Warnock waiting for Wright-Phillips after Wigan loss
Wigan 2 Queen's Park Rangers
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Your support makes all the difference.Joey Barton watched from the stands, Aston Villa full-back Luke Young was only absent due to an internal administrative foul-up and former England winger Shaun Wright-Phillips is one of possibly three more signings targeted by manager Neil Warnock in the next 48 hours. This is certainly a very different project to the one over which the veteran manager thought he would be presiding prior to the arrival of billionaire owner Tony Fernandes a few eventful days ago.
The Malaysian entrepreneur missed the 2-0 defeat at Wigan, a result cemented when Franco Di Santo doubled his career tally of two goals inside the opening 65 minutes, because of commitments with his Formula One team in Belgium but, in his absence, Barton appeared a fitting figurehead for the Rangers revolution, especially when his role in attracting Wright-Phillips was revealed.
"We have made an offer and it's been accepted," Warnock said. "There are four clubs who have agreed and it's really down to the player. Wigan are one of them.
"I think Joey [Barton] has spoken to him, I think they were room-mates at Man City so that might help. We have to see what happens. I think the big draw for Shaun is going back to London. His mum is down there and he's got a house down there and we have to try to convince him."
Barton's unofficial role as recruitment officer, however, appears likely to be less important than the impact he can have on a Rangers side which played attractive, ambitious football and hit the woodwork three times but lacked the grit to establish themselves once behind to the first of Di Santo's deflected goals.
There are certainly enough "characters" in the Rangers ranks to keep Barton company although one of them, the colourful goalkeeper Paddy Kenny, certainly sounded a welcoming note in the direction of the Merseysider.
"I just think he's a good player," Kenny said. "You have to have good players in the Premier League and he wouldn't be signing for us if he hadn't got some baggage, if he hadn't got any baggage then he would be in the England team and at a top-four club. But I don't worry about that at my stage of my career.
"I don't think he's got any problems on the field. I think we've all done things when we were younger that we regret."
Scorer: Wigan Di Santo 41, 66. Substitutes: Wigan McArthur 6 (Moses, 69), Sammon 6 (Di Santo, 69), Stam (Gomez, 85). QPR Harryman 6 (Hall,61), Bothroyd 6 (Buzsaky, 72), Andrade (Smith, 80).
Booked Wigan Caldwell, Piscu. QPR none. Man of the match Di Santo. Match rating 7/10.
Possession: Wigan 51% QPR 49%.
Attempts on target: Wigan 10 QPR 9.
Referee M Oliver (Northumberland).
Attendance 17,225.
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