The positivity that reverberated around Loftus Road at the end of the 2023/24 campaign feels like a long time ago now, as QPR have made a dismal start to the 2024/25 season.

Marti Cifuentes helped the Hoops pull off the great escape at the end of last season, with a 4-0 win over promotion-chasing Leeds United in April a real statement of intent which made people sit-up and take notice.

Many people would have expected QPR to pull clear of the relegation zone this season, and some would have tipped them to be closer to the top six than the drop zone, but that’s not transpired, and they sit 23rd in the table – winning just one of their 14 league games.

That in itself is a huge cause for concern, but when you delve even deeper, the Loftus Road faithful have every right to worry.

QPR are struggling for goals, and the fact that their goal in a recent 4-1 drubbing against Middlesbrough was an own goal sums up their woes when it comes to finding the back of the net.

If the Hoops are to start moving up the table, the number of goals they’ve scored needs to increase immediately.

QPR have the second-worst goalscoring record in the Championship

After 14 Championship games, QPR have scored just 12 goals, one more than Swansea City, who have the worst attacking record in the division with just 11 goals.

However, while Swansea may have the worst attacking record in the division, they’re sitting pretty in 9th place while QPR sit in the relegation zone, and there’s no doubt that Cifuentes would love to swap positions with Swans boss Luke Williams.

Eight different players have found the back of the net for the Hoops this season in the league, one of whom is Lyndon Dykes, who now plays for Birmingham City, and Cifuentes’ side are certainly lacking firepower.

The Hoops didn’t exactly have a prolific goalscorer on their books last season, with Ilias Chair and Dykes scoring seven each in the Championship, with the Scottish striker reaching nine in all competitions, and now that he’s gone, QPR look even less of a goalscoring threat.

Sinclair Armstrong and Chris Willock, who scored nine goals between them, departed in the summer for Championship rivals, and it’s no surprise QPR are struggling for goals given some of their summer departures.

Slovenian international Zan Celar was brought in during the summer, but he’s yet to score for QPR, and his failure to find the back of the net, coupled with a lack of quality attacking options means that Cifuentes’ side could be in big trouble this season.

Swansea have shown it’s possible to be a decent side despite struggling for goals, but QPR can’t defend as well as Swansea, and if things don’t change, the Hoops are in for a long, hard season.

Marti Cifuentes should be looking to sign a striker in January

QPR were putting a lot of faith in Celar when they signed him from FC Lugano, but they’re yet to see him replicate the goalscoring form he produced in Switzerland.

The Slovenian international had an impressive record in Switzerland with 51 goals in 118 games, so there’s obviously a decent player in there somewhere, it just hasn’t clicked.

Ironically, Swansea, the only team to have scored fewer goals than QPR, also signed a Slovenian striker in the summer, but theirs has fared slightly better, with Zan Vipotnik scoring twice in the Championship.

With players like Dykes, Armstrong and Willock leaving in the summer, QPR’s attack lacks Championship experience, and while Frey made a decent start to the season, it’s clear that they need more.

Cifuentes should look to bring in someone with Championship experience in January, even if it’s a short-term fix just to ensure they remain in the division.

QPR run the risk of being cut adrift in the Championship relegation zone, and the January transfer window can’t come soon enough to add some much-needed firepower to their squad.