Marti Cifuentes will surely be readying new contract after QPR redemption arc: View | OneFootball

What a masterstroke the appointment of Marti Cifuentes proves to be for Queens Park Rangers this season, with the Spaniard overseeing a remarkable turnaround in fortunes in his six months in charge at the club.

The R’s were marooned in the relegation zone when the former Hammarby boss took over from Gareth Ainsworth at the end of October, with a six-point gap already emerging between themselves and those outside the bottom three.

31 league games later, and Rangers had into the final day without any fear of dropping a division, with the 41-year-old working wonders to turn results around in West London and steer his side to safety.

One key to Cifuentes’ success has been the second coming of Jimmy Dunne, with the defender turning into something of a revelation in his new right-back role for the Hoops, with a number of key performances pivotal to their resurgence.

Jimmy Dunne back in the good books after sensation second-half of the season for Queens Park Rangers

It looked as if Dunne’s days at the club were numbered in the early part of the Championship season, with the former Fleetwood Town man struggling for game time for a side who struggled to get into gear initially.

The 26-year-old had featured just four times before former Wycombe Wanderers boss Ainsworth got the boot on the eve of Halloween, with the most frightening thing for Rangers at that time being their record of just eight points from 14 matches.

But under Cifuentes it has been a completely different story, with the Hoops playing akin to a playoff-chasing side for the final two thirds of the campaign, and Dunne thriving from a personal point of view.

Having been shifted out to the right side of the defensive line, Rangers now have one of the most solid rearguards in the division, leaving them hard to break down and strong enough to withstand pressure from the very best the EFL has to offer.

That stinginess was plain to see once again in the 4-0 trouncing of Leeds United in the penultimate week of the Championship season, with the Yorkshire side mustering just five shots on target throughout the 90 minutes at Loftus Road.

Not many teams will have limited Daniel Farke’s side to such limited opportunities over the course of the campaign, and Dunne - alongside the ever-dependable Steve Cook and Jake Clarke-Salter - has proven his dependability as part of that staunch backline.

With 4.65 clearances per 90 in league matches this season, Dunne’s ability to sniff out danger and clear his lines has contributed massively to his side’s improvements, with only Cook topping that metric among the R’s regulars.

The defender has also shown his eye for the spectacular in this campaign, with a sensational left-footed volley securing all three points for his side in a basement battle with Birmingham City on Good Friday, and helped continue his side’s battle to stay in the division.

Jimmy Dunne Queens Park Rangers contract information

The conundrum Dunne finds himself in now is whether to stick or twist, with his deal at Loftus Road set to come to an end this summer.

The R’s do have an option to extend his current contract by another year, although there have been no signs of another 12 months being agreed so far, and time is running out before the deal elapses.

After such a strong showing for his new boss in the past six months, it would be foolish of Rangers to let their defender leave this summer, with his performances underlining just what has been so great about the Hoops since Cifuentes’ arrival.

Dunne’s passion and all-or-nothing approach has won him plenty of praise after his early season stutter, and that professional attitude towards his career shouldn’t be underestimated.

QPR are a side who look to be going places under their current boss, and if they keep Dunne tied down they will have a dependable option to cover both the right side of defence and in the middle if needed, and he deserves to be rewarded for such a strong year to date.