QPR started the season with four straight league defeats and fingers were already being pointed in the direction of manager Steve McClaren. 

After just four games, people started to strongly tip McClaren as the first man to fall through the proverbial managerial trap door. The experienced coach had to do something, quick.

The major problem was the leaking defence, with the R's conceding three at Bristol City and a whopping seven against West Brom. However, McClaren went into the loan market not for defensive reinforcements, but attackers - two strikers in fact. In the opening four defeats, QPR started three different strikers: Conor Washington, Matt Smith, Idrissa Sylla. Neither of those strikers yielded reward with zero goals between them.

So, what did McClaren do? He altered his system to a 4-4-2 variant and signed Tomer Hemed from Brighton and Nakhi Wells from Burnley, both on loan and both late in the transfer window. The duo have vast Championship experience and have both been crucial components of past promotion-winning teams, but struggled for game time in the Premier League.

Thus far, those signings are paying dividends. Although it hasn't quite been promotion form, QPR have somewhat turned things around, with three wins and a draw from the past five fixtures. Although the loan pairing haven't been in the best goalscoring form, they have changed the dynamic and attitude at Loftus Road and have been vital to QPR's resurgence.

In a league often famed for its tightness and how games are won and lost on such close margins, Wells and Hemed will be crucial in helping QPR avoid the drop which seemed highly likely just four weeks into the season.