Marti Cifuentes comes back to Loftus Road for the first time since his acrimonious departure in April, bringing his improving Leicester City side to face Julien Stéphan's QPR.

QPR (9-4-8 WWLWWL 9th) v Leicester (8-7-6 WLLWDW 8th)

Sky’s Super Saturday Brunch Spectacular >>> Saturday December 20, 2025 >>> Kick Off 15.00 >>> Weather – Bright and breezy >>> Loftus Road, London, W12

Hard to believe now, given the esteem he’s held in at Loftus Road, but Andy Sinton says the place used to frighten him.

Sold to Sheffield Wednesday at enormous profit by a club whose business model it was to sell players to Sheffield Wednesday at enormous profit, for the temerity of leaving when told to Sinton was terrorised by the crowd on his returns with the Owls and later too while at Wolves. There was a gleeful viciousness to it, QPR fans would look forward to it and talk about it in The Goldhawk in the run up. Once inside it was almost a competition to see who could get stuck into Sinton the hardest, who could make him break. Sints would sit on the coach back north afterwards inconsolable. Bit awks that he turned out to be one of the nicest people in the game.

I remember being on the other end of one of those when we went back to West Brom shortly after poaching Ray Harford from their pace-setting start to the First Division season. So miffed were the Baggies at Ray’s defection that they turned The Hawthorns into a footballing war zone and it was a genuinely scary experience being there that day as an away fan. Over Ray Harford!! Like getting upset that Liz Truss has left you. Given the strength of feeling, and how well Harford did subsequently at Loftus Road (five wins from 41 games, only Neil Critchley has a lower win average in the history of the club) it might have been just as well for all three parties concerned if he’d stayed where he was.

It feels like these sorts of things have become fewer and further between since those days. We could probably do the whole preview on that – is it because the sport has become sanitised, more middle class, more family friendly? Is it because there’s a greater focus on mental health? Are we just tired of all the hatred elsewhere and can’t be bothered to bring it into our little Saturday sanctuary any more? Or have the right conditions simply not been met? Let Mick Beale get another Championship job, then we’ll see. That’s your acid test right there.

More often than not it’s more material for match previews that don’t write themselves than any sort of fuel for the flames of a sold out Loftus Road. National, local and fan media wondered aloud for days what sort of reaction Mark Hughes would get when he returned to W12 in September 2014 with his Stoke side. Hughes, a former Man Utd and Chelsea player who’d spent much of his career elbowing and being elbowed by Alan McDonald, made an expensive hash of a QPR managerial role chairman Tony Fernandes admitted he’d been the only candidate for and “interviewed us as much as the other way around”. A squad lavishly furnished with signings facilitated by his special friend Kia, and coached by an all-Chelsea backroom staff, crashed and burned in a blazing money pit from which QPR are still yet to really recover a decade on. As Rangers returned to the Championship well aflame, and facing world record FFP fines, Hughes calmly segued into a cushy midtable Premier League job at the Britannia Stadium trotting out that line about how he’d never been relegated in his career. Surely, surely, he’d be made to sweat the pains of hell on his return to Shepherd’s Bush? And then… nothing happened. Muffled nothingness, much like one of his press conferences. QPR and Stoke drew 2-2 and we all got on with our lives.

Perhaps another one of those helpful reminders the internet is not the real world. QPR Twitter, the LFW message board, is not the Crown & Sceptre.

Another interesting such test case looms tomorrow as Marti Cifuentes returns to West London for the first time since his acrimonious departure at the end of last season. How you feel about that seems to depend on which corner of the QPR internet you reside: on socials, where it’s mostly snake emojis and talk of high treason for trying to engineer a departure to West Brom; or on the message board where there’s an acceptance relations had broken down and he would be leaving one way or another so why not look for other jobs? Whether you think footballers and their managers are duty bound to remain loyal to an employer who will dump them without a second thought at the first sign of a slip in form, or whether it’s fine for somebody to be trying to further their career in an uncertain and unstable industry. Whether you think what Cifuentes did was unusual, or part and parcel of a cynical and money-driven sport.

