Queens Park Rangers have parted ways with manager Neil Critchley following a dismal run that saw the club plummet from the top of the Championship to the bottom half of the table.
Critchley was only in the job for two months, appointed in December following Michael Beale’s departure to Rangers. In the dozen games he oversaw, the team managed just one win.
The final straw came with a 3-1 defeat away to Middlesbrough on Saturday, leaving QPR 17th in the table, 10 points above the relegation zone. The club had been top of the league when they beat Wigan on October 22 but had only managed one victory in their last 17 matches.
QPR CEO Lee Hoos said in a statement released by the club:
“It is hugely disappointing to have to make such a decision so early into Neil’s tenure with the club. However, after seeing the team slip from play-off contenders to one being drawn into a relegation battle, the board felt it had to act.”
The decision to part ways with Critchley comes when QPR is in a precarious position, with the club facing an uncertain future in the Championship. With the club currently in a relegation battle, the decision to move on from Critchley was necessary to try and stave off the threat of relegation.
It remains to be seen who will take the reins at Loftus Road, but whoever takes on the job will have a massive task. With the relegation battle heating up, QPR will need to find a manager who can turn the club’s fortunes around and get them back up the table.