Strengths:
Hard-working Midfield - Mutch, Henry and Barton are all combative and tenacious midfielders who can and will pressure the opposition and win the ball back. Having said that, they can play as well - Barton is a fantastic midfield dictator whilst Mutch has a lovely range of passing and an eye for goal.
Pace out Wide - Hoilett, Phillips and Wright-Phillips are pacey wide men who will be dangerous on the counter-attack for any team. QPR have capable full backs who can overlap too, especially Isla, which will
allow their wingers to cut inside as well.
Experience - Of all the promoted sides, QPR comfortably have the most internationals and Premier League appearances underneath their belt, which should really help them.
Weaknesses:
Age - Age is a double-edged sword; whilst experience is very useful, there comes a time when older players struggle for pace and fitness. Players such as Ferdinand, Dunne, Hill and Zamora are maybe past their prime, and may struggle with the rigours of the Premier League.
Possible Lack of Depth - Though QPR have a decent sized squad, the replacements for their starters really aren't to the same level and this could be their downfall.
Signings:
Steven Caulker - Could be a very good signing. Caulker is an athletic centre-half who is extremely good in the air and a goalscoring threat. However, Caulker isn't the most reliable defender and does make the odd mistake. If QPR get the best out of him, he'll be a top signing.
Rio Ferdinand - No longer good enough, in my opinion. Obviously he was a superb defender in his day, but age and injuries have not been kind to Rio. This is a typical QPR signing that could backfire.
Mauricio Isla - Very good player, capable of playing at right-back or right wing. Isla had a good World Cup and is a fantastically talented player who will do well at QPR.
Jordon Mutch - A very talented young player, though injury prone. If Mutch can avoid injuries he will be a fantastic signing for the R's. He's dynamic, intelligent and can pick a pass, as well as being able to score the odd goal.
Who They Should Sign:
A young centre-half - A long term replacement to Richard Dunne should be on Redknapp's shopping list. Dunne is and was a very good player but how long that will last is arguable. Caulker was a good step towards that, but they need another defender would be a good idea.
A right-winger - Shaun Wright-Phillips is no longer good enough for the Premier League, so finding someone else to play there either as back up to, or preferably ahead of, Junior Hoilett, would be a good signing.
Final Thoughts:
QPR should just about have enough about them to stay up. They have a combative midfield who will control games against teams around them in the league, a good goalscorer in Charlie Austin and some fast wingers to hit teams on the counter. Defensively, they may struggle a little bit, but they should be ok.
The experience in the team should help QPR against the other teams in the lower half of the division. They won't aim to beat the top half teams in the league and any points against them will be a bonus. QPR should beat teams around them which should make them certainties to stay up.
QPR will just aim to stay up this season, and then establish themselves as a Premier League club next year. With the substantial investment that will surely come next year, that should be of no issue.
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