Julien Stephan 'has to' do one QPR thing with ex-Leeds United star - 'he's absolutely superb' | OneFootball

Glen Kamara has impressed for QPR, but how does Julien Stephan fit him into his team?

Queens Park Rangers' form has dipped of late, but Julien Stephan will surely be delighted by what he has seen from his side so far in the Championship.

The Hoops sit fifth in the table and have impressed with their performances, with their home defeat the only blot on their early-season record.

Stephan will also be encouraged by the quality options within his ranks and will have been pleased by what he saw from Glen Kamara when he replaced Nicolas Madsen at half-time against West Brom.

QPR's boss now has some decisions to make ahead of Preston North End's visit this Saturday, and while he will find it tough to fit all his quality in, there seems to be a solution.

Julien Stephan urged to pair Glen Kamara and Nicolas Madsen together

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Stephan has been chopping and changing in midfield this season, but that is not a sign of panic; rather, it sums up the quality of options he has at his disposal.

Managing Madsen and Kamara's fitness has been key in the early stages of a long campaign, while Ronnie Edwards has emerged as another option despite being primarily a defender.

Of course, the big question is who will end up as Stephan's favoured midfield combination, with Harvey Vale and Jonathan Varane also in contention.

Kamara has impressed in his six Championship appearances this term, and, when asked if the Finland international should start ahead of Madsen against North End, FLW's QPR fan pundit Louis Moir suggested an alternative approach.

"Glen Kamara has not really put a foot wrong since joining the club; he's been a joy to watch," Louis told Football League World. "He's really showing his quality considering he's not played a lot of football before joining us; he's absolutely superb."

"He came on for Madsen at half-time at West Brom, but that was just due to Madsen getting fully fit. But I think the ideal midfield partnership has to be Madsen and Kamara, because there is an abundance of quality between them.

"One of them might not play 90 minutes, but I think you've got to look at those two as your key midfielders. Madsen's got that attacking ability, and they can both control the game. Kamara has even shown he can do the dirty work, so those two would really work. If we get those two playing together consistently and staying fit, they'll be a joy to watch."

Glen Kamara's numbers make for positive reading

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Kamara joined QPR on loan from Ligue 1 side Rennes at the end of the summer transfer window and already looks like a smart signing for the West Londoners.

The 30-year-old has slotted into Stephan's midfield with ease and understands how the club want to play, trying to dominate possession and control games.

While the former Arsenal man has been easing his way in to build up his fitness, he has already made six league appearances, playing just over 300 minutes of football.

Kamara's underlying statistics make for positive reading, with the central midfielder ranking in the top six per cent of Championship players in his position for successful passes, accurate long balls and duels won, according to FotMob.

While they have only partnered each other from the off twice this season, he and Madsen threaten to be a quality midfield duo and can maintain the Hoops' position in the play-off places.

Can QPR maintain early-season form?

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Of course, it is incredibly early days in the season, and the Hoops have been here before, but it seems that Stephan has fixed some of the club's problems from last term.

Last season, the West London outfit conceded 73 goals, with bottom-side Sheffield Wednesday the only team to concede more.

This time round, QPR, along with Swansea City, have the best defensive record in the division, having only conceded five and that has allowed Stephen's men to grind out some tight results.

Goals have been harder to come by, but the emphasis at the start of the season would have been about being defensively solid, and now the club can build on that foundation.

Yes, it is hard to judge the Hoops just yet, and they have had some favourable fixtures against clubs near the bottom of the table, but this team has every right to be challenging for the play-offs this season.