Yang Min-hyeok is already earning rave reviews four games into his QPR loan spell. After entering the pitch as a substitute in his first three outings for the west London club, QPR boss Marti Cifuentes handed the 18-year-old his maiden start in Friday’s evening home encounter against Derby.
It proved to be an inspired decision as Yang wowed in the 4-0 win. The new Tottenham arrival even got in on the act with an assist for Ilias Chair’s second goal of the match.
Yang would only play 63 minutes of the contest but he made quite the impression in his playing time to put himself in a good position to start next Saturday’s encounter at Portsmouth. Amid question marks over how he would settle into life in a physical league like the Championship in his first taste of English football, Yang already appears to have answered some of those questions as he does not look out of place at all.
Standing out with his pace, trickery and ability on the ball, the ex-Gangwon FC ace is coping well physically against experienced Championship players and also in terms of causing them real problems due to his attacking attributes. That was evident with one eye-catching piece of play in the first half of Friday’s game where he turned sharply to put the ball between Callum Elder’s legs before linking up with Michael Frey and carrying on his run.
Yang did link up with Frey expertly in the second half in a move that resulted in the youngster hitting the post from a tight angle. The linesman did raise his flag just as Yang burst into the area but it was fine play between the duo as the QPR winger backheeled the ball to Frey without looking before taking it back in as they opened Derby up with ease.
Yang was to get an assist just prior to the hour mark as he put the ball on a plate for Chair to finish high into the roof of the net. It all came from a positive run down the right flank into the area, with the South Korean starlet pulling the ball back for his teammate to finish in style.
Chair’s reaction to the goal said it all as he immediately pointed at his teammate for his vital contribution, with the rest of the QPR team coming over to celebrate with the duo in the far corner of the pitch. Undoubtedly Yang’s best display in a QPR shirt since moving across the capital, it was a performance that would have caught the eye of those watching on back at Tottenham.
QPR boss Cifuentes was also very pleased with what he saw from Yang in Friday’s 4-0 drubbing of Derby.
“Very good, happy, there was maybe a little bit of knock on his knee, he was ok, but we felt like it was a good moment to give him a start,” said the Spaniard when speaking to QPR’s media channel. “I think he did brilliant actions, of course he needs to still adapt to our way of playing, to the pace of the league, because he comes from a very different league and kind of football.
“But he is a good player, and I’m happy that he’s showing good things in training and today as well I think, especially for instance his action in the third goal was high quality.”
Starting life at QPR in a really positive fashion, it certainly bodes well for all parties concerned if Yang can continue to develop and impress at his current rate in their final 13 games of the 2024/25 season. There may even be a further two or possibly three games on top of that if QPR can secure a play-off berth after moving to within four points of West Brom in sixth.
