TAMAS Priskin, the man who was “going nowhere” on Friday, signed on loan for QPR just three days later.

Carl Marston

By Carl Marston

TAMAS Priskin, the man who was “going nowhere” on Friday, signed on loan for QPR just three days later.

So what changed manager Roy Keane's mind?

I would suggest a couple of reasons. Firstly, Keane managed to have some success in the transfer market, by persuading his old club Sunderland, and manager Steve Bruce in particular, to part with both David Healy and Daryl Murphy.

And secondly, Priskin's performance at Preston on Saturday, although he had a couple of chances in an overall poor team display, did not suggest a striker about to burst into form for Town.

In short, Keane needed a change, a fresh outlook, new blood.

That's why Healy and Murphy have come in, and why Priskin has been given a chance to resurrect his career at under-achieving QPR.

There's no doubt that Town have not seen the best of their Hungarian international, since his high profile �1.7m move from Watford last summer. He, too, might benefit from a fresh start.

Priskin insisted: “I wasn't getting enough games at Ipswich, but hopefully I will get to play more with QPR.

“I'm here to score goals and I'm confident I will do that if I get a run of games in the side.

“I like to get on the ball and I believe I'm a good player, but I know there is room for improvement.”

Priskin is set to make his QPR debut against basement dwellers Peterborough this Saturday, although he will not be allowed to play in the Londoners' next fixture - he will have to sit out the visit of Ipswich a week today, because of a clause in the deal preventing him from playing against his parent club.

The 23-year-old only scored two goals in 19 outings for Town. He netted in the Carling Cup defeat at Peterborough in August, when he also missed a penalty, but his finest moment was scoring with a header in the 3-3 draw at Doncaster in mid-September.

Although he claimed that his chances have always been limited at Portman Road, it's interesting to note that he was in Keane's 18-man squad for each of the first 13 league games, and was only left out of one of Town's first 20 fixtures in the Championship.

Yet on the other side of the coin, Priskin will no doubt highlight the fact that his longest run in the starting line-up was a mere three games.

Ironically, although he failed to score in each of Town's last three games, he did have chances to score in all of them - as a substitute at Southampton and against West Brom, and from the start at Preston.

Now, though, Priskin will start with a clean slate at Loftus Road.

“I want to give everything I can to QPR,“ continued Priskin.

“This is a crazy Championship. If we can get a few wins, we can move right up the table.”

THE TURNAROUND

THREE days is a long time in football!

Here is what Roy Keane had to say at last Friday's press conference, about Tamas Priskin, ahead of the Preston game:

“Tamas is going nowhere. Tamas is staying at the football club. The boy deserves a chance. I think that he's a talented player.

"Some players take longer than others to settle in. I think our fans have been very, very patient with Tamas so far, and maybe we all have

to be a little more patient with him.

"Tamas is a player we've obviously gauged and we've had plenty of enquiries about him. But I made a decision the other night. My gut feeling is that he's

going to stay with us. He has missed out on a few squads, and he hasn't had that many minutes on the pitch.

"We all need to be a little patient. I know there comes a point when the patience runs out, don't get me wrong, but he deserves more of an

opportunity and he's going to get that with all the games coming up.”

Priskin fact-file

BORN: Komarno, Slovakia, in September, 1986 (aged 23)

WATFORD DAYS: After two lean years, he scored 14 goals last season

TOWN MOVE: �1.7m from Watford last summer

FRUSTRATIONS: never held down a regular place in Town side this season, mustering just one league goal and two in all competitions

GOOD AND BAD: summed up at Peterborough, where he scored his first goal for Town, but on the losing side after all missing out a penalty

LAST GAME: A rare start at Preston. Missed a great chance and had a goal disallowed for offside