Neil Critchley was finally confirmed as QPR’s new manager last Sunday, and the former Blackpool boss will have some big decisions to make at Loftus Road in January.
Having been top of the Championship in October, the Hoops now find themselves ninth in the standings with a negative goal difference after some woeful recent form.
In their last six league games, the west London outfit have managed no wins, only one draw and five losses, with just one goal scored and 10 conceded, which sees them ranked as the most out-of-form team in the league.
Therefore, it is clear that Critchley has a big job on his hands if he is to get the R’s back into promotion contention, and the 44-year-old will need to be ruthless with some of his decisions if he wants to progress with his new club.
One such decision should be to get rid of veteran winger Albert Adomah.
The former Aston Villa man, who turned 35 yesterday, has just one goal in 17 appearances for the Hoops so far this season (14 of those as a substitute), averaging a shocking 6.15 rating from WhoScored for his performances in the Championship.
The Ghanaian forward is something of a fans’ favourite at Loftus Road, having made 89 appearances for QPR in total, contributing five goals and nine assists in that time.
He also enamoured himself to the fan base by celebrating with the away end after a penalty shootout win over Leyton Orient in one of the first matches back with fans in attendance in August 2021 after the pandemic had prevented supporters from following the Hoops in person.
However, football is a ruthless business, and he simply doesn’t offer enough on the pitch anymore. That is emphasised by his woeful average rating this season, which ranks him as only the 21st-best performer at Loftus Road.
Considering that he is one of the best-paid players at the club, earning £12.5k per week, Critchley should definitely look to get rid before Adomah’s contract expires in the summer of 2024. Otherwise, he risks costing QPR a significant sum of money despite being a fringe player who is no longer good enough for Championship football at this point in his career.
