"That is concerning" - Pundit pinpoints worrying QPR trend following Derby defeat | OneFootball

Ali Maxwell has reasons to be worried about the R's recent displays

EFL pundit Ali Maxwell has voiced his concerns surrounding Queens Park Rangers, as their poor start to the season continued at the weekend away at Derby County.

The R’s went down 2-0 to The Rams on Saturday to make it three consecutive defeats in the Championship heading into the international break, with just one victory to their name from their opening nine league matches.

With just nine goals in as many games so far, Marti Cifuentes has failed to get his side firing during the 24/25 campaign, while his side’s normally reliable backline has been as porous as it has ever been during his stewardship.

With issues arising at both ends of the pitch, Maxwell is worried by what he has seen at Loftus Road so far this season, with their defensive output dropping off drastically from last season.

Queens Park Rangers performances worry EFL pundit Ali Maxwell

A quick fire double was the downfall of QPR on Saturday, as Curtis Nelson’s header gave Derby the advantage nine minutes after the break, before Marcus Harness made it 2-0 a mere 60 seconds later.

That sort of defensive fragility is something that has become a feature of Rangers’ matches so far this season, and is a far cry from the reliable backline that Cifuentes prided himself on when he first arrived at the club.

Speaking on the Not The Top 20 Podcast, Maxwell said: “For QPR, it is seven points from nine games, they are looking so poor on the ball, and the R’s fans on NTT20 squad point towards the absence of Jake Clarke-Salter, who seems to be constantly in and out.

“Ilias Chair came on here and hopefully will add something now that he is finally available.

“They went from being a really dependable defensive team under Cifuentes - as soon as he arrived - to a bottom eight defensive team, per the underlying numbers at this stage of the season.

“That is concerning, because they have not improved with the ball nearly as much as they need to for that to end up working out on balance, so not a good afternoon for them, and lots of thinking to be done over the international break.”

Queens Park Rangers’ defensive drop off leaves a lot to be desired

Only seven teams in the whole division conceded less than Rangers’ 58 league goals last season, which underlined just how Cifuentes had managed to boil games down to the finest margins in order for his side to pick up points to rescue them from the drop.

But the Spaniard has failed to recreate that staunch reliability this season, with only bottom two sides Cardiff City and Portsmouth shipping more than the 16 they have allowed in the current campaign, which continues to be a cause for concern for all at Loftus Road.

With no clean sheet all season, Rangers have always had to score at least once to pick up at least a point, with big money signing Zan Celar still yet to get off the mark since signing from Lugano, which further adds to their problems at the other end of the field.