Dexter Blackstock will once again face his old side this weekend, and he discusses how both clubs have changed in recent months.
Blackstock made the move to W12 from the south coast in August 2006 for a fee believed to be around the £500,000 mark. He joined Gary Waddock`s cash strapped Rangers who, having dispatched of Ian Holloway, were looking for a new beginning in the Coca Cola Championship.
Having only made 15 starts for promotion favourites Southampton, he moved to Rangers in search of first team football, as the Saints had a vast squad full of talent of the likes of £2,000,000 signing Grzegorz Rasiak.
How times have changed at both clubs with the Saints doing all the penny-pinching but using the loan and free-transfer market to full effect. The R`s bolstered by new found wealth were quickly made favourites for the division, and mantle which has slipped since the media`s anticipated ‘influx` never came to fruition.
However distant the side`s fortuned in recent months Dexter Blackstock believes that his former side should not be taken lightly, as they put faith in youth,
‘I know most of the young lads there and they’re a very talented group of players,’ Blackstock told QPR.co.uk
‘They didn’t get a look in under the previous regime, but they’re starting to show people what they’re capable of now.”
Dexter still keeps in contact with a few of his ex-colleagues at Southampton, who say that new manager Jan Poortvliet has instilled a sense of proper football back at St. Mary`s,
‘I still speak to a few of them and they speak very highly of the Manager. He wants them to get the ball down and play total Dutch football and I think they’ll surprise a few people this season.”
‘We can’t afford take them lightly and that goes for the rest of the sides in this division too.’
Dexter Blackstock has made a useful start in his lone striker`s role, bagging three goals in all competitions, and he currently has two in two for Rangers.
There are a few current connections between the two clubs going into the clash this Sunday, with Fitz Hall and Dexter Blackstock both playing for Southampton, whilst Rowan Vine played for Portsmouth and is sure to get some stick from the travelling supporters.
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