It looked like a play-off place could be on the cards for QPR this season but the Hoops have fallen away from the top six in the second half of the campaign.

Now, with the side unable to push on for promotion, they look set to head in a fresh direction with Mark Warburton departing once the campaign comes to a close.

However, there appears to be no regrets and no hard feelings from the current boss over his time with the club, as the 59-year-old admitted to West London Sport he hopes QPR can continue to 'push forward' and wants the 'good work' done there to continue.

 

 

Warburton took over at the Hoops when the side were rooted near the bottom of the Championship table. He dragged them towards the top half of the table and then into the top 10 and this year there was a chance for them to go even better and seal a play-off place. However, they fell away since the turn of the year and now sit in 12th.

With his deal coming to an end, there was a question over whether he would be kept on at the club or not and with promotion eluding them, it looks like he won't be and the club will instead go in a different direction.

Warburton though has managed to achieve a 39% win rate with QPR during his time there and there are some fans who are understandably sad to see him depart. The boss though will see out the season and told West London Sport that he is hopeful that the work he has done will continue and that the supporters can see how far he has taken the side.

Warburton said: "I am very conscious of what has happened over the last eight weeks or so but I think over three years a lot of boxes have been ticked. I was asked in my second interview: ‘How would you be judged?’

“It would be crowds turning up in the home stadium it is because they are enjoying what they are seeing the crowds increase. Not just from a revenue perspective, but if the fans are enjoying watching their team play then we are all in a better place.

"It’s been a good journey and you want that good work to carry on. For me I hope the club can push forward, the new training ground and the smooth transition towards it will be a big part of that."

The Verdict

Mark Warburton may not have bagged a promotion during his time at the club, nor may he have won any silverware, but the response to his leaving QPR shows the regard in which he is held by their support.

When he arrived, the Hoops were midtable and a side that didn't look like they would pull up any trees. It has taken time but Warburton dragged them gradually forward and upwards in terms of their league positioning until it looked like a play-off spot could be on the cards.

If he could simply have held out until the end of the season, then he might not have been walking away from the job come the end of the campaign. The boss though won't be - and another side will surely benefit from his knowhow elsewhere.

QPR though are left with a question of where they go next. They will have to make an appointment swiftly so the new manager can sort the team out over summer and it could define whether QPR continue to rise to the task in the Championship or sink back down again.