Ever since assuming leadership of the Queens Park Rangers in October, Marti Cifuentes has performed admirably.
In the Championship, Queens Park Rangers have had a fantastic few months.
After the R’s dismal start to the season—which led to Gareth Ainsworth’s firing in late October—the team’s play and outcomes have dramatically improved under Marti Cifuentes.
Cifuentes arrived at Loftus Road from Swedish side Hammarby, and now that he’s taken over, the R’s appear certain to make it out of the bottom half of the table.
On Saturday, the Hoops defeated Preston North End 1-0 at home. Lyndon Dykes’ goal in the 20th minute sealed the victory and put the team just a point away from safety.
With just two games left, Cifuentes’ team is currently four points clear of the relegation zone, sitting in 18th place in the standings.
| Championship Table (As it stands April 22nd) | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 17 | Stoke City | 44 | -16 | 50 |
| 18 | QPR | 44 | -16 | 50 |
| 19 | Blackburn Rovers | 44 | -16 | 49 |
| 20 | Plymouth Argyle | 44 | -11 | 48 |
| 21 | Sheffield Wednesday | 44 | -29 | 47 |
| 22 | Birmingham City | 44 | -16 | 46 |
| 23 | Huddersfield Town | 44 | -27 | 44 |
| 24 | Rotherham United (R) | 44 | -53 | 24 |
The R’s do have two difficult games left before the season ends, against Leeds United and Coventry City, but it doesn’t seem likely that they will be demoted even if they lose both of them.
Cifuentes will wait to rejoice until safety is mathematically assured, but the Hoops board should be commended for selecting the Spaniard.
The Queens Park Rangers’ appointment of Marti Cifuentes was a brilliant move
After losing six straight league games, QPR was six points from safety and ranked 23rd in the table when Cifuentes arrived.
| Championship table on 30th October 2023 | ||||
| Team | P | GD | Pts | |
| 21 | Huddersfield Town | 14 | -13 | 14 |
| 22 | Rotherham United | 13 | -12 | 9 |
| 23 | QPR | 14 | -16 | 8 |
| 24 | Sheffield Wednesday | 14 | -15 | 6 |
After winning twelve of his first seven games in charge at Loftus Road, Cifuentes’ team saw a drop in performance over the Christmas break, going seven games without a victory.
But ever since, the R’s have emerged as one of the division’s top teams, dropping just four of their previous 17 games to stay out of danger.
They have only allowed more than two goals to be conceded twice since Cifuentes took over, providing his team with the ideal foundation on which to build their fight for survival. The 41-year-old has tightened up his defense.
Cifuentes has helped the R’s not only defensively but also offensively, as his possession-based, attacking style of play has brought out the best in players like Chris Willock and Ilias Chair.
Prior to Cifuentes’ appointment, Chair had only two assists in his career. However, in the last few months, he has grown more and more important, and as of right now, he has five goals and six assists.
Surprisingly, Willock fell out of favor under Ainsworth; however, under Cifuentes, he has found his form again, tallying four goals and dishing out three assists so far this season.
Three Championship clubs are interested in Declan Frith, who is expected to leave Spain this summer.In his 31 games as the R’s manager, Cifuentes has won 11, lost 11, and drawn nine. This is an extraordinarily good record given that he took over a team that was in the relegation zone.
In a fight for survival, Andre Breitenreiter’s problems at Huddersfield Town highlight the dangers of selecting a manager without prior Championship experience, but Cifuentes has been a risk that has undoubtedly paid off for the Hoops.
The R’s will most likely be in the second division the following season, and they will be hoping that Cifuentes stays in charge. However, given his excellent work at Loftus Road, Cifuentes may draw interest from other teams.
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