Former Town loanee Macauley Bonne’s QPR future appears in question having been left out of their squad for last night’s 1-0 defeat to Blackpool with manager Mick Beale not ruling out his exit before the transfer window closes on September 1st.

Bonne, who spent last season with the Blues, his hometown club, scoring 12 times, had been a used sub in the West Londoners’ three previous Championship games and started their Carabao Cup tie against his former club Charlton.

Quizzed on why the striker was left out of the 18 last night, Rangers manager Beale said the former Colchester man has dropped below 19-year-old Sinclair Armstrong in the pecking order.

“Macauley was just not selected,” Beale told West London Sport. “I think the impact of Sinclair means when you’re looking at your bench, obviously you’re allowed seven and one’s a goalkeeper, maybe two to cover defensive positions, two for midfield and two up the park.

“I chose to go with young Sinclair over him. Macauley’s had a really good pre-season, we have a really good relationship, everything’s clear and out in the open with Macauley and where he stands in the squad.

“I just feel at the moment that Sinclair earnt the right and certainly with his impact at the weekend I thought it was the right decision and I think we saw that with his performance.”

Quizzed on the likelihood of Bonne, who has a year left on his contract, moving on before the transfer window closes, Beale added: “I think if the right offer comes along for any of our players in this window they could move. That’s the situation we’re in as a club.

“It comes down to whether Macauley is going to be happy. In a few weeks everybody is going to be fit, hopefully, and there’s going to be a lot of competition for places. I think in the next two weeks there might be one or two players knocking on the door.”

Town are on the lookout for another striker ahead of the deadline with Leicester’s George Hirst having been a target throughout the summer.

As reported yesterday, the Foxes are understood to have offered the former Sheffield Wednesday youngster a new contract with a view to sending him out on loan to the Championship.

We understand the Blues are still interested in signing Hirst on a permanent basis but with that deal now appearing less likely to go through have alternative options under consideration.

As TWTD reported last month, if the Blues are forced to look elsewhere for another striker then it isn’t impossible that Bonne could come into their thinking.

Photo: TWTD

PioneerBlue added 15:22 - Aug 17 He's coming home isn't he
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BurleysGloryDays added 15:23 - Aug 17 Work rate, desire, strength, class, a proven goal scorer - a tactical option playing off the shoulder of Freddie instead of having to lead the line, for me it's a big yes yes yes.
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Europablue added 15:25 - Aug 17 It's a definite yes for me too. Get him in for reasonable money and you know that he will give his all!
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KernewekBlue added 15:32 - Aug 17 Other strikers may be a better option IMHO. Whilst he did well when he first came in on loan, his goals tailed off towards to the end of last season, so consistency may be a problem over a whole campaign. KMcK & Ashton will have identified other potential targets so let's see what happens. I trust them, now the club has a clear vision and decent backing, to go in for the right people who will complete the jigsaw for this great club of ours. The process is really starting to bear some fruit now and the acquisition of players seems to be going well. With everyone on the same page, pulling in the same direction and hungry for success, I have a good feeling about this league season and our ability to get back to The Championship by whatever means. COYB

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TexacoCup added 15:33 - Aug 17 I would be happy to see Bonne back here - with the caveat that McK thinks he fits into our system. If he returns it'll mean just that and that would be exciting.
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ploughman added 15:35 - Aug 17 I'm not convinced he's the answer. The heart likes the idea, local boy made good etc. However, I can't help feeling that we could / should be able to do better.
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Doc_Albran added 15:40 - Aug 17 He is not the answer to the 20 goal a season striker discussion (which I'm not sure we need). Totally get he's an Ipswich lad and would give his all, but he is not the goal machine that people are arguing for. He can score goals (but offers less than Harness, Chaplin and Burns) and harries defenders (which Ladapo is doing very effectively at the moment), but I've also never seen a player be offside as much. Plus the goals he did score at the start of last season, he missed twice as many sitters. I don't think he's game is suited to how we play now (hence minimal goals after McKenna joined) and I would have preferred we kept Piggott than bring him in. I would love to be proved wrong and for him to join and be a success, but he doesn't get anywhere near our current starting 11 at the moment and any additions should be competing for a starting spot.

