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QPR were unable to find a way past 10-man Stoke at the weekend – Sam Clucas was shown a straight red card for a moment of madness just eight minutes in – and a disappointing afternoon at Loftus Road was capped off by the dismissal of Grant Hall in the 87th minute.
What Steve McClaren did next, though, was a huge show of faith in one his younger players and it may be an early indicator that Darnell Furlong may be set to climb above a key member of the first team in the pecking order.
On the chalkboard
Centre-back Hall was sent for an early bath after a late challenge and McClaren opted to reinforce his backline with the introduction of Furlong, who came on for Nakhi Wells.
The 23-year-old has impressed at right-back in the absence of Angel Rangel through injury but stepped into the heart of defence for the dying minutes, while Joel Lynch – a natural centre-back – was left on the bench.
It has been unclear as to whether Rangel, who recently returned to training with the Hoops, would regain his starting spot from Furlong, but now it seems that McClaren may be seeking a way to accommodate both.
Bad news for Lynch
Lynch has been a fixture in the Hoops’ starting XI this season, making 29 league appearances and scoring three goals, although McClaren’s interesting decision to leave the Welshman on the bench while Furlong filled the void left by Hall’s departure from the pitch perhaps shows that he may be slipping down the pecking order.
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Academy graduate Furlong’s versatility will be an asset going forward and McClaren’s preference to give the Luton-born ace the nod ahead of Lynch shows that he may feature at centre-back far more frequently going forward – he has only played there four times this season, whereas he has been deployed at full-back 10 times.
Reports emerged last week that Rangers captain Tony Leistner could be subject to a £5m bid from Aston Villa or Cardiff in the summer and McClaren could be preparing for his departure by affording Furlong more opportunities in central defence. Could Hall and Furlong be the partnership to shore up the backline for the foreseeable future?
