QPR should not sack manager Mark Warburton now as he deserves the chance to see the season out and try to save his job, according to former Hoops striker Kevin Gallen.
The R's slipped to a fifth-straight defeat on the weekend and a seventh in eight games to leave them down in 11th – six points back from the play-off places with five to play.
Previous reports have indicated the W12 club could be close to sacking Warburton and West London Sport expect them to do so should the current poor run keep going until the end of the season.
Speaking on the West London Sport podcast, Gallen has urged his former club to give the 59-year-old until the end of the 2021/22 campaign to turn things around.
He said: "I don't want to see anyone get sacked, to be honest.
"All I always think about is that if you do sack a manager, you have to replace him with someone better.
"Now, who is out that there that is better and available? And within the budget? And will work within the style of what QPR want to do?
"Right now, I don't think he should be sacked. Now, they'll have to assess it at the end of the season but I think the play-offs are definitely gone so unless you have a caretaker until the end of the season, I think he's done enough to see the season out.
"We did really have a great first four or five months so I think he deserves to see the season out."
The R's have been unfortunate with injuries during their recent barren run, which has seen them win just two of their last 14 games and looks to have killed off their play-off hopes this term.
Even so, they could still secure another top-half finish under Warburton – impressive given they finished 18th, 16th, and 19th in the three seasons before he took charge.
The Verdict
It's hard to disagree with Gallen here.
What Warburton has done at the club has been hugely impressive – transforming them from a side battling near the bottom of the Championship to one with realistic promotion aspirations this season and all on a fairly tight budget.
In many ways, he's a victim of his own success and the club's early-season form, which saw them competing for a place in the top two before they stuttered in recent months.
He has earned a chance to turn things around and you feel the R's would be wise for the club not to be too hasty to cut ties with the first manager to get them close to the top six since they were relegated from the Premier League.
That said, his position would seem untenable if their losing run were to continue until the end of the 2021/22 campaign due to the impact that may have on the players' belief in him.