Queens Park Rangers take on West Bromwich Albion tonight in the Championship in a crucial game for Gareth Ainsworth’s career and the club’s battle against survival.
It was reported yesterday by journalist Darren Witcoop that the former Wycombe Wanderers boss will be handed a lifespan of three more games in the QPR dugout. Losing all three, particularly the match away at Rotherham United next week, will be all she wrote for the 50-year-old.
This news came in the aftermath of QPR’s dismal 2-1 loss to fellow strugglers Huddersfield Town on Saturday. The gap between the two clubs has now opened to six points.
However, before Ainsworth worries about the Millers, there are two vital games coming up this week for the Hoops. Tonight, the London outfit travel to the West Midlands to take on West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns.
Then, on Saturday, QPR face runaway Championship leaders Leicester City. Ainsworth’s men are the underdogs in both games and not many expect QPR to even come away with a point.
Speaking ahead of this evening’s fixture to club media, Ainsworth highlighted three opposition players that can seriously damage QPR and pile on the manager’s misery [quotes via the72]:
“Jed Wallace, and [Nathaniel] Chalobah, and [Alex] Mowatt, there’s some good players in that team, we’ve got to make sure that we are really on it and I’ll be working hard on the lads in the next two days, maybe visually as much as on the pitches to make them aware just of West Brom’s strengths and what we need to do to beat them.”
Writer’s View
These two games may be a write-off for QPR and for Ainsworth. Unless QPR lose heavily in either match, the club won’t look to sack Ainsworth as the side aren’t expected to pick up any points anyway.
However, the ex-Wycombe boss could buy himself more time with an unprecedented win in one of their upcoming two games which would ease a lot of pressure off his shoulders.
Deputy Head of Writing
