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This article is part of Football FanCast’s The Chalkboard series, which provides a tactical insight into teams, players, managers, potential signings and more… 

Mark Warburton has begun to turn around QPR’s fortunes since his arrival in the summer and much of that is down to the improvement he has made to individual players, some of whom have contributed match-winning performances.

That is vital as R’s boss, as the transfer budget only allows for free agents and loan players, which means the club is unable to sign whomever they wish.

At QPR there has been a greater focus on the youth academy in recent years, and Warburton has taken that philosophy on board, with the likes of Eberechi Eze and Ilias Chair benefitting as a result.

The new boss is yet to find a formula to make his side effective in all departments, but there have been several positives to take from the first 16 league games, and the improvement in the three players below is certainly one.

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Nahki Wells

The improvement from the striker is clear for all to see, and from his recent comments it is clear to see that he is thoroughly enjoying his football in West London.

QPR now play a brand of passing, free-flowing football which suits Wells a lot better, and the on-loan Burnley man has already eclipsed his goal tally from last season despite playing only 14 league games.

There is plenty to be positive about for Wells, who has Warburton’s trust to play ahead of Jordan Hugill, and if he can continue linking up with the creative midfielders around him then he should have continued success.

One aspect of his game he will need to be aware of though is his mistakes. His backpass last week resulted in a Middlesbrough goal and with the R’s defensive record as bad as it is, they can’t afford any more slip-ups.

Eberechi Eze

Last year under Steve McClaren the England U20 international showed glimpses of the player he could become, and though he gained valuable experience a return of four goals and three assists left a lot to be desired.

However, like Wells he has also benefitted from the new style of play, as well as the freedom granted to him by Warburton.

His role in the team now allows him to run at defenders and that is a big reason why he has made the most successful dribbles in the division, but the confidence given to him by his manager also plays a part.

Eze now has six goals and four assists in the Championship, which shows he has come a long way in just a few months.

Ilias Chair

Chair displayed his ability on a consistent basis last year when he scored six and assisted six in 16 games on loan at Stevenage last year, but to make the step-up from League Two in the fashion he has is quite an achievement.

He has occasionally struggled when he has featured for the R’s before this season, achieving a pass accuracy of 78% and 68% in 2017/18 and 2018/19 respectively, some way short of his 84% so far this campaign.

His confidence on the ball is clear to see and he keeps the midfield ticking over effectively, while also showing that he is capable of playing in a more advanced role with three assists under his belt already.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could have both Mohamed Salah and Virgil Van Dijk available to feature against Crystal Palace, according to the Express.

Salah has been suffering with an ankle injury since playing Leicester in early October and hobbled off against Manchester City in the latter stages with a similar injury.

The Egyptian didn’t join up with his teammates on international duty as he attempted to rest his ankle ahead of a hectic winter fixture schedule for the European champions.

While his form has still been good, it’s an injury Salah has had to manage carefully, as he missed the clash against Manchester United at Old Trafford because of ankle problem.

Centre-back Virgil Van Dijk should be available for the clash at Selhurst Park, despite missing the Netherlands’ fixture against Estonia.

The Dutchman pulled out of the game for ‘personal reasons’ after playing the full 90 minutes against Northern Ireland, helping his nation to qualify for the 2020 European championships.

Klopp will hope to have two of his star players back in time for the trip to London, as between them they’ve missed just one Premier League game so far this season. Given their importance to the side at both ends of the pitch, having them available for what has proven to be a difficult trip in the past for title challengers (the Reds and Manchester City have lost there in recent years) is obviously a positive.

Elsewhere in the squad, Sadio Mane should be available despite being substituted at half time of Senegal’s latest fixture.

Despite initial fears of an injury, manager Aliou Cisse clarified that Mane was brought off to protect against him receiving a second yellow card.

Are Liverpool on course to finally win the Premier League? Join the discussion by commenting below… 

Plenty of Wolves fans have been wondering about the Molineux future of on-loan midfielder Connor Ronan.

