QPR may have Bristol Rovers regret and could be set for the wrong reunion: View | OneFootball

One Championship team who are facing a nervous end to the current campaign are QPR.

After a run of form that had briefly seen them look as though they were set to pull clear of the second-tier relegation zone, Marti Cifuentes' side have taken just one point from their last three games.

That has seen them slip back to 19th in the table, and their advantage over the relegation zone has dropped from from six points to three, with three games of the season still to be played.

As a result, the clubs below them in the standings may still believe the Hoops are catchable, especially considering they have some tricky fixtures to come again Preston North End, Leeds United and Coventry City.

So if they do go down, there is a chance that questions will be asked about some of the business done by at Loftus Road in the transfer market, since the end of last season.

Chris Martin released by QPR last summer

One of those who did leave QPR at the end of the previous campaign, was Chris Martin. The striker had been brought into the club in February 2023 on a short-term deal.

Having made that move to Loftus Road, Martin then scored four goals in 16 Championship appearances for QPR, as they managed to avoid relegation from League One.

However, when his contract with the club expired last summer, the R's elected not to renew it, instead allowing Martin to leave on a free transfer.

But with QPR now once again fighting to avoid a bottom three spot in the Championship, Martin's own form this season, could well see his old club rue the decision not to extend his contract at the end of last season.

Bristol Rovers benefitting from QPR contract call

Following his departure from QPR last summer, Martin returned to the game last September, when he signed for League One side Bristol Rovers.

Since making that move, the striker has been in excellent form for the Gas. In 38 appearances in all competitions for his current club, he has scored 16 goals.

That has helped Bristol Rovers to 14th place in the League One table, and they are guaranteed to be a third-tier side again next season.

It has also seen Martin earn a new contract at The Memorial Stadium until the end of next season, that also includes the option to extend by a further 12 months.

As a result, if QPR are relegated from the Championship this season, there is a good chance they would come up against Martin when they face Bristol Rovers next season.

Such a reunion would serve as a reminder of what was arguably a considerable mistake in letting Martin go over the summer.

One thing that has been a big problem for QPR this season is goals. Only the bottom two teams in the division - Sheffield Wednesday (36) and Rotherham United (32) - have registered a lower number of Championship goals than the R's (40) this season.

That therefore suggests, that had they had Martin available and in the sort of form he has been producing for Bristol Rovers, those extra goals he could have provided may have allowed QPR to pick up the extra points that may have seen them safe by now.

What will make this even more frustrating is that they would not have had to pay a transfer fee to secure Martin's services at Loftus Road for this season, given he simply needed to have his contract extended.

With that in mind, the decision not to extend the 35-year-old's deal last summer is one that should arguably come in for some scrutiny, if QPR are not playing Championship football again next season.