Julien Spencer must end a 10-year rut to take QPR back to the top flight, their last visit was a reality.
After a disastrous start to the 2024/25 Championship season for QPR, Marti Cifuentes helped turn the team’s fortunes around, propelling his side into the top half of the table.
The R’s finished in mid-table after a disappointing season, and Cifuentes was placed on gardening leave while he sought a move to West Bromwich Albion. However, the move never materialised, and Julien Stephan is due to take over at Loftus Road as the West London club prepares for the upcoming Championship season. Following their 15th-place finish in May, QPR will need to work hard to climb the ladder and compete for promotion to the Premier League, but EFL Analysis has looked back at the club’s previous appearance in the top level.
QPR were last in the Premier League in 2015, it did not end well
Following their relegation in 2013, QPR were immediately promoted back to the top flight, with Bobby Zamora hitting one of the greatest play-off final goals against Derby County a year later in the 90th minute.
However, Harry Redknapp’s team struggled to make the jump back to the promised land, and the signing of Rio Ferdinand did not help an already elderly squad. The former Manchester United centre-back was brought in to offer experience to the squad, but he only played 12 games in his retirement season. Meanwhile, Adel Taarabt, whom Curtis Davies dubbed the EFL GOAT, made only eight appearances across all competitions. Charlie Austin was one of QPR’s few bright spots, scoring 18 Premier League goals as the club ended bottom of the table and was relegated following a 6-0 defeat to Manchester City.
The R’s will need time before they can push for promotion again
Since returning to the Championship, the R’s have struggled to compete at the division’s top level. They’ve only finished in the top half three times in the last ten seasons, and fans may have lost faith in their squad during that time.
| Season | Division | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2020/21 | Championship | 9th |
| 2021/22 | Championship | 11th |
| 2022/23 | Championship | 20th |
| 2023/24 | Championship | 18th |
| 2024/25 | Championship | 15th |
Ex-player Joel Lynch has previously commented about the club’s troubles, but a new manager should be given the opportunity to help drive the club ahead, and now that Cifuentes has begun to restore some brightness to Loftus Road, Stephan must pick up where the Spaniard left off.
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