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Boro Post Mortem
at 10:50 9 Mar 2026

Long time reader, first time contributor.

So many questions need answering… where do I even start?

I’ve stayed largely silent throughout most of this season. When the appointment was made, I wasn’t particularly excited, but I wasn’t completely against it either. Like most Rangers fans, I backed him because that’s what we do.

However, aside from the home victory against Leicester City, I’ve struggled to see any real progress in either performances or results compared to what we were seeing under Martí Cifuentes. If anything, we seem to have regressed.

The manager’s personality also doesn’t appear to suit the club. QPR is a place where character matters, where the connection between players, fans and the club identity is important. Right now that connection feels completely absent. There also appear to be issues within the squad itself.

Paul Nardi has been completely frozen out despite being our number one last season. Rayan Kolli has barely been given any meaningful minutes, and Ilias Chair has essentially been missing in action since a mysterious injury in December.

Then there’s the past week which, quite frankly, has been humiliating.

Whether Stephan tried to be clever tactically against Middlesbrough or whether he was forced into changes due to personnel, the outcome was a complete failure.

We lined up in what looked like a 4-5-1 system, but the players clearly didn’t understand their roles or assignments. Koki Saito was pressing Luke Ayling when Ayling had shifted into a centre-back role, leaving our entire left side exposed. RND was constantly being dragged into 2-v-1 situations and left completely vulnerable.

In midfield, Jonathan Varane and Isaac Hayden looked unsure of how to deal with their structure. There was no cohesion, no control, and no clear plan. Kieran Morgan worked tirelessly and the same can be said for Kone.

Right now the squad looks completely devoid of confidence. The players look checked out, unsure of themselves, and unsure of what they’re being asked to do.

Beyond Jimmy Dunne and Ronnie Edwards, I struggle to see real leaders in this team. There’s a lack of fighters, a lack of characters, and a lack of players with genuine Championship experience who understand what it takes to compete in this league week in, week out.

When we won the the league in 2010–11, it showed exactly what was required. We had experienced Championship players like Clint Hill, Paddy Kenny and Shaun Derry. We supplemented that with hungry lower-league signings like Jamie Mackie, and genuine foreign quality such as Faurlín and Adel Taarabt.

That blend gave us leadership, fight, and quality.

Right now, we simply don’t have enough of those ingredients. Yes, there is experience in players like Jimmy Dunne and Ilias Chair, but beyond that the squad lacks the leaders and characters needed to drive standards and drag the team through difficult moments.

It’s always easy to blame the manager when results go against you, and supporters are often guilty of reacting emotionally after defeats. But the truth is this poor form hasn’t just appeared overnight. Since the win against Leicester City the overall level of performance has been nothing short of abysmal.

Yes, there have been a handful of wins along the way, but even in those games the performances have been flat, uninspiring and, at times, completely devoid of identity.

Something has to change. And right now, the direction of travel points firmly towards the manager.

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