QPR boss Ramsey confirms Vargas, Zarate ´problems´

QPR manager Chris Ramsey has confirmed there have been issues with Eduardo Vargas and Mauro Zarate this season, but refused to blame the club’s Premier League relegation on individual players.

Midfielder Joey Barton last week spoke of “bad eggs” in the QPR dressing room who were undermining their battle to avoid drop, which ultimately came to an end in a 6-0 drubbing at Manchester City on Sunday.

A report in the Daily Mirror claimed Adel Taarbt, Armand Traore, Mauricio Isla, Zarate and Vargas were the players in question, with Barton later denying those suggestions by describing the story as ‘clueless journalism’.

However, further stories surfaced this week that claimed Vargas refused to come on as a substitute during the 3-1 defeat to Crystal Palace in March, while Zarate is said to have stormed out after not making the matchday squad for a fixture against Liverpool earlier this month.

Ramsey refused to comment on individual incidents, but he did confirm that the club have had to deal with internal issues regarding the pair.

“What was reported in the week regarding the players, I mean there were some issues I won’t deny that, we dealt with them at the time.” he said.

“Unfortunately these things happen in football, unfortunately our dirty laundry has come out. We need to draw a line under it and move on.

“I mean, what I can say is that there were problems of a similar nature that we dealt with. The players have basically not been available to be picked subsequently.

“I think over the course of a season you can’t pin-point players. I wouldn’t blame them as individuals, but it hampered our choice of players.”

Ramsey also suggested that the problems involving Taarabt and Traore have been due to a lack of fitness. The pair remain under contract for next season and Ramsey warned they must get in shape to kick-start their careers.

“I expect them to be here because they have a contract,” he added. “Do I want them to be here? I want them here if they’re fit and ready to play. It’s purely a fitness issue that they’re not available to be picked. 

“There has not been any other issue I’ve been aware of apart from they haven’t been able to be in contention for team selection.”

Ramsey defended the timing of Barton’s interview before the City game, adding: “I don’t think Joey did anything wrong at all. He gave an interview that he thought was the correct thing at the time. It had nothing to do with how the game panned out.”