Queens Park Rangers have sacked manager Steve McLaren after a run of only one win in 15 league games. McLaren leaves the club in 17th place, eight points above the relegation zone. CEO Lee Hoos said the decision to sack a dedicated and professional manager wasn’t easy. “We are grateful to him for all his efforts during his time with us.
“It is well-documented that we are in a period of transition to make the club financially stable. With that comes challenges, not least the cutting of the wage bill while aiming to remain competitive.
“As we look to the future, and taking recent results into account, we feel now is the right time to re-evaluate where we are.” A full statement is available on the club website.
Coach John Eustace will take charge of the team until a replacement is found.
Steve McLaren Sacked by Queens Park Rangers
Terrible Start
McLaren’s Loftus Road tenure got off to the worst possible beginning, as the club made their worst ever start to a league campaign. Rangers lost to Preston and Sheffield United, before suffering a 7-1 humbling at West Brom. A week later, a 3-0 home defeat to Bristol City prompted sections of the Loftus Road crowd to call for McLaren’s head after their opening four matches left them at the foot of the table.
Revival Followed by Self-Destruction
However, McLaren’s short spell in West London did have its highlights. After bolstering their attacking options at the end of August with the loan signings of Tomer Hemed and Nahki Wells, the R’s went on a run of 11 wins and four draws from the following 20 games. The Hoops were as high as eighth in the table on Boxing Day. A comfortable 3-0 win over Ipswich Town left them just two points off the top six. It did look like McLaren’s men could have been dark horses for a play-off spot.
Despite this, Queens Park Rangers’ season came crashing down at the start of 2019. They suffered seven straight defeats in between mid-January and late February. They’ve also failed to win in any of their five previous league encounters. In fact, the Hoops’ February victory over high-flying Leeds United is their only league triumph since Boxing Day. It’s a run that leaves QPR ten points short of the top half.
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