"Nobody can moan" - Claim made on QPR's current situation under Marti Cifuentes with play-offs in sight | OneFootball

FLW's QPR pundit takes a look at whether his club is an a better position one year on.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more…

Queens Park Rangers look like a far more established team under Marti Cifuentes and you can tell that the Spaniard's project is heading in the right direction.

Last season, they appeared to be in all sorts of trouble when they started the season woefully under the guidance of Gareth Ainsworth. However, his sacking and the arrival of Cifuentes prompted a fightback, and although it took some time, they finished the season looking like a much more cohesive and confident side.

This campaign has followed an eerily similar trend, but they found their groove just that slight bit earlier this term. Currently, the Hoops are on a run of 10 wins in 17 games, form only bettered by those chasing an automatic promotion place.

This has put them right back in contention for a play-off place, in a race that arguably includes up to 11 teams.

Even if they don’t manage to secure one of the final two play-off spots, it’s clear they are making progress. With a bit of financial backing off the pitch, they could start to establish themselves as one of the Championship’s leading sides in the years to come.

QPR pundit delighted with progress

When asked whether the club is in a better place compared to this time last year, Football League World's Hoops pundit, Louis Moir, said: "We are 100% in a better state than we were last season.

"You have got to look at the run we have been on, the small distance between us and the play-off positions - we are still in that battle.

"Looking at the squad, you could say it has got better because the players we have recruited have settled in, shown what they're about, and have been massive players for us. The likes of Varane, Saito, Nardi, Edwards, and a couple of others as well, who have been in and out but done well in certain games.

"It is exciting because we are actually in a play-off push - hopefully, it can continue for the remainder of the season. It would be an exciting end, considering the start we had.

"We have got better as a team as well. We can adapt to certain games better than we did, and we have a better play style. Marti has been really good with his in-game substitutions; they affect games and influence the way players perform.

"It is positive, aside from the losses we have had in between the run, but that is to be expected, and nobody can moan about the points we have collected since the New Year."

QPR may come to regret their poor start

It has been a season of progression for Cifuentes and his team, but if they don't make the play-offs, the Spaniard will rue their disappointing start to the season.

Hindered by injuries to key players, they managed just one win in their opening 16 games, picking up only 11 points. During that run, they suffered defeats to struggling sides like Derby County, Hull City, and Portsmouth - matches they would now expect to win.

Had they managed to pick up just two extra wins in this period, they would now sit inside the top six and would be feeling more optimistic about their chances.

Of course, this is all in hindsight, but that opening third of the season is looking detrimental to their hopes of a play-off spot.