A Tough Assignment For The Hoops – The Word On QPR
- Ian McCullogh previewed QPR vs. Leicester City
- City travel to MATRADE Loftus Road Stadium on Saturday
- The Sky Bet Championship fixture has a 3pm BST kick-off
- This weekend’s hosts have two wins from their first 13 games
The wins keep on coming for the Foxes, who most recently saw off Sunderland on Tuesday evening at King Power Stadium thanks to a first-half goal from full-back James Justin, maintaining City's position at the summit of the Sky Bet Championship.
At the other end, QPR aren’t having a good time of it so far this term, winning twice in their opening 13 games, both on the road, which does not bode well for a team welcoming in-form Leicester, who have triumphed in their last six away games. Prior to the match, McCullough shared his thoughts on the current situation around Rangers and manager Gareth Ainsworth.
“The first game of the season, they were beaten 4-0 by Watford,” the journalist stated. “No one was really too surprised about that because they hadn’t really signed anyone in the summer before that point.
“Before the second game, they signed Steve Cook and Jack Colback from Nottingham Forest and got a good 2-1 win at Cardiff City, and they actually played very well before getting a good win at Middlesbrough.
“But since then, it’s been pretty awful, they’ve lost every game at home this season – they’ve only won once at home all year. Under Gareth Ainsworth, if they lose to Leicester, that’ll be 12 games at home without a win which will only extend a negative record.
“It’s odd because they were top of the table for some time last year and have just build a new £25M training ground. The club was moving in the right direction. They had a run under Michael Beale, where they won five in a row last season, and then they hit a sticky patch, going six without a win, which meant he left.
“When Ainsworth came in, there was a huge injury list, so that went against him. He favours a style of football which doesn’t include having possession, but when you want to win games at home, you need the ball. You’re trying to chase the game; the defence isn’t great, and teams are picking us off.”
The reporter believes a few wins and points on the board will help guide QPR back to a state of confidence but admits that this weekend's clash with City may not spark that change, given the capabilities that Leicester have shown so far this term.
The squad should be more than capable to produce winning performances, but unfortunate injuries and a lack of game time haven’t allowed this to materialise.
McCullough added: “It’s become quite a mental thing for the players now where you start thinking ‘where is the next win coming from?’. This is a difficult division at the best of times but up next is a Leicester side which shouldn’t really be in this league with the quality they have. It’s a Premier League squad who are full of confidence which spells a tough day for QPR on Saturday afternoon.
“We have a couple of players such as Chris Willock and Ilias Chair, who were said to be on the verge of a Premier League move last season, but injuries basically derailed QPR’s promotion push last campaign.
“Willock came back too early last season, and you can see he’s not the same player. He doesn’t trust his hamstring after the injury to it. Chair, who was third or fourth in the division for successful dribbles last season, has been stuck out on the left wing and hasn’t been able to affect the game like he should.
“We’ve got players who, at this level, shouldn’t be at the bottom, and I think it’s because of the lack of confidence. The players, fans, everyone is just going through the motions.
“If QPR are holding on until half-time and then lose to a late goal, it might feel like a moral victory, but if we go one or two down by the break, then it could become quite a toxic place, which is a shame after a bit of time where the club looked like it was going in the right direction.”