Simon Dalton presents his prediction for the Championship match.
The management at Queens Park Rangers continue to show faith in Marti Cifuentes, even though nearly a third of the season has passed and the London club are at the bottom. Perhaps it's time for a managerial change before it's too late? Stoke City decided to take action almost immediately.
Queens Park Rangers
Ten points from 15 rounds is alarmingly low. When the Spaniard took charge on October 30, 2023, Queens Park Rangers had just eight points after 14 rounds. How is the current situation significantly different from then? A new manager could have used the international break to acclimate with the team, but QPR chose to stick with Marti Cifuentes. Ahead lies a congested fixture schedule with three mid-week rounds before New Year's. Are they banking on a relatively easier schedule where Queens Park Rangers won't face any leaders in 2024? Let's see, only time will tell.
Stoke City
Stoke City replaced Steven Schumacher immediately after the fifth round in mid-September. At one point, the team dropped as low as 20th (seventh round). They managed to escape the depths but only as far as 13th place, the same position where Narcís Pèlach began. They've managed to climb up thanks to a three-match unbeaten run in November: Stoke City defeated Derby County at home (2:1) and Blackburn Rovers away (2:0), and in the 15th round, they drew with Millwall (1:1) at the former Britannia Stadium.
Queens Park Rangers vs Stoke City Prediction
We don't believe that Marti Cifuentes has managed to implement any substantial improvements in just two weeks. Yes, this period is good for recovering some injured players, but the core issue remains: QPR are either conceding heavily, as in the last two rounds (six goals in total), or failing to score (two goalless draws before that). That kind of inconsistency won’t yield results, thus a double chance for Stoke City is the way to go.
