This ex QPR star is purring on loan at Pompey, R's must buy him from Newcastle United this summer - opinion

QPR ended a run of four Championship defeats with a 2-2 draw against Leeds United at Loftus Road on Saturday, which Marti Cifuentes hopes will buoy his side over the international break and ahead of facing Stoke City later this month.

The Catalan coach has become well loved by the QPR faithful since arriving in west London in October 2023. The 42-year-old is a calm and trustworthy presence who, at moments, has had the team playing some head-turning football.

Speaking after the Leeds United draw. Cifuentes said: “Very important [to end the losing run]. 100%. The point doesn’t give much in terms of how the table will work, we need more points to reach our target, but emotionally to go into the international break this last game can mean a lot to the guys. It’s very important to stop these last defeats, which were small margins. A point doesn’t make us very happy but shows we can compete against anyone.”

QPR must find consistency

The issue the boss has had is consistency. Cifuentes’ QPR side are characterised by nothing more so than their streakiness and that is something that must change to look up the table once again.

QPR started the season with just one league win in their opening 16 matches and looked set for a relegation dogfight. Between the end of November and late January, the R’s then lost just one of 13 and looked to be play-off contenders before the most recent poor run saw them plummet down the Championship table again.

Finding the solution to that is tricky but could come in recruiting a former QPR man in Isaac Hayden. The R’s have excelled with Cifuentes’ trust in youth this term - Kieran Morgan, Rayan Kolli and Alfie Lloyd just three names that have turned heads. That must remain the way forward, but it must be offset with experienced and reliable players.

There is already flair in the QPR midfield. Lucas Andersen can be a dynamic game-changer but blows hot and cold while Nicolas Madsen has a wand of a right foot but drifts in and out of games. This summer, the R’s need a no frills midfielder who can allow the youthful stars the freedom to deliver.

Newcastle United star could help QPR youth develop

QPR perhaps need not look much further than Hayden. The player spent the back end of last season on loan at Loftus Road and was solid before returning to Newcastle United. Speaking after his efforts against Birmingham City last season, Cifuentes praised the player’s battling character for playing through injury.

He said: "He's been doing really well. He got a small shoulder issue during the week so the medical [team] had been working a lot over the last 48 hours to make sure that he could play. Then he picked again a bad position landing and a yellow card so we didn't want to risk him. He has been showing big character to play that game, with probably a lot of pain.”

Hayden had been linked with a return to QPR this January but ended up with Championship rivals Portsmouth. The midfielder broke into the starting XI following an injury to Freddie Potts and Pompey won three in a row with an aggregate score of 6-2 with Hayden at the heart of midfield.

Since then, the midfielder has been returned to the bench by John Mousinho for fitness reasons, Portsmouth losing two of their last three. Mousinho said: “I spoke to Isaac about this when he came out of the side, he had that impact against Middlesbrough and Stoke in both of those wins so we kept him in the side.

“Having not played a huge amount of football over the past year it may have been a chance to take him out. When we did take him out, we were able to reap the rewards of him coming back in and being a bit fresher.

“That’s what we want from him [to fly under the radar]. There are certain players you want to be all action and there are some where you want them to get on with their job. You don’t want them not to be noticed, but if you go through the game with Isaac and think his opponent hasn’t got any change out of him - that’s good.

“I certainly think Isaac does a very steady job in the middle of the park. You get the best of both worlds, you get that defensive solidity and you get him ticking over on the ball as well. We have to make sure we win the battles - win the battles of who we’re up against. That’s the most important thing.”

Hayden could want Loftus Road return

Hayden certainly has no future at Newcastle United under Eddie Howe but it remains to be seen whether Portsmouth move to make that loan permanent - that could depend on which league they play football in next season. In any world, QPR could do worse than moving for the player, who clearly is open to a Loftus Road return.

Speaking in April last year, the midfielder said: "Things move quickly in football and you move on. But it's a situation where myself and the club will have to sit down in the summer and discuss what they want to do. "I had to take a pay cut to go to QPR, which I was happy to do for the last few months of the season, to get games. But it’ll be back to square one in the summer but hopefully I can help keep QPR up and would love to stay here if possible."

In other news, one QPR star has been praised by local press in Yorkshire for his physical approach to Leeds United.