole
James Olley, Evening Standard12 Feb 2008
Patrick Agyemang today admitted he is relishing the prospect of facing goalscoring legend Andy Cole as Queens Park Rangers prepare for the biggest week of their season. The 27-year-old has made a sensational start to his Rangers career scoring seven goals in five league games, including a brace in Saturday's 3-2 win at Southampton.
Now they face two home clashes which could prove key to their play-off challenge, starting with tonight's visit of Burnley, who include former Manchester United star Cole
"Andy Cole often doesn't get the credit he deserves - he is a great player and a legend of the game," said Agyemang, who joined Rangers from Preston for £350,000 last month.
"He scored at the weekend and can obviously still cut it at this level even though he is now 36. It'll be great to be on the same pitch as someone like him.
"As a football fan, I followed him at Newcastle and then when he signed for Manchester United - he formed that great partnership with Dwight Yorke. Back then he was untouchable and one of the best strikers in the game.
"Those partnerships are the sort of things you dream of as a striker."
Agyemang could hardly have begun his QPR career any better. The only side he has failed to score against so far is Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup and Italian manager Luigi De Canio has started to mould the team around his Ghanaian striker.
Agyemang said: "I am a lot happier at QPR and I am getting chances to score in every game because of the way the team is playing.
"With the likes of Rowan Vine and Akos Buzsaky, we have quick players who run with the ball and, in some ways, they see me as the main player. The manager wants me to get on the last defender and be as far forward as possible.
"He talks through an interpreter and that was something I was not used to, but he gets his point across clearly and has tried to make things as simple as he can.
"There is no magic formula as to why I have started scoring regularly, it's just the difference getting regular games can make.
"Before, at Preston, I was in and out of the side and when I did play, we hardly created anything. I might get one decent chance every three or four games.
"There is no way you can get a run going that way, either as a team or as a striker. But at QPR, it's been different.
"Our style suits my game and we always seem to create plenty of opportunities. It's been great for me - I have signed a four-and-a-half-year deal and I'll definitely be here for a while.
"I am 27 and I hopefully have many years of playing ahead of me.
"You never know what will happen in the future but things have started really well.
"I feel the team has clicked and the results have come with it in the last few weeks - hopefully it will continue."
The competitive nature of this season's Championship means Rangers are eight points clear of the drop zone and, at the same time, six points off the play-offs.
But Agyemang insists his team-mates are looking over their shoulders at ensuring their safety first before contemplating any thoughts of a charge for the Premier League.
"Everyone is focused on staying up at the moment because we are not safe yet," he said. "We have to be realistic - a lot of players have come in and it's been great because everything has gelled so quickly.
"There is no points target for safety - every game is important. It's not like you hit a target and then stop trying.
"But it's definitely a big week for us - maybe the biggest so far. If we can beat Burnley tonight and then Sheffield United on Saturday, it could set us up for the rest of the season and who knows where it might take us."
