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September 2, 2024

Aaron Connolly: ‘We Need Pace’ to Address QPR Regrets – EFL Championship

The ‘Terrace Talk series from Football League World features the perspectives of our FLW Fan Pundits on various topics, including teams, players, managers, potential signings, and breaking news.

As the transfer market closed on Friday night, Football League clubs—including QPR—had to make do with the players available to them until January, when the season got underway.

After the season started last month, most clubs regretted the one that got away or a lack of reinforcements in a particular area.

This will also apply to Queens Park Rangers, who secured their first win of the year against Luton Town just hours before the transfer deadline.

Even after adding eleven new players to Loftus Road during the summer, the Hoops’ roster may still have room for improvement. Football League World’s QPR enthusiast analyst Louis Moir has identified one area where he believes his team could be deficient.

The Queens Park Rangers might need help locating an option for Michael Frey or Zan Celar.

Slovenian international Zan Celar, who is 25 years old, joined Rangers in the summer after reportedly paying £1.7 million to move from Lugano to the West London team.

Given their intimidating stature, the frontman joined Michael Frey as an option up top for Marti Cifuentes’ team, albeit their play styles are comparable.

While Celar has yet to score for his new team, Frey has scored three goals in five games across all competitions. Moir thinks relying too much on those two players up top could be QPR’s downfall in the coming months.

The Rangers fan said: “I think a lot of fans – including myself – were quite frustrated that we didn’t sign another striker to give us a different option going forward.

“At the end of the day, we are now going to be reliant on Michael Frey and Zan Celar, and probably at a push putting Alfie Lloyd or Rayan Kolli up front.

“It is a slight risk, obviously Frey has started really well

Michael frey 24/35 QPR stats (All competitions)

Appearances	5
Goals	3
Assists	1
Goal contribution/90	1.05

“If one of them get an injury we have got to rely on just those two in terms of strikers.”

Free agent Aaron Connolly could still be a potential QPR option

As the season goes on, Rangers may come to regret not adding an option to score goals, as Lyndon Dykes has also left the team to play for Birmingham City of League One.

This season, the R’s have already been hindered by a lack of substitute options, as evidenced by their inability to overcome a Plymouth Argyle team that played for nearly an hour with ten men and ended up with just nine players on the field.

Aaron Connolly, a forward who left Hull City in the summer and is currently a free agent, is the ideal addition to the team that Moir already has his sights set on. The forward will provide the speed up top that Rangers need to improve.

The Hoops fan continued: “He is still available on a free transfer now, although the fact that he has not been picked up already is probably a bit of a red flag.

“But he is a player who still has got a fair bit of potential in him, he is still fairly young, he is quite quick, and he has the potential capabilities to score a few goals at this level.

“He would have added pace that we need up front, and it would have just given a different option, because Frey and Celar are fairly similar in a way.

“I just think we need pace up front, and Aaron Connolly on a free transfer would give you that, but he is still available on a free, so you never know he might still sign for someone, and we might even be looking at him.

“But I would have liked to have seen a pacy striker to see a different option, and Aaron Connolly would tick a few boxes for me.”

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