QPR's Loanees: Ledesma Profiled...Parejo Called Up

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Guardian - Steve Claridge - Scouting Report: Emmanuel Ledesma
The Queens Park Rangers' midfielder is a versatile and entertaining talent although he has yet to adjust to the physical side of the game

The first thing that strikes you about Emmanuel Ledesma is that he is very much a reflection of the Queens Park Rangers team, in the way he plays the game and the positions he takes up. It is very difficult to identify the role he is playing: a mix between right wing, right midfield, tucked in right-sided or wide right in a front three.

The same could be said of QPR's team shape as they have one or two players who play just about anywhere. With this in mind it was no surprise that they beat Doncaster, a side who keep the ball on the ground, 2-0, yet lost 3-0 at Sheffield United, a more physical side. Revealingly, Ledesma was criticised in the defeat and praised in the win.

He is the type that is extremely easy on the eye for supporters but may on occasion need to put in more of a shift when QPR find the going tougher than against Carlisle, whom I watched them play last week.

On the night, Ledesma was fantastic, scoring a brilliant hat-trick and making each goal look ridiculously easy, when in reality they would have been little more than half-chances against different opposition. He is neat and tidy in possession, due to having two good feet. He is mainly left-footed, playing on the right, although he can look lightweight at times and will have to get used to the physical side of the game - because of the position he played when he received the ball, he was often tightly marked.

He tended to drift in and out of the game, and because of this sometimes his marker switched off. Ledesma was very quick to exploit this, once with a superbly-timed run in between the two centre-halves. He received the ball on the run and in one movement brought it down and was unlucky with a half-volley not to lob the onrushing keeper.

Occasionally Ledesma tracked back, although this seemed to be done more through personal choice than team orders. When he did this on the whole he stayed with his man to the end, seeing the danger out. Initially, I wondered why he wasn't involved in dead-balls: QPR had a free-kick and corner from the left and he stayed on the edge of the attacking box, but this was quickly rectified after a terrific run in which he showed real pace in possession, forcing a corner down the right from which he then whipped in a fantastic near-post ball for his centre-half to score.

It was then that he took centre stage with his goals, but at the same time it was good that he didn't try to do too much on the ball, keeping passes short and simple. But unless you give him possession with plenty of service, there is a danger he could be a little peripheral without the ball.

QPR and Ledesma are both a work in progress - his sending-off for two yellow cards on Saturday at Bristol City showed that - and while I'm sure both the team and the player will provide the fans with plenty of entertainment, whether the balance within his game and QPR's as a team is the right one to get success at this stage I'm not entirely convinced.

Age 20
Born Buenos Aires, Argentina
Position Midfield
Height 5ft 11in
Weight 12st 2lb
From Genoa
Pace 8/10
Shooting 9/10
Crossing 9/10
Heading 7/10
Team responsibility 7/10
Valuation £750,000 Guardian


QPR Official Site - INTERNATIONAL CALL
Daniel Parejo has been called up to the Spanish Under-21 squad.
The Real Madrid loanee has been selected to play against Kazakhstan and Russia in the Spaniards' UEFA Under 21 Championship fixtures on Friday 5th September and Tuesday 9th September respectively. QPR