Football Season Guide

QPR

In


Jake Clarke-Salter (def) Chelsea; Kenneth Paal (def) PEC Zwolle; Tyler Roberts (att) Leeds United - loan; Jordy de Wijs (def) Dusseldorf - end of loan; Niko Hamalainen (def) Botafogo - end of loan; Macauley Bonne (att) Ipswich Town - end of loan; Olamide Shodipo (att) Sheffield Wednesday - end of loan; Charlie Kelman (att) Gillingham - end of loan

Out


Jordy de Wijs (def) Dusseldorf; Charlie Austin (att) (r) Brisbane Roar; Moses Odubajo (def) (sp) Aris Saloniki; Dominic Ball (mid) (sp) Ipswich Town; David Marshall (gk) (sp) Hibernian; Lee Wallace (def) (r) Released; Keiren Westwood (gk) (sp) Released; Dillon Barnes (gk) Released; Jeff Hendrick (mid) (sp) Newcastle United - end of loan; Sam McCallum (def) (sp) Norwich City - end of loan; Andre Gray (att) (sp) Watford - end of loan; Dion Sanderson (def) (sp) Wolverhampton Wanderers - end of loan;

After an excellent first half of the 2021-22 campaign, QPR looked certain to make the Championship playoffs. However, the Rs won just four of their last 18 games from February onwards to finish nine points off the top six. Head coach Mark Warburton has left the club and has been replaced by Michael Beale during the summer. Beale takes on his first managerial role following an excellent coaching career, which most recently saw him serve as assistant manager to Steven Gerrard at Aston Villa. Financial issues continue to cause QPR problems and, after losing solid goalscorers at this level, in the form of Austin and Gray, the Rs look to be reliant on Lyndon Dykes in the upcoming season. Ilias Chair and Chris Willock are excellent creative players to play wide or in the number 10 role, and QPR also have some decent options in central defence. Beale's appointment is certainly a risk given his lack of experience, but it is one that certainly excites fans. However, one or two injuries to the likes of Chair or Dykes could cause huge problems for QPR, with very little depth currently on display. Beale will be eager to make some more signings before the transfer window closes, particularly with the five-substitution rule being introduced this year.

Target


QPR could well make a push for the playoffs again, but a lack of depth, and support for Dykes, could prove costly here so a top-half finish may be the best that they can hope for.