Queens Park Rangers midfielder Adel Taarabt hit back at manager Harry Redknapp, who accused the midfielder of being "three stone" overweight and not nearly fit to play following the team's 3-2 home loss to Liverpool.
Taarabt wasn't on the sidelines for the Liverpool match, having instead played in a reserve game earlier in the week. Some of Redknapp's comments were related to Taarabt's performance in the game, with the QPR boss saying, "I could have run about more than he did."
The Moroccan learned of the comments from Redknapp later in the day while watching the Swansea vs. Stoke City match, according to a report in The Daily Mail.
"I am a professional, this is not about retaliation," said Taarabt. "This is about protecting my reputation. I played in that reserve game for 90 minutes and if he didn't think I was running, he could have taken me off.
"Just because we are losing games, I am not going to kick the ball in the stands. My job is to create, bring goals to the team. Maybe he expects me to make more tackles. I am not this type of player.
"I can only get fitness playing [in the] Premier League. You can train six or seven hours, but you won't be fit."
TAARABT: Harry, I'm not three stone overweight. @neilashton_ chews the fat with the QPR star http://t.co/1LYSdC6tMc pic.twitter.com/lqrSKNwZ9g
- MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) October 20, 2014
So far this season, Taarabt has only played in three games for a total of 125 minutes for QPR in his return season after spending 2013-14 on loan to Fulham and A.C. Milan. The 25-year-old also took shots at Redknapp's training sessions and the amount of time he spends with the team during them.
"He spends most of the time in his office, but when he gets off the phone he comes down to watch for five or 10 minutes. He never takes a [full] session," said Taarabt.
"The problem is we don't have any plan in the game, we don't know how to press as a team. It's not about just running around, you need to play with your brain.
"If you work as a team you run less. If somebody sprints 100 metres they play a triangle around him and you are never going to get the ball."