Charlie Austin issues message to QPR supporters amid Marti Cifuentes, West Brom saga | OneFootball

Austin has sent a plea to Hoops fans after the shock announcement that Cifuentes had been placed on gardening leave

Former QPR striker Charlie Austin has urged the club's fans to 'stick together' in the wake of head coach Marti Cifuentes being placed on gardening leave.

The Hoops will finish in the middle of the pack in the Championship when the 2024-25 campaign ends on Saturday afternoon away at Sunderland, but they will not be led into that match by Cifuentes.

The Spanish coach, who has been in charge of the R's for a year-and-a-half, looks set to depart the club after it was confirmed on Tuesday that he had been placed on gardening leave by the board.

It comes after Cifuentes' representatives reportedly held talks with West Brom over the managerial vacancy at The Hawthorns, as revealed by Sky Sports, but in a further update, Albion will not be appointing him as their next boss, as per a report from the Express & Star.

Charlie Austin sends message to QPR fans in the wake of Marti Cifuentes saga

On April 23, a report emerged from The Sun that claimed Cifuentes was considering quitting at Loftus Road due to a breakdown in his relationship with 27-year-old CEO Christian Nourry.

Things have dramatically developed since then, but there appears to have been an air of inevitability that Cifuentes was going to exit the club when it was all said and done, but the R's hierarchy have taken things into their own hands.

QPR fans understandably are frustrated and some are comparing Cifuentes to Michael Beale, who manufactured a move to Rangers back in the 2022-23 season. There always needs to be a voice of reason in times like this though at clubs, and Charlie Austin appears to be that for QPR.

Featuring 148 times for the club across two stints, Austin is a real fan favourite at the west London outfit, and he has sent a message of his own to the fans, telling them to stick together and back the team in their time of need.

QPR need to get next managerial appointment right or risk Championship relegation

Some QPR supporters are calling for Austin to take charge of the club, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, but he seems to be the kind of character that can unite a fanbase in a time of need.

The R's have been through so much managerial drama over the past few years, from the aforementioned Beale to Neil Critchley, to the reign of Gareth Ainsworth, but Cifuentes is someone that delivered some exciting moments, with the hope that he would build on things next season if given the tools to work with.

The reports of frustration that came out last week though clouded everything, and in the eyes of some, the Spaniard has gone from hero to zero.

Whatever happens now, QPR must make the right hire when Cifuentes' exit is officially confirmed, but there will already be doubts due to the reports that there was friction between him and CEO Nourry, and potentially good successors reading that may stay away from the role.