QPR urged to target Liverpool FC transfer raid in January - Julien Stephan must fix 'emergency' issue | OneFootball

FLW's QPR fan pundit would like to see the club make a move for Liverpool goalkeeper Freddie Woodman in January.

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...

It has been an inconsistent season for Queens Park Rangers in the Championship so far, and their form has not been helped by frequent goalkeeper changes.

Joe Walsh began the season as QPR's number one goalkeeper, but he conceded 11 goals in the first four games of the season before suffering a broken wrist that kept him sidelined for almost three months.

Paul Nardi, who was the R's first choice before being dropped at the start of the season, initially deputised for Walsh during his absence, but after some unconvincing performances, the Frenchman lost his place once again last month, with Ben Hamer, who joined the club on a short-term contract in September, coming into the team.

Hamer then started the next three games for the Hoops, but it would not be long until there was further upheaval between the sticks as he was forced off in the early stages of the 1-0 win at 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 unavailable, Nardi returned for the 3-1 defeat at Norwich City on Saturday, but Walsh was also back in the matchday squad for the first time since September, so it remains to be seen who will get the nod against West Bromwich Albion this weekend.

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

When asked if the club need to bring in a new goalkeeper in January, FLW's QPR fan pundit Louis Moir admitted that he does not have faith in Walsh, Nardi or Hamer, and he insisted that the R's cannot afford to wait until the summer to address the situation.

Louis revealed that he would like to see the Hoops make a move for Liverpool goalkeeper Freddie Woodman, who has made just one EFL Cup appearance since joining the Reds on a free transfer from Preston North End in the summer, and he is currently 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 FLW.

"I wouldn't say we can wait until the summer really to sort out the position. With January coming up, we simply have to get a goalkeeper in.

"I would say it's probably an emergency position that we need to sort out ASAP.

"If you look at the three keepers at the moment, Paul Nardi got dropped for a reason, as we've seen, and came back into the side with Joe Walsh getting injured.

"Joe Walsh started 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 guy, but you can't really judge him.

"He did well on his first start, looked a bit shaky after that, and then he gets injured, so it's a bit of a mess and too much swapping around.

"It's going to affect the defence as well. You've just got to think back to that emergency we had a few seasons ago which was utterly ridiculous, but hopefully it won't get anything like that.

"We've definitely got to be targeting someone in January, whether that's a loan or permanent. It might make sense to get a loan in and wait until the summer to really sort it out by getting someone in permanently.

"A lot of our business is done with players coming in from abroad, I wouldn't be against it, we just need someone who is commanding and a clear improvement on what we have because it's really messing us up, quite frankly.

"Someone I'd be tempted to look at is Freddie Woodman, who signed for Liverpool in the summer.

"Obviously, he's not even getting on their bench, which was expected, and he's probably Liverpool's third choice and, realistically, isn't ever going to get a look in. He's a keeper I really like, he has bags of Championship experience and has done well when he's been in this division before.

"He's just sat on the books at Liverpool at the moment doing nothing, and surely, even for himself, he'd want to go out and play a bit of football, so I wouldn't be against a potential loan for Freddie Woodman in January.

"Surely it's something that we'll probably be looking at because the goalkeeping situation needs sorting out, we can't be waiting until the summer.

"There are too many risks attached with all three keepers at the moment, and it's just really doing us in, there's no consistency with it. I'd definitely be looking at Freddie Woodman on loan."

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

QPR have not had the most stable defence this season, and the constant chopping and changing of goalkeepers cannot have helped that situation, so Stephan must try to get some consistency between the sticks, at least until the January transfer window.

Having started the season with him as his number one, it seems that Walsh is Stephan's preferred option, but he had some uncertain moments earlier in the campaign and even conceded seven goals in the defeat at Coventry City in August, so the jury is still out over whether he is good enough for the Championship.

It has become clear that Stephan does not have much trust in Nardi, so it is likely he will 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 they may need an upgrade on their existing goalkeepers.

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