"Just not been good enough" - QPR recruitment team slammed despite recent positive shoots | OneFootball

QPR's FLW fan pundit has had his say on the club's recruitment team.

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…

Despite QPR's mostly poor results in the league so far under Marti Cifuentes in 2024-25, they have the opportunity to improve the squad in January next month in order to try and climb away from relegation danger.

The Hoops enjoyed a resurgence last season following the appointment of Cifuentes as head coach to replace Gareth Ainsworth, with the Spaniard guiding the club clear of the threat of relegation to League One and securing an 18th-place finish in the second tier.

Given their upturn in form under Cifuentes last term, there was some hope at Loftus Road that the R's could kick on this season, but it has proven to be a difficult 2024/25 campaign for the west Londoners so far.

After some eye-catching signings and a shift to improving the team in possession, many expected QPR to be a club nowhere near relegation trouble this term. It has not transpired that way so far, though. How much of that can be attributed to the recruitment team at the club?

QPR fan verdict issued on recruitment team

They were full of optimism and looked like a team on the up after a difficult campaign in 2023/24, but that has swiftly disappeared and been replaced by a much more negative mood in West London.

And, despite recent improvements, QPR fans will know all too well that they can quickly be dragged back into that relegation zone if performances begin to slip.

Therefore, utilising the January market is crucial, as injury issues continue to persist for Cifuentes. However, can the recruitment team be trusted? We asked Football League World's resident QPR fan pundit Louis Moir for his thoughts.

Louis told FLW: "I mean, obviously, the recruitment team have come in for a lot of stick and deservedly so.

"If you look at the last few years, since we've come back down from the Premier League, the recruitment has just not been good enough.

"We've had a few players that have turned out really good, but overall it has not been great.

"We've gone for something different this season, and I am hoping now that you're seeing more positive signs with some players; it may have just taken a bit longer than what we expected for them.

"A few look to be coming good now, but that obviously doesn't excuse the fact of how bad the recruitment has been in recent years,

"Ultimately, that has left us where we have been in the league in the last few seasons as well.

"Head of recruitment, Andy Belk, has been there way too long. Nothing has changed, really, from his role from when he's still been at the club.

"I'm just hoping now that things are being done differently and that it will eventually work out.

"It needs to improve really quickly, otherwise we will continue struggling at the bottom of the Championship, which we don't want."

QPR's recruitment plan in January needs to be game-changing

While injuries to key players such as Ilias Chair and Karamoko Dembele have not helped, the squad as a whole lacks the firepower needed to survive, with goals and assists needed to be added to their ranks in January, which won't come cheap.

January could provide an opportune moment to find not only a player who can score frequently but also one that will create chances for those around them, with Cifuentes' side largely solid in recent weeks in terms of the number of shots and chances they have conceded.

There are more than just shoots of life, but further investment and smart recruitment will be needed, given that most teams around QPR will not sit still, either.