With the January transfer window closed, it is a case of ‘as you were’ for Neil Critchley’s QPR with only one noticeable addition to the squad.
The month started brightly enough as the Hoops were linked to a number of different forwards before settling on Jamal Lowe, joining on-loan from AFC Bournemouth for the rest of the season.
The 28-year-old’s arrival is a positive one with his 14 goals for Swansea during the 2020-21 campaign proving much welcome Championship pedigree to a side who have struggled for goals.
With one piece of business done relatively early, it left fans hopeful of more as the likes of Burnley’s Ashley Barnes were linked but disappointingly no such business came to fruition.
As the month progressed the rumours around Loftus Road became quieter, leaving supporters frustrated as they watched QPR’s form increasingly dwindle – claiming just one win in eight games under newly-appointed Critchley.
The situation has since been exacerbated by Lyndon Dykes’ undisclosed illness seeing the forward admitted to hospital just two days before the window closed and once again leaving the Hoops short upfront.
In the end, deadline day brought only minor departures as Niko Hamalainen left on-loan and George Thomas joined the earlier Macauley Bonne in having his contract terminated by mutual consent.
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QPR may still be restricted by financial constraints while Lowe’s arrival took their loan quota to the limit but this month has left questions over the side’s ability to produce a concerted Play-Off push.
Critchley will be hoping Dykes’ illness is not too serious so he can renew what appeared to be a burgeoning partnership with Lowe in the draw against Swansea which saw the latter score on his home debut.
It is also important to note QPR retained the services of Seny Dieng, Ilias Chair and Sam Field with the trio all bringing admiring glances from elsewhere.
It means that, on paper QPR have a strong enough starting XI to cause any side in the division problems and, although they currently find themselves 14th in the table, are only five points adrift of the top six.
The return of Stefan Johansen after a three-month lay-off due to a heel injury cannot be understated as well, with the 32-year-old bringing a calming presence and creativity in the middle of the park which has been sorely missed.
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The Norwegian’s return should also help Tim Iroegbunam’s development, the 19-year-old so far struggling with midfield consistency during his season-long loan spell from Aston Villa.
In a campaign that is becoming increasingly difficult to predict, consistency will be key in the coming few months – something QPR have struggled with for years and Critchley has already alluded to as part of a club-wide mentality shift.
If the QPR boss can get the players to buy in, there’s no reason why this campaign can’t still be successful, although should this season peter out as fans fear, it will offer more reasons for a hard reset in the summer.