Things looked grim for Queens Park Rangers at the beginning of December. Seemingly entrenched in a relegation battle with only fifteen points in eighteen games and no home wins, the season already looked like a lost cause.

However, in their last ten matches, the Hoops have only lost once and are undefeated at Loftus Road in that timespan. Due to this impressive run of form, QPR are currently ninth in the Championship. Rocketing up the table in this fashion is nothing short of impressive considering the start of the season was nothing short of dismal. How has Martin Cifuentes engineered this turnaround?

Nothing Too Complicated

When one looks at this current purple patch of form for QPR, a fascinating observation is that while Martin Cifuentes has a preferred system, he hasn’t had to tinker around as much. At the beginning of the season, Cifuentes used quite a few formations such as a 3-4-3, a 3-4-2-1, and a 4-2-3-1. Using so many different combinations was surely an effort to find answers to a poor start to the season. Lately, however, the tactic has become more consistent. In most of the wins in this current stretch, QPR have utilized a 4-2-3-1 which seems to suit the way the Rs like to play.

The way QPR like to play is simple. They like to play from their defence, turn the opponent over, and score quickly. Possession is not a stat Cifuentes seemingly cares about. It is very rare to see QPR win the time of possession battle. They actually average 44% possession. It may not be the prettiest brand of football, but lately, it has definitely produced results.

The Emergence of Goal Scorers

Another factor that may not seem like much but has definitely bolstered QPR’s chances is a much more balanced scoring effort. Early on in the season, it never felt like there was a consistent threat to the opposition goal. While the likes of Paul Smyth, Michael Frey, and Ilias Chair were all playing, those players could never seemingly find the net in a consistent way. However, that seems to have changed lately with Cifuentes using a combination of Frey at the top with Chair and Smyth on the wings. The likes of Korokomo Dembele who were frequent in the starting lineups at the start of the season have not been as productive as hoped. Dembele has started ten games this season and only scored one goal.

Another fascinating trend has been a turn towards the youth on the squad. The likes of Rayan Kolli and Alfie May have been impactful players as of late. Kolli especially has been a revelation. In thirteen appearances, Kolli has had four goals and two assists. Using the Algerian in a similar role as Frey has definitely given the attack some life as Kolli has probably provided some competition to the position. Competition has always brought the best out of players, and this seems to be no exception.

The sudden change in the mood around Loftus Road has been a fascinating watch. The club could have simply given up and died, but it is certainly a testament to the leadership of Martin Cifuentes and his staff. The players are also clearly rejuvenated, and it will be fascinating to see where the season will take the Rs.