As ever sides have become so entrenched that there’s even some retrospective debate about whether Cifuentes even did a good job at Loftus Road. I’m all for other opinions, honestly, but you’re kidding yourself if you think he didn’t. Anybody who stood on the terrace at Leeds and West Brom at the end of the Ainsworth era, watching a team six points adrift in the Championship acting like it was just some enormous privilege to even be gracing the pitch at such prestigious venues as Elland Road (gasp) or The Hawthorns (swoon), and then saw the two return fixtures against those sides at Loftus Road under Cifuentes will tell you the same thing. That first season was a borderline footballing miracle. For that, Cifuentes will always have my respect and admiration. He restored pride and standards in a team that had lost both, and for a brief shining moment I thought we’d cracked it.

More conjecture about his second season, certainly. But worth pointing out that while we’re nine points and places better off than this time last year, we’ve actually lost one more game. We’re just adept at turning more of the ten draws we had a year ago into wins (six of the last seven victories by a single goal) which will happen when your strikers are Rumarn Burrell and Richard Kone and is far less likely when they’re Zan Celar and Michi Frey.

I suspect it’ll be another Mark Hughes moment, rather than an Andy Sinton re-run. Lots of build up from weirdoes like me who have to file 48 match previews a year, lots of muffled non-event from the normals who go to QPR for a pie, a pint and a good time with their mates.

Of more interest will be the response of the team. There’s certainly no love lost between Cifuentes and the Nourry/Hoos axis that runs the club, but Nicolas Madsen’s post-match interview comments at Middlesbrough hinted at some beef there too. I could be reading too much into it, and of course Madsen was dropped from Cifuentes’ side last year for long periods and players only love you when they’re playing (Fleetwood Mac/The Corrs/that one that plays violin), but “the motivation is definitely there, if I speak for myself, Leicester at home that would be really nice to get the three points, I’m really looking forward to it”, accompanied by the first time I’ve seen him laugh or smile since he got here, felt unusually pointed for a player whose more level than an ironing board.

Be nice to think a highly motivated QPR team might come out all guns blazing tomorrow and deliver an early Christmas treat to the supporters, whichever side of the fence they’re on with the opposition manager.

Links >>> Epic comeback – History >>> Me, my nan and Rangers – Column >>> Cifuentes headway – Oppo Profile >>> Nield in charge – Referee >>> Leicester City Official Site >>> Leicester Mercury – Local press >>> Foxes Talk – Message Board >>> When you’re smiling – Podcast >>> The Final Whistle – Vlog >>> Fosse Posse – Fan Site

As this is the final match before Christmas it would be remiss of me not to wish both regular readers the very best of festive periods. May you and your loved ones enjoy a peaceful, restful break full of food, booze and hopefully a good haul of points for the Rangers.

Here's to us, the biggest small club, and smallest big club, hopefully wrapping up three points for us to enjoy tomorrow afternoon.

Below the fold

Team News: Harvey Vale, who last featured from the bench at Sheff Utd on November 8, and Sam Field, who limped off before half time at Norwich on November 29, are both back in full training and available for selection here. Ilias Chair, who left the West Brom game early, is still a week or so away but should play some part in the Christmas programme. Kwame Poku was an unused sub against Boro but got 11 minutes off the bench in the previous game against Birmingham and should push for more time here. Amadou Mbengue’s latest comedy yellow card against Brum leaves him nursing eight bookings already, two shy of a two-game ban with the next amnesty not until round 32. Ben Hamer is available again although is apparently only contracted until the end of the month, Joe Walsh has made it back as far as the bench, Ziyad Larkeche is out for the season.

Leicester’s staff were informed seven hours before Christmas payroll was due that it has been delayed to the end of the month, which is sure to have the Foxes travelling to London in high spirits. Teenage prospect Jeremy Monga and attacking midfielder Aaron Ramsey (the ex-Burnley one, not the blood thirsty Arsenal alum) are both back in contention but Boubakary Soumare, Harry Souttar, Viktor Kristianson and Caleb Okoli are all still sidelined. Patson Daka is away on international duty with Zambia. The recent uptick in Leicester form has coincided with Harry Winks being excluded from the side, so don’t expect to see the former Spurs man making an appearance on the ground he scored a winning goal when these sides last met here.

Elsewhere: Swansea v Wrexham tonight gives our Sky overlords chance to wiffle on about a Welsh derby for your viewing pleasure. Just the three hours and 39 minutes to drive between the two of them, or a slim four hours and seven minutes by train. It’s the first meeting between the sides since March 2003, Swansea are winless in the last nine league meetings.

