Queens Park Rangers strengthened a number of positions during the summer transfer window, with player sales allowing them to bring others in.
It always felt as though Gareth Ainsworth needed the summer to put his stamp on the R’s squad – because last season’s squad needed shaking up.
They may have been at the top end of the Championship during the early stages of the campaign, but their inability to fight back until very late in the season was a massive worry and it wasn’t down to a manager.
The R’s struggled during the latter stages of Mick Beale’s tenure, won one game in 12 under Neil Critchley and only just managed to scramble themselves to safety under current manager Ainsworth.
If anyone was going to get them out of danger, it was going to be Ainsworth after he managed to pull off a brilliant escape with Wycombe Wanderers on the final day of the 2013/14 season.
He’s an excellent man manager and was a proven success from his time at Adams Park – but even he struggled during the early stages of his tenure at Loftus Road and he will be thankful that he had the summer to change things.
Their opening day defeat against Watford wasn’t ideal – but they have bounced back reasonably well and their recent away win against Middlesbrough could turn out to be a turning point for them.
Their transfer business has probably helped them to make a respectable (if not spectacular) start to the campaign, but they are lacking depth in one or two positions and it could come back to bite them.
Looking at their forward department, they are in desperate need of more options, even if they only play one up top for the remainder of the campaign.
Lyndon Dykes could be a regular goalscorer this term and Sinclair Armstrong is promising, but the latter is still inexperienced and Charlie Kelman hasn’t played much football at this level.
Ilias Chair and Chris Willock can also contribute in the final third, but they need another striker or two regardless and they will be consigned to using the free agent market now until January, with the summer window closing.
Andre Gray is one player that has recently become available – but Taylor could be a good option after being released by Nottingham Forest in the summer.
Having already plied his trade in the English capital before – and with QPR still a second-tier side – you feel the ex-Forest man would be open to this move even if he had to accept a reasonably modest salary.
He’s probably desperate to get back into the game after spending quite a bit of time out of it – and the R’s could provide him with an option.
Not only can he hold the ball up, but he can press well and is a proven goalscorer in the EFL, doing well on loan at Birmingham City during the second half of the 2021/22 campaign.
He registered five goals in 14 league games for Blues and if you extrapolate that throughout a season, he’d be likely to get on the scoresheet at least 15 times. That’s the type of talisman QPR need alongside Dykes if they want to give themselves the best chance of remaining afloat in the second tier again.
Offering him a deal until the end of the season seems sensible – because he’s 33 now and there could be alternatives available next summer.
This short-term deal could be one that ends up working out well for all parties.
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