The 21-year-old Irishman has been on loan to Slovakian outfit DAC Dunajska Streda since January, scoring two goals in 30 games for them so far.

Having had previous loan spells at Portsmouth and Walsall, he has struggled to break into the Wolves team, making just 13 senior appearances for the Molineux side since his debut in December 2016.

He seems to be benefitting from his loan move to Slovakia, though, with The Athletic’s Wolves reporter Tim Spiers tweeting that he is apparently playing “the best football of his career” with DAC Dunajska Streda. [via @TimSpiers]

According to The Irish Sun, Ronan put in a hugely influential display for Republic of Ireland under-21s in their 4-1 win over Sweden on Tuesday night, coming off the bench at half-time to masterfully set up a goal for Tottenham’s Troy Parrott, his performance delighting a number of Irish fans watching the game.

These Wolves supporters on Twitter are curious to know if the 21-year-old will have a part to play at Molineux once his loan spell in Slovakia ends, with one fan believing that he should be ahead of Morgan Gibbs-White and Bruno Jordao in the midfield pecking order:

Do you think Ronan will be given a chance to impress at Wolves or will he have to go elsewhere for regular game-time? Join in the discussion by commenting below!

Lots of fans across the second tier have been discussing Leeds United star Kalvin Phillips after the official Championship Twitter account relayed a story about the talented midfielder.

He’s clearly a player that divides opinion outside of Elland Road, but in west Yorkshire, he’s somewhat the messiah having proven to be the vital cog to Marcelo Bielsa’s system.

The 24-year-old is one of the only players to be deployed in the defensive midfield role – he’s even been watched by Three Lions chief Gareth Southgate this season.

Here’s the view from the United camp…

Phillips has featured in 34 matches this term, managing just one goal and two assists, but the “amazing footballer” does so much more than that.

Per WhoScored,  he averages 2.8 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and clearances, as well as 5.3 long balls and 1.9 key passes each game, and it is this sort of dirty work that can go unnoticed – unless you’re Leeds through and through, of course.

Missing football!? There’s still plenty of Leeds discussion going on in the Vital Leeds Forum! Click here to get involved!

However, it also once landed him in hot water after he was sent off against Queens Park Rangers for a bad studs-up slide tackle which has caused a few supporters from Loftus Road to chime in with their opinions.

Evidently, there’s not much positivity about the Englishman, who is valued at £13.5m by Transfermarkt…

Although this is something that Phillips has publicly apologised for, several Hoops fans still have a dislike for him.

There was even a lone Sheffield United fan in the replies posting a rather hopeful plea to see the lynchpin at Bramall Lane next season.

That’ll cause a few laughs, you’d imagine.

A true test for any Leeds fan: Can you match these iconic images with the right results?

AND in other news, Leeds fans on long-term Victor Orta target…

Liverpool are having the season of their lives as they inch ever closer to lifting their first-ever Premier League trophy.

Jurgen Klopp will be overjoyed with the performances superstars like Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané have put in, but what about the rest? Here’s a look at two players who have been quietly grafting away in 2019/2020…

Joe Gomez

Like almost any other centre-back in the world, if you’re paired up with Virgil van Dijk in defence, you’re going to slip out of the limelight a little. But the Dutchman’s new deputy has been stellar this season, stepping in during the absence of Joel Matip and putting himself on a pedestal above Dejan Lovren.

In comparison to Manchester City’s Nicolas Otamendi (0.8), Gomez is dribbled past less times on average (0.4) per match and averages more passes (67.1) than the Argentinian’s 63.1. In fact, Liverpool’s 22-year-old completes an average of 1.3 interceptions per 90 minutes, higher than that of van Dijk (1) and fellow Englishman Trent Alexander-Arnold (1.2), according to WhoScored.

