Charlie Austin sends QPR and Marti Cifuentes message | OneFootball

Charlie Austin has sent a message of support to his former club QPR and Marti Cifuentes.

Charlie Austin has voiced his support for Marti Cifuentes after Queens Park Rangers' recent loss to Portsmouth left them bottom of the Championship.

QPR came into the season full of optimism and looked like a team on the up after a difficult campaign in 2023/24 spent in and around the relegation zone. However, Cifuentes guided them to safety against all odds, having improved the side in a variety of different ways.

Following his arrival in late October, and after a poor start to the season under Gareth Ainsworth when they looked one of the favourites for relegation, Cifuentes' side turned things around and the Rs have looked transformed under the Spaniard's tutelage, especially out of possession.

After some eye-catching signings and a shift to improving the team in possession, many expected QPR to be a club nowhere near relegation trouble this term. It has not transpired that way so far, though.

His side suffered a serious setback this past weekend, with their 2-1 loss against Portsmouth plunging them into deeper trouble in the second tier standings. With four defeats in a row and no win in the league since August, Cifuentes may now be under some pressure at Loftus Road.

Charlie Austin's message to Cifuentes and QPR supporters

The Spaniard arrived at the club earlier last season relatively unknown, but it soon became clear that he was a talented coach who was capable of making a side greater than the sum of its parts, as he ended up doing a fantastic job keeping the Rs in the second tier.

With QPR having a popular manager in the dugout, retaining some of their most talented players and bringing in some shrewd additions during the summer window, few punters would have been expecting them to be in a big relegation battle already.

However, that is the reality and they now head into a fixture against Coventry City which sees two of the bottom four face off against one another, with the pressure piling on Mark Robins as well.

Ex-QPR favourite Charlie Austin has urged fans to keep the faith with Cifuentes ahead of a massive game at home to the Sky Blues. He took to X to share his thoughts ahead of the fixture tomorrow evening:

QPR's struggles ahead of Coventry City fixture

This latest defeat has consigned the R's to a place at the bottom of the Championship table and their recent results have been poor since Cifuentes signed a new deal, but Austin has backed the Spaniard to turn things around with the support of their fans.

These next few games could be season-defining for both QPR and Cifuentes, starting with Cov on Tuesday evening. A win would do wonders for the general mood of the fanbase, the players, and for Cifuentes himself.

Should the nervous energy take hold, then the players are likely to feel it, hence needing support more than ever this week. QPR fans will do that, thus it is then on the starting team to show the same character and spirit back to their loyal supporters.