With QPR’s managerial search finalised, focus will quickly turn to what new boss Neil Critchley does in next month’s January transfer window.
Critchley opened his QPR account with an impressive victory at Preston North End to snap a six game winless run and remain in a position of strength – nestled just inside the Play-Off places.
However, next month will remain a precarious balancing act for the club – attempting to shore up problem areas to maintain their promotion push while also fending off interest in some of their top players.
Stars such as Seny Dieng, Chris Willock and Illias Chair have all enjoyed strong seasons so far with 17 goal involvements between the trio (including goalkeeper Dieng’s incredible late equaliser against Sunderland) with potential suitors no doubt monitoring their progress.
Assuming they can fend off this interest, Critchley will be keen to strengthen a squad which has looked decidedly threadbare due to a number of injuries that could threaten any Hoops Play-Off charge.
At times QPR have lacked quality in the final third and, while Lyndon Dykes is seen as the side’s main target, he has certainly not been prolific enough, scoring just six times in 23 league appearances.
Without Dykes though, the options look limited with on-loan Tyler Roberts providing just two goals in 13 appearances due to niggling injuries and Macauley Bonne yet to find the net.
Adding an additional striker would bring an extra dimension and even encourage a change of shape with two strikers thrown into the fold rather than just having Dykes as the central focus.
However, strikers need service and there have been games where delivery into the box from wide areas has been poor, often leaving Dykes isolated and struggling to feed off scraps.
The addition of a creative midfielder would alleviate some of the pressure on the shoulders of Chair to create and distribute out wide, allowing the Moroccan to find more space to drive the side forward.
The recent home defeat to Burnley underlined Chair’s influence as, still absent due to the World Cup, QPR looked lifeless – even with the return of Willock who has struggled with persistent hamstring injuries this year.
Recent history suggests QPR more often than not get their transfer windows right but, with forwards and creative midfielders requiring decent investment and budgets remaining tight, Critchley may prefer to assess the squad he already has at his disposal.
Should that be the case, unless an opportunity too good to turn down arises, then a closer look at the Academy, where Critchley cut his teeth managing Liverpool’s youth sides, may be one avenue he decides to explore.
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One player who could already be on Critchley’s radar is 19-year-old Sinclair Armstrong who has already made a handful of appearances for the first-team, particularly impressing in October’s 3-0 win over Cardiff City.
There’s no doubt Mick Beale’s departure has left the club at a fork in the road – whether to just use this time to allow new manager Critchley to familiarise himself with the current squad and wait to back him in the summer or commit to a Play-Off push here and now.
Although QPR will be desperate for the latter, they have already historically suffered the consequences of short-termism with patience arguably key for the coming few months.