Neil Critchley took in-charge of the EFL Championship team Queens Park Rangers on 11th December 2022. The former Liverpool stand-in manager and Aston Villa’s assistant manager was brought in to carry QPR up the league table. The 44-year-old made a perfect start by winning the opening match against Preston North End by a scoreline of 1-0. However, things didn’t go in his favour in the next ten matches, and he was eventually sacked this weekend. QPR only collected five points from the next ten matches, and these points came from five draws. They failed to win any of their last ten matches, and that resulted in Critchley’s exit from the club. His side even lost to a League One side, Fleetwood Town, in the FA Cup. We now look at some of the stats of QPR under Neil Critchley in his brief spell at the club.
Inconsistency in front of the goal
Queens Park Rangers currently sit 17th in the EFL Championship table with ten wins, nine draws, and 14 losses. They have scored 34 goals with an average xG rate of 1.3 per match. The team collected 31 points in the first 22 matches. In the last 11 matches, they only collected eight points and scored eight goals. This drop in numbers worried the board, and they decided to sack the manager.
QPR averages 11.7 shots per match this season with a 32.9% shot accuracy rate. In the last 11 matches, the average has gone down to 10.44 shots, which has also lowered the overall average for shots. The shot accuracy rate has also been affected during this period. Of these 115 shots, only 33 have been on target with a 28.6% accuracy rate. Queens Park Rangers have even missed a penalty during this period. The xG map above shows that most of the shots have been attempted from outside the penalty box. These long-range shots have either been blocked or they have been off-target. QPR players usually target the centre or the left side of the goalkeeper. Most of their shots went over the crossbar.
There hasn’t been a significant decrease in the number of positional attacks and counterattacks created by the club. But their inconsistency in front of the goal was the reason why only eight goals were scored.
The leaky defence
Along with the failures in attack, there were some gaps in defence that cost Neil Critchley his job at Queens Park Rangers. QPR have conceded 46 goals this season with an overall xGA rate of 1.4. They conceded 27 goals in the first 22 matches. In the last 11 matches, the team has conceded 19 goals. They only kept two clean sheets during this period, and these came in the first two matches under Critchley.
The manager demanded some positive results from the team in the attack. That left some gaps open in the defence of QPR. Overall, the team averages 11.7 shots against with a 32.9% accuracy rate for the opposition. This average went down to 10.44 shots against during Critchley’s time in charge. However, the accuracy rate for the teams was high, at 47.8%. The image above shows that the opposition teams were able to find the back of the net quite easily. They targeted the left, right, and centre as well.
There wasn’t a significant difference in the defensive stats. Neil Critchley’s side lacked a bit of discipline and gave away fouls at an average of around 12 per match. They even averaged just above two yellow cards per match. The above viz shows that most of the defensive actions took place on the flanks. QPR players tried to defend the goal and were mostly successful. However, they were unable to stop them from scoring goals in these matches.
Betting Analysis
As per the 1×2 betting odds, the odds rate for a QPR win will be high. They are in a poor run of form, and that allows the opposition to register wins against them. As for the over/under lines, the over lines for the opposition are likely to thrive.
Neil Critchley managed Queens Park Rangers for 12 matches and was sacked. He only won one match during this brief spell. Now the team is closer to the relegation zone. The board will look to sign a new manager who could ensure safety and take them into the top half of the table.
Visuals via TFA data viz engine
