QPR v Sheff Utd 29Apr22 1 - 3 FT 11th/63pts

It's probably a thread on its own but for me it was a combination of things,

Of course the injuries played a  part but something wasn't right even before them.  I believe it was the signings of Sanderson and Hendrick that caused the biggest issue.  Warburton had clearly stated he wanted cover for the central defenders and I think at that time it was understandable because de Wijs was injured. However, it then transpired that de Wijs was fit but he was being sent out on loan. Strange decision.

We will never know whether the loanees had clauses that guaranteed they play but I wonder whether it made some of the stalwarts start to feel undermined. Barbet certainly wasnt happy when he was dropped/rested. I thought the same happened with Johansen because he was our captain and started to get left out to fit Hendrick into the midfield. 

In addition Warburton then didn't help matters when players like Gray and Thomas who had hit a bit of form were mysteriously dropped and never got their confidence back. Gray especially must have wondered what was going on, he scored in 3 consecutive games then had a blank and got dropped.

Warburton will never admit to making mistakes and clearly believes that our poor performances lie with the injuries because after yesterday's game when he  was asked to explain the team’s collapse.

He said: “We had no Lee Wallace. No Rob Dickie. No Moses Odubajo. We had no Chris Willock. No Seny Dieng. No David Marshall.

“You’re asking me to explain it and I’m trying to keep my temper.

“Come on. We’ve had the whole back line and five goalkeepers out and you’re saying to me ‘How can I explain it?’ I can explain it in one sentence.”

Every fan will have some sympathy with him regarding the injuries but this is his squad and he's signed the majority of them so if the players he has brought in aren't good enough its his fault. As so many point out we have a small budget and it cant have gone down well with the board when players like Bonne and Kelman are sent away from the club on loan but we need to bring in a replacement. 

One of Warburtons major issues has been our defending from set pieces which has been awful. It didn't help that after games he would come out and tell us that we have to defend better but in the next game the same thing would happen again.  As the manager it was his job to put that poor defending  right.

The quality of players and teams in the Championship improves every year and whilst we have improved under Warburton our league position over the last 3 years shows that we have effectively remained a mid table team.