Opinion: QPR dodged a £14,000-per-week bullet after failing to agree new deal for 'great lad'
QPR were disappointed at the time, but they may have done the right thing by allowing a player to leave the club.
QPR might just have dodged a bullet over one of the players they ultimately let go at the end of last season. It hasn’t been a memorable campaign for the Hoops, who are in 14th place and finally safe from relegation, though not without a plunge towards the bottom of the table in the second half of the year.
Marti Cifuentes will be disappointed to have seen his men drop off this season after enjoying a strong spell around the middle of the campaign, but with safety secured, the Hoops should have the opportunity to push a little going into next season.
As is always the case, some big contract decisions were made last season, and one of them saw Chris Willock depart at the end of his contract after a solid four years at the club, the winger scoring 20 times in 140 league games. The Hoops tried to keep Willock, but he ultimately decided to join Cardiff City on a free transfer.
QPR chief Christian Nourry confirmed at the time: “On behalf of the football club I want to thank Chrissy for his contributions during his time with us. It is no secret that, as a club, we would have liked to have found a way to continue the adventure with him. After several months of talks, Chris has decided to go in another direction.
"Whilst we are disappointed not to see him continuing with us, it is important that we have players in the building who we know are all-in on being a QPR player, committed to the club's game model and the work that Marti and Xavi and the rest of the coaching staff are undertaking."
Meanwhile, Cifuentes added: “We need to be grateful and happy for the contribution of Chrissy at QPR over the last couple of years. Obviously he had a good impact. When I came [in as head coach in October 2023], he was not in a good moment, but he helped us and we helped each other to try and achieve what we wanted.
“Now it is his decision to find something else and that is something we respect. At the same time it is very important we find the right players that really want to play for QPR. In that sense, we are only grateful for his contribution. [He is a] great lad and I wish him all the best in Cardiff.”
QPR dodge a bullet
While Willock’s departure was disappointing at the time, it seems QPR might have offloaded him at the right time, with the 27-year-old struggling with the Bluebirds this season. Willock was initially seen as a real get by Cardiff, but his performances have seen him become a regular substitute, only making 15 starts this season, making 29 appearances overall.
With just two goals and one assist all season, Willock hasn’t started since the end of February, picking up an average WhoScored rating of 6.43 for the season. It’s important to note that Cardiff have struggled as a whole, currently in the relegation zone and looking likely to be relegated to League One, but when the Bluebirds agreed to pay Willock £14,000 per week, according to Salary Sport, they were expecting to get a wide man who could express pace and beat defenders out wide.
Willock has consistently failed to do that with the Bluebirds this season, and his latest cameo, in a 2-0 defeat to Sheffield United that saw him come off the bench at half-time, he proved ineffective again. QPR might just have dodged a bullet.
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