 Thursday, 28th Jul 2011 14:10 by Clive Whittingham Neil Warnock was trotting out his “just what we needed” summer catchphrase again on Wednesday evening after seeing his side slip to a narrow 1-0 defeat against Serie A side Cesena. NewsWarnock told the official website: "It was just what we needed. The weather was typically English and they played at a slow tempo that suited us at this stage of our pre-season campaign. It won't be that slow in the Premier League, but it was perfect for us on the night. It gave us a chance to work on shape and look at certain things. We had some really good chances and we'll have to take those in the Premier League, but all in all it was a thoroughly good work-out." Earlier in the week Warnock had expressed his delight that the club had been able to hang on to Adel Taarabt who had seemed set to join Paris St Germain this summer. Warnock said: “We're all delighted that he's staying. You've got to have matchwinners in the Premier League and he's just that. It's a fantastic achievement by the club to keep him on board. It gives everybody a big lift, because he's got such a lot to offer us next season." One of Warnock’s predecessors at QPR Ray Wilkins has spoken this week about how Taarabt will need to adapt his game to play regularly in the Premiership. Wilkins told London 24: “Adel is a very talented young man, he’s got an abundance of ability. He can unlock doors and, coupled with that, he can score goals. But in the Premier League you have to defend with 11 men, and he has to be prepared to put in some of the donkey work with the rest of the lads. In the Championship you can get away with certain things, but in the Premier League it’s a different story, and if you try to defend with ten players you’re going to have a problem, so he needs to work hard on that side of his game.” Shaun Derry looked a little leggy last night but he insists he wants a starting position when the Premiership gets underway in a fortnight. He told the West London Sport website: “I always like proving people wrong and I take encouragement from the manager’s words. When he said last year that I was going to be a squad player, I wanted to prove him wrong and this year I don’t want to be a squad player in the Premier League – I want one of those starting places and I want to keep it. I’m hoping the midfield role I play in will be even more relevant this season. Last season it enabled the more attacking and creative players to shine, and I’m hoping to do a similar job this year. Time will tell. Obviously the class of opposition is going to be better, but we’ve all got something to prove and I certainly feel like I have. I want to prove people wrong again and show that I can play at that level.” Paddy Kenny, on the other hand, was as impressive as ever and produced a fine one on one save to deny Adrian Mutu in the first half. Speaking about the Italian trip and his new team mates Kenny told the club’s official website: "There are a few new players in the squad and this is the ideal environment to bed them in. I was in their shoes last season and it was a great opportunity to get to know the lads. There has always been a good team spirit since I've been here and the new lads have gelled with the rest of us. “The gaffer has brought in some fine players. They're good quality signings and they've got decent experience, so it should stand us in good stead. Hopefully they'll add a bit more quality to the squad and if the gaffer can bring in one or two more, we'll be in great shape. I'm just really excited now. I'm probably a little bit short in terms of my match sharpness, but that will come this week and I'll be prepared for Bolton. Obviously it's a massive season for the club. This is the league everyone wants to play in and like everybody else, I'm just looking forward to the season starting." Back in the UK a reserve side including Martin Rowlands, Lee Cook, Leon Clarke, Rob Hulse, Danny Shittu, Gary Borrowdale, Radek Cerny and Peter Ramage continues to make its way through a variety of fixtures with obscure non-league sides. Rowlands and Clarke both scored twice in a 4-2 win against Truro City earlier this week – the home side included veteran striker Barry Hayles and our former youth team goalkeeper Tim Sandercombe amongst their number. here and here. Rangers have also offered a trial to Hampton defender Dean Inman, who impressed against the R’s in a pre-season game earlier this summer. Inman will train with the QPR first team before the start of the new season. RumoursQPR are said to be lining up a bid for Southampton winger Jason Puncheon, although it will come as a surprise to most to hear that the R’s are apparently considering offering Kaspars Gorkss in part exchange. Puncheon is bang out of favour at St Mary’s and currently training with the youth team, but impressed in the Premiership last season on loan at Blackpool. His agent Tony Finnigan told The Mirror: “Southampton don't want him there. They want to sell him, so people are being encouraged to enquire. He is a good player but Nigel Adkins doesn't want him. He has gone from playing at Old Trafford to playing with the Under-16s." Whether Puncheon would be coming in alongside, or as a cheap alternative to, Blackpool’s DJ Campbell remains to be seen. The on