The early Saturday games are led by the clash of the division’s two form sides as Southampton host leaders Coventry. Since November 4, only Cov have won more points in the Championship (19) than Southampton (18). The Saints did lose their most recent match, however, suffering a 2-1 defeat away to Norwich, and while Coventry have taken more points away from home than any other side (21) they lost at Ipswich (3-0) last time out on the road and drew 1-1 at Preston in the away game before that.

Assuming they can get through it on the Ewood Park pitch, there’s a crunch lunchtime clash between Blackburn and Millwall. The Marxist Hunters haven’t won here in nine attempts and have won just one of their last ten league meetings with Rovers, but Blackburn have won only one of their ten home games this year amidst talk of supporter boycotts this weekend.

Preston Knob End, now remarkably third, another one of our great relegation predictions right there, host Norwich to round out the early fixtures.

The afternoon games are headlined by Bristol City v Middlesbrough, who are running red hot after four consecutive victories under new manager Kim Hellberg. Morgan Whittaker’s goal against QPR last weekend was his sixth in six games after just two in his prior 33. If he scores againat Ashton Gate he joins a select group who’ve scored in seven straight matches over the last two decades - Emmanuel Latte Lath (Aug 2024), Aleksandar Mitrovic (Nov 2021), Jordan Rhodes (Feb 2013) and Charlie Austin (Oct 2012).

Ipswich, in fifth, host bottom of the table Sheff Wed, still ailing on -9 and now facing the prospect of Mike “I’m a Power Drinker” Ashley being named as one of the preferred bidders for the club by administrators. Ipswich have won 22 points in home matches in the Championship this season, with only Coventry (26) and Middlesbrough (23) winning more. The Tractor Boys have only conceded one goal across the most recent five on home soil in the league, keeping four clean sheets. Sheff Wed have only won one of their last 13 away matches in the Championship (D7 L5), with that lone victory in this run coming at Portsmouth back in September (2-0).

The final play-off place is currently a straight fight between Hull, at home to West Brom, and Stoke, away to a Watford side that has recovered more points from losing positions than any other (20).

Birmingham are being held back from their own push for the six by dire away form – since winning their first away game of the season at Blackburn they’ve won only one of ten on the road and they’ll do well to better that at Sheff Utd whose manager Chris Wilder has been reading his side the riot act after last week’s televised defeat at West Brom.

“No excuses about schedules, West Brom have had the same schedules as us, zero excuses on refereeing decisions, zero excuses on everything. Maybe the players are mistaking me for someone who's just laidback. I ain't laidback, I'm as intense as I've ever been and I think you can feel the frustration and the anger in my demeanour. I hated our second half, I hated every bit of it. Second half today I hated every bit of it and if I was a player that hasn't played I'd be rubbing my hands together and saying we might have to make some changes here. I've got to get it right, and I will do. Maybe they're mixing me up for somebody who accepts mediocrity and low standards. I'm not going to so it's going to be a long week for everybody," said Wilder. Ladies and gentlemen of the jury, does this sound like a man who’s had All He Can Eat?

At the wrong end of the table a big clash between two chronically out of form sides Charlton and Oxford (the Addicks have won just one of the last 14 meetings) while Portsmouth are one point and place outside the relegation zone heading to Derby.

Referee: It’s West Yorkshire referee Tom Nield for this one, a relative newcomer to the Championship list and a chunky appointment for an official we’ve previously said seemed to be struggling at the level. Details.

Form

- The 3-1 defeat at Middlesbrough last week was QPR’s second defeat in seven games having won four of the prior five . It’s the second three-game week in a row the R’s have gone WWL.

- Middlesbrough was already the sixth time this season QPR have had to play ‘away fatigued’ – that is away from home in game three of a three game week. They have lost four of those (Watford, Derby, Norwich, Middlesbrough), drawn one (Sheff Utd) and won at Bristol City.

- QPR have won their last three home matches in the Championship and will be looking to win four in a row in the same calendar year for the first time since April-September 2017 (four).

- Leicester have gone from one win in ten to four from seven. Since falling 3-0 down in the first half at home to Sheff Utd they have won the second half of that game 2-0 and taken seven points from nine.

