QPR 'conversations' with ex Liverpool and Birmingham City star emerge with Marti Cifuentes under pressure

QPR are believed to be considering former Liverpool and Birmingham City defender Gregory Vignal as a potential replacement for head coach Marti Cifuentes, should the Catalan boss fail to turn results around at Loftus Road.

Cifuentes has been outspoken in his belief that he holds the board's backing despite a torrid run of form in the Championship which sees the side sit rock bottom of the table after 15 matches with just one win to their name.

QPR conversations with French coach

In a fresh report from L'Equipe on Tuesday, the French outlet cites sources claiming that QPR are looking at what Vignal could bring to the club. The 43-year-old has only had a brief career in management to date with recent spells at Rangers Women and Versailles.

The website adds that Vignal was in attendance to watch as QPR drew 0-0 with Sunderland at Loftus Road earlier this month. The former player has links to Black Cats boss Regis Le Bris having been close to joining his coaching staff at the Stadium of Light this summer.

It is reported that Vignal held conversations with QPR board members while in West London despite Cifuentes having signed a new long-term contract at the end of September.

As a player, Vignal represented Liverpool, Portsmouth, Birmingham City, Rangers, Dundee United and Southampton while in the UK. He won the FA Cup and UEFA Cup with the Reds in 2001 and the Scottish Premier League with Rangers in 2005.

Marti Cifuentes feels ‘confidence from club’

Speaking about the pressure on him at QPR this weekend following a 2-0 defeat to Leeds United, Cifuentes said: “I receive a lot of confidence from the club and I work as always. I’ve not been saying much about it (the injury problems) but we are approaching the international break and the main priority now is to recover players.

“We’ve got nine players out. Nine. With a squad like ours, it’s very difficult, especially when many of those players are very important. Is it an excuse? No. We need to do better, compete better and get more from games. The players are showing that they really want to try and really want to turn the situation around. It’s in our hands to turn the situation around. The important thing is that we’re now going to get some time to recover some players and that’s for me the main target.”