QPR backed to loan out defender, Julien Stephan disagrees | OneFootball

It’s recently been revealed that QPR are not looking for a temporary switch for Esquerdinha

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

QPR manager Julien Stephan has already confirmed that a loan move is “not the plan” for talented young left-back Esquerdinha.

The 19-year-old has been behind Sheffield United loanee Rhys Norrington-Davies in the pecking order, and midfielder Sam Field even did a shift at full-back.

But the Brazilian teenager is showing plenty of promise and has made eight Championship appearances so far this season.

We asked our QPR fan pundit, Louis Moir, whether Stephan should reconsider that position and find a temporary switch for the starlet.

A loan move could benefit Esquerdinha

Speaking to Football League World, Louis said: “Obviously, he's been a bit in and out of the squad, like, some weeks he's been on the bench, some weeks he’s not even been in the squad at all.

“And I think when he has played this season, for the most part, he's looked quite solid, to be fair, for someone who's just come onto the scene.

“He is a highly talented player we’ve got on our hands, I think it's clear to see, and I'm excited about what he can do in the future in that left-back position for us.

“I just think going out on loan, saying that it's not going happen, I can understand it, because obviously, you've only got Norrington-Davies, and bar that you haven't got another left-back, who's fit and available. Obviously, we played Sam Field at left-back in a couple of away games.

“I think the best thing for Esquerdinha would be a loan, but maybe they just don't feel it’s right because of the options we have and how easy it could be that he could be called upon, you know?

“So, again, he's still really young. There could be a lot of time for him to even have a loan at the start of next season, for example.

“Sometimes with these youngsters, you don't want to rush their development, and if anything, if he's not on loan, he's getting minutes in the Championship, which is going to benefit him more.

“So, clearly a very, very talented player. Looks a bit too good for the development squad, and I think one to properly make a decision on next summer, I think, whether he goes out on loan or not. So yeah, excited about him, for sure”

Julien Stephan must back up his Esquerdinha plan

After he confirmed Esquerdinha would not be going out on loan, as quoted by West London Sport, Stephan said: “We want to continue the process with him and help him to grow with us.”

But as Louis states, it is clear that the young Brazilian has outgrown youth football, and the next step in that process is consistent minutes.

Since the start of October, he has made just three league appearances, totalling 181 minutes, taking a place on the bench or not even making the matchday squad for the games in between.

While those minutes are an achievement for a player so young, it is difficult to speed up the process of development with such stuttered game time.

Stephan may feel that Esquerdinha is not quite ready to start on a weekly basis, which is a decision entirely at his discretion, but if that’s the case, it makes little sense to have him sat on the bench or out of the squad, when he could be playing senior football at a slightly lower level.

With Ziyad Larkeche injured, depth at left-back is an understandable concern, but the head coach has already shown that he has other options, by using Field in the position over Esquerdinha.

In the unlikely event that both of those players got injured while the Brazilian went out on loan, Stephan would surely be able to find a similar makeshift solution.

But if the QPR boss sticks to his word and keeps the youngster with his senior squad, then he needs to start giving him more opportunities.

Clearly, at 19, there is no rush from the player’s side; he has plenty of time ahead of him, but it makes no sense to needlessly delay his progress.