It seems it’s been easy to overlook the talent and work-rate of Gomez who operates across a back four worth a combined £248.8million, to which Liverpool’s No.12 makes up just £30m of. But pound signs aren’t everything and the Reds arguably wouldn’t be in this insanely strong position without the consistency of Gomez this season.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Liverpool’s midfield has been a conundrum as Klopp seems to still be working out which combination is the key to success. Before suffering an ACL injury, Oxlade-Chamberlain tallied three goals and seven assists in the Premier League which was far more than midfield teammate Georginio Wijnaldum (one goal, two assists).

The Merseyside outfit have plugged plenty of holes with the money from Philippe Coutinho’s mammoth sale, but are still yet to bring in an attacking midfielder of the Brazilian’s variety. A fit and firing Chamberlain might be the answer to these problems.

The best thing about the Ox is his willingness to shoot from range and more importantly, hit the target. His wonder-goal against Man City in the Champions League oozed Coutinho/Gerrard standards and that’s what Liverpool have been missing against tough, defensive opponents.

Unless Liverpool recruit someone else in the summer transfer window, Oxlade-Chamberlain needs to be operating in the heart of the midfield at every possible chance.

What do you think, Liverpool fans? Do you agree with the above or have there been better unsung heroes this season?

Many Everton fans have been describing the club in one sentence as part of a social media question by fan account The Toffees.

Fans of the Goodison Park club have not had many good moments to celebrate this season with former manager Marco Silva failing to find success at the club.

Form and performances have improved slightly under Silva’s replacement Carlo Ancelotti, who is expected to bring in a number of his own transfer targets this coming summer.

Sitting 12th in the Premier League table as things stand, the Toffees have very little to play for and with football currently at a standstill, fans may not be too fussed what happens to the 2019/2020 season.

Looking at the club’s recent successes and memorable moments over the past few years, The Toffees Twitter account opted to ask fans for the ‘one sentence’ they would use to describe the Merseyside club.

The question gained quite a response, with many praising the club for their on and off field efforts.

Reacting to the question posed by fan account @thetoffees_com, fans gave the following responses…

Everton fans, how would you describe your club?Â

Could this be the week it finally happens? That appears to be the case with the Telegraph’s Luke Edwards delivering a fresh yet positive update into the imminent Newcastle United takeover.It’s been over five weeks since reports first emerged that a Saudi-backed consortium, fronted by Amanda Staveley, was trying to purchase the Magpies from controversial owner Mike Ashley.

Who the heck is that?! Can you name all 25 of these obscure Newcastle signings…

Delays and uncertainty have ensued, but it seems as if the deal will be official this week.

Edwards tweeted:

This comes as a sign of encouragement as he firstly claims that the ‘buyers are confident’ and secondly that no news is good news, meaning any hitches are unlikely to derail the takeover of the northeast giants.

United should be in new hands by the time the current campaign resumes – or when the new season begins.

AND in other news, Newcastle fans react to transfer interest in ex-STAR’s SON…

Plenty of Aston Villa fans have hit out at women’s sporting director Eniola Aluko for her comments on the furlough rule.

With football at a standstill due to the recent pandemic, many clubs have been forced to put their staff on the government furlough scheme, which has now been extended until October.

The scheme sees employees receive 80% of their monthly wages of up to £2,500, whilst the country works through the pandemic and begins to come out of the recent lockdown.

BBC Sport recently reported that Villa’s women’s side, who sit top of the Women’s Championship, have been furloughed.

Aluko, who won 102 caps for her country and represented the likes of Chelsea, Birmingham City and Juventus, commented earlier this week on the scheme, suggested it created a “do-nothing” mentality and “culture of entitlement”. Her comments have now been attacked by Villa fans.

Villa women’s sporting director has since apologised for her comments, but the 33-year-old has seen her reputation amongst fans of the Claret and Blue club now take a hard hit.

Reacting to a tweet on the comments via Twitter account @HeartOfTheHolte, fans gave their opinion on Aluko with one suggesting her tweets were “embarrassing”:

What do you make of Aluko’s comments? Let us know in the comments section below…

This article forms part of our Profit Players feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how well a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how good of a deal the club managed to achieve.