Ex-QPR boss in frame for Burton Albion job | OneFootball

Ainsworth, who previously managed Wycombe Wanderers and Queens Park Rangers, could be set for a return to the EFL.

Gareth Ainsworth is in the frame to take the Burton Albion job, with the 51-year-old potentially set for a return to League One.

This is according to Sunday's report in the League Paper.

Ainsworth, 51, has been out of work since his dismissal from Queens Park Rangers during the early stages of last season.

He struggled for much of his tenure at Loftus Road, managing to get a couple of vital wins during the latter stages of the 2022/23 campaign but leaving the R's in major relegation danger when he left last term.

Ainsworth, who previously played for QPR, will be extremely disappointed about how his time in the English capital panned out, especially after managing to enjoy real success at Wycombe Wanderers.

Guiding the Chairboys to the second tier in 2020, he was nearly able to do it again in 2022, and left the club in a fairly good position when he made the move to Loftus Road.

He has been out of work for around a year now - and the 51-year-old may be keen to get back into work sooner rather than later - having had the opportunity to recover from his time in West London.

Gareth Ainsworth in the mix for the Burton Albion job

Ainsworth is believed to be among the candidates to take the Burton job, with this information coming courtesy of the League Paper.

It's believed that the 51-year-old would "relish" a return to the third tier of English football, having been such a success there with Wycombe.

However, he would have a big job on his hands if he were to make the move to the Pirelli Stadium.

The Brewers have made a very poor start to the season, struggling under Mark Robinson before his dismissal last week.

Robinson previously worked with Chelsea's development squad - and he could have been a promising appointment for Burton - but his spell in the Midlands just didn't work out in the end.

And after their defeat against Cambridge United at the weekend, they sit rock bottom of the table and are in deep trouble, despite the fact they are still in the early stages of the season.

It will take a considerable amount of work to get them out of the drop zone, even though there are still plenty of games left for them to make up the deficit and scramble their way to safety.

Gareth Ainsworth could be a good fit for Burton Albion

Ainsworth is a great manager and the type of boss you would want in a relegation battle.

He may not have been hugely successful at QPR as a manager, but he was able to dig out some vital wins, and that shows that he can get teams out of relegation battles. He did the same at Wycombe.

However, Burton seemed to play a different style under Robinson and you have to wonder whether they would be making the right decision by going with a different type of boss.

A drastic change, however, could be what they need, considering how poor their start to the season has been.

Ainsworth has also proved that he can stay at a club for a number of years and still be successful, so he could be a good long-term appointment.