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Paperboymatt added 15:40 - Aug 17 He has passion, desire, work rate a good football brain fairly quick & technically good. It's his boyhood club whom I'm sure he has unfinished business with now, you could go and spend loads more on someone and they don't produce. The striker seems to be The thing we need right now & I personally think his instincts are still greater than what we have & if you can spend the money on Leif then they can afford Bonne & also had the issue of service before but it's improved a lot...it has to be worth a go town

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Help added 15:42 - Aug 17 Celina did not come back so who knows?
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inghamspur added 15:42 - Aug 17 Not good enough for us I'm afraid
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Europablue added 15:47 - Aug 17 Doc_Albran I believe that the 5 sub rule totally changes the dynamics of team selection and squad pecking order. Of course, you still want to be the player who gets 90 minutes, but a lot of our attacking players are going to be expected to expend have a shorter more intense shift. I would say that it is well worth it to get a player in who is for coming on with 30 minutes to go to with fresh legs against a tired defense. Bonne could fill that role. It's interesting that we left his number vacant.

2

Europablue added 15:48 - Aug 17 Help Not bringing Celina back was a good choice for the balance of our squad. Harness is a much better fit.
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masetheace added 15:48 - Aug 17 Started well - faded badly - goodbye and thanks !!
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Pessimistic added 15:50 - Aug 17 Bring him back! Macauley Bonne is one of my all-time favourite Town players, and I would dearly love to see the prodigal son return to Portman Road - where he belongs!
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Linkboy13 added 15:53 - Aug 17 We need to be signing players that have the ability to play in the championship and Bonne has proved at QPR he not up to it. Im not into this one of our own sentimental clap trap we need to set our sights higher.
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Barty added 15:59 - Aug 17 Don't want him back
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Europablue added 16:03 - Aug 17 Pessimistic Just for the romance of a home-town hero, I'd love to bring Boone back. His goals at the start of last season were so much more meaningful. He's proven that he can do it at this level. Whether he is compatible with KM is another matter. Having said that. If he didn't have the Ipswich connection, he'd be a definite no for me. I'd love to see him back, then again there might be a reason why I'm not the manager ;)

3

ohjimmyb added 16:04 - Aug 17 Bring him home!
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BlueRuin69 added 16:18 - Aug 17 Yes from me, come home Bonne Coyb!
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Bert added 16:22 - Aug 17 For sentimental reasons and as a squad player yes but KMcK will know best as to what is needed up front.
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Class_of_81 added 16:25 - Aug 17 It's a no brainer for me. He loves the club. His work rate, no matter if he scores or not was never a problem. He is a clever player. So t see any of these so called other strikers coming down here to play. Sign him, what else is there out there who LOVES ITFC as much as us supporters. Bring him home.
2

micky_1560 added 16:28 - Aug 17 It's a 'NO' from me, showed in the last half of the season that he doesn't suit a McKenna team. We have enough now that put in the work rate, but can't score the goals!
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Len_Brennan added 16:28 - Aug 17 If the pursuit for Hirst is over, and we have no other goalscorer lined up, well then I can understand A LOAN move for Bonne - we badly need another center forward in ASAP. If Ladapo gets injured & is out for a few weeks, we are very much in trouble as Jackson is a very different type of frontman. I agree with Linkboy regarding Bonne's capacity to play in the Championship & that we need to be signing players now that can do so; that is way I believe we should only sign him on loan if we are to make a move for him. Ultimately his finishing is not at the level we need, he misses far too many good opportunities, even when he is on form, which is hugely frustrating in games wherever are desperately looking for a way through. Harness, Chaplin are played as #10s & both are more natural finishers; Burns is a better finisher, even though he is a wing back. I was really hoping we would be signing a goalscoring forward, someone who could be depended upon in one on one's & other clear cut chances. Bonne will score goals, and some good ones, if he signs, but will he gain us the points up front, that Walton will gain us by his performances at the back? Points that would be the difference between us finishing in the promotion places or not? I don't think so.

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OliveR16 added 16:39 - Aug 17 He didn't really thrive under the new regime - his high points were in the (otherwise poor) first half of last season. We can't get into signing people just because they're Town fans! That's more the Colchester way.
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BarbelBoy added 16:40 - Aug 17 Not for me. I get that he's a local boy but that isn't a reason to be picked for our team. I also can't understand those who think he's a prolific striker. Check out his record. He's played 295 senior games - mostly at lower level - and has scored 79 goals. That's an average of a goal every 3.73 games ! If we are building for promotion and beyond then we must aim higher than him.

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