QPR can take hope from performance though Hoops man overshadowed by Erling Haaland: View | OneFootball

QPR will be hopeful that Zan Celar's cameo against Norway is a sign of things to come.

Zan Celar impressed from the bench on international duty with Slovenia. Despite a 3-0 defeat to Norway, the Queens Park Rangers man came on to create two chances and offer the West Londoners hope of what he can bring when the Championship resumes.

QPR can take some comfort in the performance of Celar whilst away with his country. The forward joined the London-based outfit in the summer from Lugano but is yet to get off the mark for the Hoops.

Norway brushed aside Slovenia and the 25-year-old's performance was ultimately dwarfed by the magic of Erling Haaland, who scored twice and broke his country's goalscoring record at the age of just 24, but it could yet prove to be a timely confidence boost for the R's forward.

QPR yet to click into gear

It's been a tough start to the season for the R's, as Marti Cifuentes' side find themselves in the bottom three after their first nine matches. Following an impressive revolution under the Spaniard last season, it would be fair to say this term's start has been far below expectations.

A busy transfer window saw Cifuentes splash cash, looking to improve on his 17th-place finish last season. Some strong additions such as Jonathan Varane, Karamoko Dembele, and Celar looked to be good buys to get the West Londoners back on the right track.

However, some of the new signings are yet to click for the Hoops. Dembélé has chipped in with three assists so far, which is a solid return for the winger, but Celar is yet to contribute a single goal or assist in his first nine games for the Loftus Road team.

With the reported £1.7m fee the former Lugano man commanded, the Spanish manager will be hoping that his new attacker can start to perform. A proven goalscorer during his time in Switzerland, the 25-year-old will be keen to replicate his form in the English second tier.

Celar's tough start to life in London

This is the Slovenian's first venture into English football, having spent the majority of his professional career thus far in Italy and Switzerland.

Adapting to the physicality of the Championship can be tough for any player imported from abroad. It will, of course, come with experience and won't be something the player develops overnight.

With a goal record as respectable as Celar's, he scored 51 times in 118 games for Lugano, QPR fans may be feeling slightly underwhelmed that the forward is yet to get off the mark.

He has just one league start to his name and has found himself down the pecking order as starting striker Michael Frey is scoring what could prove to be crucial goals come the end of the season.

That makes the international break an important period for the Slovenian striker and it looks as though he's keen to make the most of it.

QPR can take hope from Slovenia performance

Despite a 3-0 defeat, Celar came off the bench to impress for his country. Creating two chances, and almost having a faultless pass accuracy, the QPR man was a bright spark in what was a pretty dismal night for Slovenia.

Of course, Haaland stole the show for Norway. His record-breaking brace was the headline for most but Celar's contributions should not be overlooked in W12.

He was an unused substitute against Kazakhstan last night but his earlier cameo should see him return to the Championship with renewed confidence, and he's going to need it with the R's facing a relegation battle.

Whilst Slovenia had their backs against the wall for most of the game, Celar offered a fresh pair of legs that created the chances that could've hauled his team back into contention. With the quality of Norway's front line, this was always going to be a tall order, but his contributions wouldn't have gone unnoticed back in West London.

Cifuentes will want to see him deliver at a similar level for the Hoops – whether that's as an impact sub or from the start – and the Norway game shows he can hold his own against international opposition.

With a rough start to the season, there is a glimmer of hope that this performance with his country could translate into something similar at QPR. During a time of struggle, this small boost could be what Cifuentes' side need.