- QPR are nine points and nine places higher in the league after 21 games than they were at the same stage of last season. That despite losing one more game – eight defeats versus seven. The value of good strikers turning draws into wins – Rangers had drawn ten and won only four this time last year, now it’s nine wins versus four draws. They have scored seven more goals this time round.

- Leicester are 21 points worse off than at this stage when last in CH 2 seasons ago. Won eight of their 21 League games this season – had won 17 of opening 21 in 23-24.

- Leicester have only won five of their last 26 away league games in London (D4 L17), while keeping just two clean sheets from these 26.

- None of the last 12 meetings between these sides have been a draw – QPR have won five and Leicester seven in the intervening period.

- It’s a fixture that usually means goals as well. There hasn’t been a 0-0 since January 1978, 36 meetings ago. The last ten meetings have seen 34 goals scored, although that is slightly skewed by Leicester winning home games 4-0, 5-1 and 6-2 in that period.

- Leicester have alternated between defeat (three) and victory (three) in their last six away league games against QPR, winning 2-1 on their last visit in October 2023 when Andre Dozzell scored and was later sent off for the hosts.

- Rumarn Burrell has netted nine goals in the Championship this season, and could become the first QPR player to reach double figures for league goals in a single campaign since Andre Gray in 2021-22 (ten). With eight goals in his last 12 appearances – no other player has scored more League goals in top four tiers since Oct 18. Scored six goals in last six appearances at Loftus Road.

- Only Portsmouth’s Josh Murphy (34) has attempted more shots without scoring a Championship goal this year than Karamoko Dembele (33).

- Bobby Reid has three goals in three games for Leicester after three in his previous 44 club appearances for the Foxes and Fulham.

Prediction

In our Prediction League for 2025/26 we’ll once again be handing out prizes for being top at Christmas and overall winner from The Art of Football - sample the merch from our sponsor’s newly extended QPR collection here. QPR_Hibs won last season’s Prediction League at a canter and is lending his thoughts to this year’s previews…

“I went to a pub quiz the other evening, and one of the questions they asked was ‘Which member from the original Band Aid recording of Do They Know It’s Christmas? was the only one to sing their own name?” I don’t think anyone actually knew the answer straight away as there was a period where you could see people trying to go through the lyrics in their head. Most teams ultimately came up with the correct answer, which was the artist formerly known as Gordon Sumner, who sings the line ‘Where the only water flowing is the bitter STING of tears.’

“I thought it was a great question and it also reminded me of the time – it must have been in 2009 – when Radio 5 Live made a huge fuss trailing an interview they were going to be having with Paul Young, 25 years after he famously sang the opening line of the song. I was on my way to work, but they had been building up this ‘special guest appearance’ so much that I decided that I could afford to be a bit late and so I sat in my car in order to listen the singer’s reminiscences. Eventually they got Paul into the studio and started to ask him various questions about his experiences of that unique day. Every question they put to him was answered with the exact same reply of ‘It was a long time ago and I can’t remember very much about it.’ Worst. Interview. Ever.

“After last week’s not entirely unexpected defeat at Boro, we return to Loftus Road on Saturday for a tough fixture against Leicester City. The Foxes started slowly this season but, unfortunately for us, their form has begun to improve in recent weeks, and they now sit level on points with QPR.

“I have been a big advocate for RND this season, as he looks like a very decent left back to me, but he appeared to be absolutely shattered last week and had his poorest game for us. I didn’t think JCS had a great game either, so the defence is a bit of a concern (again) this week. Will Stéphan go with Mbengue, Cook, Dunne and RND with JCS and Morrison on the bench? Probably. I wouldn’t expect too much change up front or in midfield, despite last week’s timid first half performance. Maybe the tiny wingers will be rotated? And I’d like to see a bit more of Poku this week.

“I’ve got a feeling that this will be another game where we will have to score at least two to win it. As someone once surely said – ‘Only an idiot would try to predict the result of this game. I’m going for a 2-2 draw.’”

QPR_Hibs Prediction: QPR 2-2 Leicester. Scorer – Jimmy Dunne

LFW’s Prediction: QPR 2-1 Leicester. Scorer – Nicolas Madsen

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Pictures - Ian Randall Photography

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