QPR were active in last month’s transfer window, bringing in a host of players which has since seen them climb up the Championship table.
For all the incoming players last month though – Charlie Austin, Sam Field, Jordy de Wijs and Joe Walsh – QPR might be kicking themselves for not paying more attention to outgoings.
One man who was backed to go out on loan last month was Faysal Bettache. The 20-year-old is a product of the QPR youth academy and has this season become a squad player under Warburton.
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He’s yet to land his first league start for the club. But Bettache has now made three Championship appearances this season – five in all competitions.
The QPR boss speaks very highly of the central midfielder and so too do the fans. Warburton hoped to land Bettache a loan deal last month, similar to the one that Ilias Chair had at Stevenage a few years ago, telling West London Sport after last week’s win over Blackburn Rovers:
“He’s worked hard, young Faysal. He probably does need to go out just to play 20-odd games and keep developing, like Ilias did at Stevenage for example – that type of loan.”
But he’d eventually miss out – he can still go out on loan but it’d have to be with a National League club now that the transfer window has closed, which doesn’t seem a favourable outcome for anyone.
Bettache then is set to play out the remainder of this season on the periphery of the QPR squad.
His youthful exuberance might come as a detriment to QPR should he be handed a full 90-minutes. But unless Warburton takes these risks with younger players, they’re forever going to remain in that transitional phase between youth football and men’s football.
Missing out on a loan move may well have frustrated Bettache. But remaining at QPR, he has the chance to impress ahead of next season.
He’s a player that Warburton and QPR could well build their future squad around, or at least have him as part of the ‘spine’ which lays the foundations for future progression.
But he needs to be playing football, and where his football might be played next season remains anyone’s guess.
