Queens Park Rangers have been tipped to suffer relegation from the Championship following their dreadful start to the season.
The Hoops have won just once this season, with that coming in the form of a 2-1 away victory at Luton Town in August. Since then, Marti Cifuentes’ side have embarked on an 11-game winless run, picking up just five points in the process.
This has left QPR rock bottom of the table on 10 points, whereas they are already five points from safety. This has led to speculation that the Londoners are weighing up a managerial change.
Relegation On The Cards
According to the data analysts at Opta, QPR are doomed to drop into England’s third tier for the first time since 1967. With a gap to those above them already starting to form, it is said that they have a 74.14% of suffering relegation. Furthermore, they are expected to pick up just 43 points, eight fewer than Plymouth Argyle in 21st.
Of course, things can change quickly and Cifuentes knows he has a big week ahead. They host Stoke City on Saturday before travelling to fellow strugglers Cardiff City next Wednesday. This game can already be viewed as a potential six-pointer, with the Welsh outfit currently sat in 22nd.
A Second Great Escape?
QPR found themselves in a similar situation last season. They spent the majority of the campaign in and around the bottom three, even with Gareth Ainsworth departing the club in October 2023.
Cifuentes did pull off a miracle though. His team embarked on an excellent run of form during the latter stages of the campaign, losing just three times from the beginning of March to eventually finish 16 points above the bottom three in 18th. Although this season is just three months old, it already looks as if a similar feat will need to be achieved here to survive.
Writer’s View
They say lightning doesn’t strike twice, but QPR will need it to here. They earned many plaudits for their epic survival last season and it already looks as if they will need to do the same again. Cifuentes performed wonders to keep the club in the Championship which has seemingly bought him some time. However, with three games scheduled for the next week, failing to register a win could see him face the axe.
Head of Writing
