There was many a giggle this summer when Adel Taarabt was linked with a €17 million move to Paris Saint-Germain. The newly rich French club were looking to flaunt their cash, but even after he had played a major role in getting Queens Park Rangers to the Premier League, such a price on Taarabt’s head seemed ridiculous. The move failed to materialise, PSG opted for the more expensive but infinitely more sensible option of Javier Pastore, and Taarabt was left to consider a Premier League season with QPR. A season which has seen his stock fall with almost every game he plays.

Taarabt hadn’t exactly had the brightest of starts to life back in England’s top flight, but when he was taken off at half time of their defeat to Tottenham at the weekend, it spoke loudly that even Neil Warnock is beginning to lose faith. No goals, no assists, and just 40% of his attempted shots on target, for someone who supposedly poses an attacking threat, Taarabt has not settled well in the Premier League. Withdrawn early with increasing regularity, culminating in his half time bath at White Hart Lane, the Moroccan must be wondering just how so much has changed in such a short space of time.

It seems only yesterday that he was being heralded thanks to his contribution in helping QPR win the Championship, and hardly much longer ago that he arrived in England, heralded as the ‘next Zidane’. That, perhaps, should have set off a rather large warning bell (the previous incumbent of that tag on these shores was Bruno Cheyrou) but big things were expected after he had been convinced by Damien Comolli to join Tottenham.

The promise of first team football that had lured him from his supposed original destination in North London, Arsenal, never really materialised, however, and when Juande Ramos arrived at the club he even suffered the ignominy of not being given a squad number. Ramos’ replacement by Harry Redknapp should have been a good thing for Taarabt, with ‘Arry’s love of flair players and lack of tactical nous apparently a perfect fit for a player who had already shown signs of being a troublesome character.

It wasn’t to be, however, and Taarabt was soon shipped on, joining QPR on loan. After a year at Loftus Road, and with Spurs ready to sell, Taarabt was quoted as saying that he hoped to join one of the ‘big four’ teams in Spain for the 2010-11 season. He believed that his rightful home was with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla or Valencia. He joined QPR on a permanent basis.

It looked to be the move that made him as a player, however. With a solid defensive base – QPR conceded just 32 goals in the league season – Warnock felt comfortable in letting Taarabt off the leash, allowing him to roam as he pleased, lacking defensive responsibility but the lynchpin of their attack. He ended the season with 19 goals, a contribution that meant Warnock and the club’s owners were reluctant to let him go for anything other than a ridiculous offer. Many felt they got that offer when PSG came calling, but still he remained in London.

The hope was that he could carry his Championship form into the Premier League, proving to be the creative spark that kept the club afloat on their return to the top flight. But as QPR struggled to keep up the defensive cohesion they had shown in promotion, they felt less and less able to give Taarabt the sort of freedom that he requires. No longer the centre of attention in the side, Taarabt contribution continued to wane, leaving many questioning whether he deserves a place in the side.

When one looks at the man who stepped into the shoes that Taarabt was supposed to fill at Tottenham, it is easy to see why the Moroccan has so disappointed this campaign. Rafael van der Vaart, helped along by a higher class of team mate, it must be admitted, has shown just what a player of that style can achieve.

Van der Vaart has played 93 fewer minutes than Taarabt this season, but has recorded 24 shots on goal to Taarabt’s 20. More damning, 20 of the Spurs man’s have been on target (an on target ratio of 83.33%) while only 8 of Taarabt’s have troubled the goalkeeper. Van der Vaart also has more goals (six to none), more assists (two to none), has a better pass completion rate (84% to 82%) and has created more chances from open play per minute than Taarabt.

In every possible way Van der Vaart has proven to be a better acquisition than Taarabt, the player that the latter should have been. He is a luxury at best, and he is rarely at his best. His arrogance and petulance stretch far beyond the talent he has shown and it is no surprise that Warnock has begun to lose faith. It is surely a question of when, rather than if, he is permanently relegated to the bench, and when it happens it might just be a decision that gives QPR a lot better chance of retaining their Premier League status.