QPR urged to target Liverpool FC transfer raid in January – Julien Stephan must fix ’emergency’ issue.

This post is part of Football League World’s ‘Terrace Talk’ series, which features unique perspectives from our FLW Fan Pundits on the most recent breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings, and more…

Queens Park Rangers have had an uneven season in the Championship thus far, and their form has been hampered by numerous custodian changes.

Joe Walsh started the season as QPR’s number one goalkeeper, but he surrendered 11 goals in the first four games before breaking his wrist, which sidelined him for nearly three months.

Paul Nardi, who was the R’s first choice before being dropped at the start of the season, initially filled in for Walsh, but after some unconvincing performances, the Frenchman was dropped again last month, and Ben Hamer, who joined the club on a short-term contract in September, took his place.

Hamer then started the next three games for the Hoops, but there was more upheaval between the sticks when he was forced off in the first half of the 1-0 win over Blackburn Rovers last week with a nasty facial injury, with head coach Julien Stephan revealing post-match that he feared the 38-year-old had broken his nose.

With Hamer out, Nardi returned for Saturday’s 3-1 defeat at Norwich City, but Walsh was also included in the matchday squad for the first time since September, so it’s unclear who will start against West Bromwich Albion this weekend.

QPR urged to make Freddie Woodman move in January amid goalkeeper chaos

When questioned if the club needed to bring in a new custodian in January, FLW’s QPR fan analyst Louis Moir stated that he does not trust Walsh, Nardi or Hamer, and stressed that the R’s could not afford to wait until the summer to address the issue.

Louis stated that he would want to see the Hoops sign Liverpool custodian Freddie Woodman, who has made only one EFL Cup appearance since joining the Reds on a free transfer from Preston North End in the summer and is presently third choice behind Alisson and Giorgi Mamardashvili.

“I think there are serious question marks with the goalkeepers we’ve got at the club at the moment,” Louis told Florida Today.

“I wouldn’t say we can wait until the summer to sort out the position; with January approaching, we simply need to get a custodian in.” “I believe it is an emergency situation that needs to be resolved as soon as possible.

“If you look at the three keepers right now, Paul Nardi was dropped for a reason, as we’ve seen, and he came back into the side when Joe Walsh went hurt.

“Joe Walsh began the season, but he clearly isn’t good enough yet, and may never be good enough to be our number one.

Ben Hamer then comes in, an experienced player, but you can’t really judge him. “He did well in his first start, looked a little shaky after that, and then got injured, so it’s a bit of a muddle with too much changing around.

“It’s going to effect the defence as well; just think back to that emergency we had a few seasons ago, which was just insane, but hopefully it won’t get that bad.

“We definitely need to target someone in January, whether it’s on loan or permanent. It might make sense to take out a loan and wait until the summer to fully settle things out by hiring someone permanently.

“A lot of our business is done with players coming in from abroad; I’m not opposed to it; we just need someone who is commanding and an obvious upgrade on what we have because it’s really messing us up, to be honest. “I’d be tempted to look at Freddie Woodman, who joined Liverpool in the summer.

“Obviously, he’s not even making the bench, as was expected, and he’s definitely Liverpool’s third choice and, realistically, won’t get a look in. He’s a keeper I truly like; he has plenty of Championship experience and has performed well in this division before.

“He’s simply sitting on the books at Liverpool right now doing nothing, and certainly, even for himself, he’d want to go out and play some football, so I wouldn’t rule out a January loan for Freddie Woodman.

“Certainly, we’ll look into it because the goalkeeping position needs to be addressed; we can’t wait until the summer.

“There are too many dangers associated to all three keepers right now, and it’s really costing us; there’s no consistency. I’d absolutely check into Freddie Woodman on loan.

Julien Stephan facing big Joe Walsh, Paul Nardi dilemma at QPR as January looms

QPR’s defence has not been the most reliable this season, and the continual chopping and changing of goalkeepers hasn’t helped, so Stephan must strive to find some consistency between the sticks, at least until the January transfer window.

Walsh appears to be Stephan’s preferred option after starting the season as his number one, but he had some uncertain moments earlier in the campaign and conceded seven goals in the defeat at Coventry City in August, so the jury is still out on whether he is good enough for the Championship.

Stephan has made it clear that he does not trust Nardi, so he will most likely be dropped again when Walsh returns to full fitness, but if the R’s are to kick on and seriously challenge for the play-offs this season, it is fair to say that they will need to upgrade their current goalkeepers.

Woodman has previously performed well in the Championship for Swansea City and Preston North End, so he would be a solid addition if the Hoops can secure a deal for him in January, but it is unclear whether he would be willing to leave Liverpool just six months after moving to Anfield.

Read more on Straightwinfortoday.com