off saga of Campbell’s move to Loftus Road appeared to be reaching a conclusion this week when the Mirror reported that he was flying to Italy to hold discussions with Neil Warnock over a possible three year contract and £1.2m move. Former R’sAccident prone goalkeeper Tony Roberts has finally retired from playing professional football at the age of 42. Roberts achieved the rare distinction of clocking up ten year spells with two different league clubs after playing for QPR from 1987 to 1998 and Dagenham and Redbridge from 2000 until the end of last season but following the Daggers’ relegation back to League Two he has decided to call it a day and concentrate on his coaching career at Arsenal. Roberts actually retired from the game in 1998 after a brief spell with Millwall when doctors advised he could lose a finger if he continued to play, however after having a special splint made for his glove he returned to action with then non-league Dagenham and went on to clock up more than 500 appearances for them. His last match in the game was a 5-0 defeat by Peterborough on the last day of last season. Roberts told Dagenham’s official website: “I've been putting it off for the last couple of years now. They've been asking me to go full time for a while. I sat down with John and explained the situation - things have to come to an end. Last year I had the opportunity to work with the first team. Not many opportunities come along where you get offered a fantastic role at one of the world's biggest football clubs. To play 500 games for anybody is decent. I'm happy - I've been here for 10 seasons and represented my country along the way. There's so much stuff to look back on during my time with Dagenham & Redbridge. I want to thank all the fans for their support over the years. We've had some good times, some good games and a laugh. You've just got to keep your support up. We're only a small club from Essex but we've certainly caused a lot of ripples in the football world.” Another former QPR goalkeeper, Jake Cole, has signed for League Two side Plymouth following his release by Barnet. And Lee Camp could yet be on the move as well, he has demanded talks with Nottingham Forest after they blocked his proposed £1.5m move to Premiership new boys Swansea. Our former loan star Andrew Davies could be set to spend next season with Crystal Palace after being completely frozen out at Stoke. Davies played for Palace o trial in a 1-0 pre-season victory against Norwich earlier this week and will turn out again on Saturday when the Eagles face Bournemouth before manager Dougie Freedman decides whether to make a cash offer to sign him permanently or take him on loan for the season. Premiership Shorts- Man City are set to splash the cash again after agreeing a £38m fee with Athletico Madrid for Argentina forward Sergio Aguero. The move could pave the way for a departure of one of City’s existing forwards with Carlos Tevez keen to return to South America and Mario Balotelli being linked with Roma after a very public bust up with Roberto Mancini last week. Balotelli attempted an outlandish 360 degree back-healed shot when through one on one with the goalkeeper in a friendly with LA Galaxy and blew the chance. Mancini immediately substituted him and reprimanded him on the touchline. - Our old mate El Hadji Diouf is in trouble again. The Blackburn forward, who returned two weeks late to pre-season training with Rovers and is now transfer listed, has been banned from playing for Senegal for five years by the country’s FA. The ban, which effectively ends his international career, was handed down after he said "the whole system of African football is corrupt" in an interview with French radio. - Four Premiership loan deals to tell you about. Man City have sent full back Ben Mee to Burnley for the season. Mee said: “It's a frustrating being around the first team but never getting the chance to show what you can do.” Bradford have loaned Liverpool reserve keeper Martin Hansen for the first month of the season. Oldham have signed Stoke midfielder Matthew Lund for three months. Nathan Byrne has been loaned to Bournemouth for the season by Spurs. - Two more Premiership players heading down a division have pitched up at Ipswich. Arsenal have sold Jay Emmanuel Thomas, who failed to impress during his time with Cardiff last year, to the Tractor Boys for £1m and Fulham goalkeeper David Stockdale will spend the season on loan at Portman Road after extending his contract with Martin Jol’s men. - Bolton have completed the signing of Nigel Reo Coker on a two year contract following his release from Aston Villa. QPR’s opponents on day one are also continuing discussions with Chris Eagles and Tyrone Mears after having a bid accepted for the pair by Burnley. - Aston Villa have had a bid of £9.5m accepted by Wigan for Charles N’Zogbia. Alex McLeish is keen to strengthen his attack after losing Stewart Downing and Ashley Young in this transfer window. - West Brom are closing in on Birmingham goalkeeper Ben Foster after allowing Scott Carson to move to Turkey. The deal for Foster would be a season long loan deal with a view to a permanent transfer next summer. The Baggies had previously been linked with Paddy Kenny. 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