"Surprised" - QPR and Marti Cifuentes lauded for free transfer who "has been so good" | OneFootball

FLW's QPR fan pundit has heaped praise on Paul Nardi's performances between the sticks this season

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

QPR goalkeeper Paul Nardi has been lauded for his impact since arriving at Loftus Road on a free transfer last summer.

The Frenchman moved to West London as an unknown quantity on English shores, having spent the entirety of his career in his homeland and in Belgium prior to joining the R's on a free after leaving Gent.

However, the QPR faithful have been able to enjoy a good look at exactly what Nardi is all about this term.

The 30-year-old arrived to be Marti Cifuentes' first-choice shot-stopper and has retained that role throughout the season's entirety, keeping eight clean sheets and helping QPR to concede an average of just 1.3 goals per match, a solid return for a side currently placed 14th in the Championship.

Nardi has offered an undeniable upgrade on Asmir Begovic, who endured a rather mixed spell on loan from Everton last time out, and appears to represent inspired business.

Paul Nardi hailed for 24/25 QPR performances

FLW asked our resident R's fan pundit, Louis Moir, to name the one player who has surprised him in a positive or negative way this season.

Louis has been pleasantly surprised with just how well Nardi has been able to acclimate on the most part, and believes QPR have landed themselves a "top goalkeeper".

"I think when all the new signings came in last summer, there was a lot of expectation on these players to do well straight away but people needed time to settle in," Louis told FLW.

"One player who has surprised and I didn't know anything about is Paul Nardi. He signed on a free and for the most part of this season - he's made a couple of errors where he should have done better - he has been so good.

"Without him, especially earlier on in the season, we have been losing games but we could have been losing heavily. He's kept us in games, has stopped a lot of goals from going in and for me, the effect he's had for a new goalkeeper coming into a new country and having to adapt to that and playing behind a new defence is really, really impressive.

"You feel much more comfortable with him in goal than [Asmir] Begovic last season, who was quite diabolical in some games. You look at it now, nearly a season gone, and what a signing he has been on a free transfer.

"Hopefully he can keep that form up because he has proven that he's a top goalkeeper and we're fortunate to have him. He was signed on a free and came to the club with a bit of a reputation playing at a decent level, he's just been really good and really solid.

"He's a top 'keeper."

QPR's upcoming Championship fixtures

Nardi has a solid defensive line infront of him but will no doubt come under significant, sustained pressure in the coming days and weeks as a daunting triple-header looms for QPR.

The mid-table outfit are next in action away to sixth-placed West Bromwich Albion on Saturday afternoon, and will intend on returning from the West Midlands with at least a point under their belts following consecutive defeats to Portsmouth and Sheffield United.

After that, it's yet another trip on the road to Middlesbrough, who are also in play-off contention and have established a reputation as one of the Championship's most potent attacking sides, having won 4-1 at Loftus Road back in November.

Before more appealing fixtures against the likes of Stoke City, Cardiff and Oxford United, though, QPR will host league leaders Leeds on March 15. It's going to be a tough couple of weeks for Cifuentes' side, and they will need Nardi to be at the top of his game.