Since my August-September progress report, things could not have been more up and down for Rangers. Successive away game displays saw the R’s lose to both Southampton and West Ham United. To be honest this seems longer ago than it actually was, thanks to an international break, and made Queens Park Rangers look like a team that did not deserve or even want to be playing in the top-flight.

It could all summed up at the end of the 2-0 defeat to the Hammers when TV cameras focused in on second-half substitute Bobby Zamora as he bemoaned the final whistle, looked at the score, and mouthed, “for f***s sake.” Things looked dire as Rangers had only earned four points and were propping up the Premier League table. The international break made the loss sting even longer and with Liverpool next on the schedule things did not look good. Fans were fed up with Rio Ferdinand’s obvious lack of pace and Harry Redknapp’s persistence in playing the outdated center-back, and a change had to be made or it looked like the former Tottenham Hotspur manager was done with football for good.

Whether intentional or not, Rio was dropped for Richard Dunne against Liverpool in a match that without a doubt Rangers should have taken three points from, but lost courtesy of two own goals. Yet despite such a heartbreaking loss they somehow found the grit they had been missing. A comfortable 2-0 victory over Aston Villa with Charlie Austin’s third and fourth goals of the season had raised spirits for the one match the Rangers supporters had been most anxious about, Chelsea away.

While over the last few years QPR and Chelsea have hardly been rivals when it comes to the league table, the R’s narrow 2-1 defeat at Stamford Bridge put the two teams at 2-1-2 against each other in the league since 2011. It was a defeat that didn’t feel as such, and was made even better by Jose Mourinho’s complaints about how quiet Chelsea fans had been during the match. Topped off by a daft flick that resulted in Austin’s equalizer, the game should have ended in a 1-1 draw as the home side pounded QPR, but could find no way through their defense through open play. In the end it was a soft penalty that separated the two sides.

Saturday’s 2-2 draw against Manchester City has shown that my previous two predictions just might be accurate. The team has started slowly, but might have finally found a solid vein of good form. While the next few games should be winnable, every QPR supporter knows better than to get their hopes up.

Best Starting XI: Green, Yun, Dunne, Caulker, Isla, Fer, Henry, Sandro, Vargas, Zamora, Austin.

Redknapp has finally found a credible starting XI, as Karl Henry has been recalled from the bench and done wonders, while Yun Suk Young, and two Chilean loanees Eduardo Vargas and Mauricio Isla have finally adjusted to the pace of English soccer.

Best Performer:

Charlie Austin/Bobby Zamora. Their strike partnership has given opposing defenses plenty of headaches, and Austin now has six Premier League goals to his name which currently makes him the second-highest scoring English player in the league.

Most Improved Player:

Mauricio Isla. Once the 3-5-2 formation was dropped Isla did not look like a capable right-back in this league. He seemed uncomfortable and out of place, but has ultimately won the Rangers faithful over several decent displays recently.

Injury News:

Sandro continues to be on the sidelines as the club’s major casualty.  

Who should be brought in during the transfer window?

Not Jermain Defoe. He would be a diabolical waste of money as there isn’t anything he can do that Austin, Vargas, and Zamora already can’t, and would most likely be used only to cover for an injury. A younger Zamora would be ideal. Perhaps the Rangers need to look for a solid prospect from the lower leagues who has something to prove and will stay with the team if they do get relegated. It’s never too early to look toward the future.

Managerial progress:

There was a moment where even I wanted Redknapp to go. He spent too much time finding excuses and insisting Ferdinand was still world-class, but he has clearly learned from his mistakes and proved willing to change tactics, drop the big names, and find faith in some of the players who looked unlikely to even get a sniff. Still, this will probably be the last season of his managerial career and fans can only hope they will part on positive terms.

Weaknesses:

While Dunne and Steven Caulker have become a solid wall at the back when it comes to aerial threats, neither are known for their pace. As we saw against Manchester City, Aguero was able to use his speed to get in behind the pair twice.

Final thoughts:

Things are looking up, but QPR have a tendency to play to the level of the top teams and then substandard against opponents, which are near them in the table. The bottom half of the league is wide open right now and a string of good results could change everything. The next few games will be a real test to see if the Hoops have truly found the form that was expected of them at the beginning of the season.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5

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