POSITIVES
QPR won as many away league games in 2016/17 as they did in their previous two campaigns combined (6).
QPR’s 5-1 win vs Rotherham was their biggest margin of victory in the league since a 4-0 victory against Swansea on Boxing Day 2010.
No Championship player scored more goals as a substitute last season than Idrissa Sylla (5).
Sylla (148 mins/goal) had the sixth best minutes-per-goal ratio in the Championship (min. 5 goals) last season.
Conor Washington scored six goals under Ian Holloway compared to just two under Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.
Only David Edwards (132) made more tackles in the Championship last season than Massimo Luongo (122). Indeed, Luongo won the ball back in the opposition half more times than any other Championship player last term (109).
Alex Smithies has now faced 12 penalties in league competition as QPR goalkeeper but only five have been scored (six saved, one hit the post).
Since his debut in February, no QPR player has had a hand in more goals than Luke Freeman (two goals, four assists).
NEGATIVES
QPR lost six consecutive league games on two separate occasions in a single season for the first time in their history.
The R`s also lost 10 league games at Loftus Road last term (a joint-club record with 1968/69 and 1949/50).
Only Rotherham (22) lost more Championship games than QPR (17) since Ian Holloway returned to the club.
QPR used 37 different players in the league last season, the third highest total in the division.
Only Rotherham (3) recorded fewer clean sheets last season in the second tier than QPR (7).
QPR`s 6-0 loss to Newcastle United in September was their heaviest ever league defeat on home soil.
The R`s failed to score in 14 league games in 2016/17, their highest tally in a second tier season since 2008/09 (21 games in which they failed to score).
QPR won just 53 points last season, their lowest points return in a second tier campaign since 2006/07 (53).
Summary
QPR`s season was certainly one to forget as they narrowly avoided relegation. The run of results between mid-February and mid-March proved to be the high point of the season from a performance perspective but a dramatic tail spin in the shape of seven defeats from the final eight games nearly saw Ian Holloway`s side fall into the relegation zone. The fact that QPR equalled their club record for most home league defeats in a season, set a record home league loss and endured two six-match losing runs, indicates that 2016/17 was a depressing campaign overall and major improvements are needed if the club are to push back up the league.
The positives from the season just gone aren`t anything to really shout home about either but it does highlight the fact that there is some individual quality in the ranks and if the correct signings are made then QPR could potentially push on and become a top half side in 2017/18. However, the defence needs addressing quickly and goalscoring upfront has understandably been a problem since Charlie Austin`s departure. Ultimately, it`s difficult to ascertain exactly how much progress QPR can make this summer if the report of a strict transfer budget is to be believed. Hopefully the squad and the manager can learn from the mistakes of last season and find a way to be a more consistent outfit.
