QPR should hope Millwall don't pounce to ex-Birmingham man first if Ainsworth is sacked: Opinion | OneFootball

Highlights

Queens Park Rangers have been in somewhat of a rapid decline ever since former head coach Mick Beale was being linked with other jobs last year - an event which saw him eventually depart for Rangers.

Some Hoops supporters will pinpoint the downfall happening before that despite Mark Warburton guiding the club to three reasonably solid Championship finishes between 2019 and 2022, but the financial situation at Loftus Road has been pretty dire, having lost £25 million in Warburton's final season in charge.

QPR went through three managers last season, with Beale being the first before the ill-fated stint of Neil Critchley, who was brought in as his replacement following his departure to Glasgow.

Critchley was a flop in his three months in charge, so the board turned to former R's player Gareth Ainsworth, who had built strong foundations at Wycombe Wanderers, guiding them to promotion to the Championship in 2020.

Despite being a fan favourite at the R's, Ainsworth's appointment was met with doubt, and the results on the board since his arrival have been far from impressive.

Yes, QPR may have survived last season when it came to avoiding relegation, but the performances were poor and 11 matches into 2023-24, they are in the bottom three having spent minimal money in the summer transfer window.

Should QPR lose away at Huddersfield on Saturday afternoon, then there is genuine reason to believe that the board may cut their losses and look elsewhere, and there are plenty of alternatives currently on the market.

One of those is John Eustace, who has spent time already at the club as an assistant manager, firstly to Steve McClaren in 2018 before staying on when Warburton was appointed the following year.

Eustace was very highly-rated despite his only managerial experience being in non-league with Kidderminster Harriers, and his reputation led to him getting the Birmingham City job last year.

Harshly sacked however last week as the Blues owners sought to appoint Wayne Rooney, which they succeeded in doing, Eustace is now available and he would - on paper - be a major Ainsworth upgrade.

Eustace will have felt as though he was unjustly sacked by Birmingham, so he will not want a break from football - he will want to prove the Blues wrong.

And QPR are a club that he would have had a good time at as they pushed at times for the play-offs under Warburton, so the appeal of trying to turn their fortunes around would surely be there.

There has been a real lack of investment in the playing squad though recently, perhaps due to the lack of funds and general financial investment available in the club, so it would be a case of working under difficult constraints.

Eustace would be a perfect Ainsworth replacement though if they decide to pull the trigger, but a vacancy that popped up this week in the form of Millwall could scupper any potential plan.

Is John Eustace a realistic candidate for Millwall job?

Having said goodbye to Gary Rowett after nearly four years in charge, Millwall are looking for a fresh start with a new head coach or manager, and it's likely to be a job that is more tempting for Eustace due to their ambition.

The Lions have spent more money than normal in the previous few years as they push to really break into the Championship's top six, and having proven to be a good boss at Birmingham, Eustace should be high on James Berylson's radar.

There is likely to be significant interest in the vacancy at The Den however, but that should not really deter Eustace's chances at being close to the top of that particular list.