4 Marti Cifuentes replacements QPR must consider if he quits his job at Loftus Road - Spurs coach features | OneFootball

The R's could be on the hunt for a new boss amid reports of a broken down relationship between Cifuentes and Christian Nourry

Queens Park Rangers could potentially be rocked by a shock Marti Cifuentes departure in the coming weeks, if reports are to be believed.

According to a report from The Sun, the Hoops head coach could quit Loftus Road amid a fractured relationship with the club's chief executive Christian Nourry.

Cifuentes has been at the R's since October 2023, arresting their slide in the 2023-24 season that began under Gareth Ainsworth, and this season he has managed to get the west London outfit into mid-table of the Championship.

Behind the scenes issues though are thought to be frustrating the Spaniard, so sooner rather than later, QPR may be needing a new manager - let's take a look at FOUR individuals who could fit the bill if the worst happens.

Richie Wellens

There are a few avenues as to which QPR could go down - with Cifuentes they went for a foreign coach that had done precious little in the game, but they could flip back to a domestic option this time around.

One man who has been building his reputation up on the other side of London is Richie Wellens, who has Leyton Orient in a League One play-off spot with just two games of the 2024-25 season remaining.

A League Two title winner with the O's in 2022-23, Wellens guided the east Londoners to an 11th-placed finish upon their return to the third tier, and he has them firing on all cylinders in the current campaign.

Wellens hasn't had the easiest of passages to success, with sackings at Salford City and Doncaster prior to his success at Orient, but the 45-year-old is clearly on the up, and QPR could be a good next step on the ladder for him.

Ryan Mason

Should QPR not want someone as experienced as Wellens is, they could look into a Premier League coaching figure that hasn't yet had their first taste of a permanent managers job - such as Ryan Mason.

Currently an assistant manager to Ange Postecoglou at Tottenham, the ex-Spurs and Hull City midfielder has had two spells and 13 games in charge of the club on an interim basis, winning six of those.

Earlier in the season, there was interest from Belgian outfit Anderlecht over taking Mason to become their head coach, but nothing came of it as it was deemed not the right time for the 33-year-old to make the move - there is now interest from West Brom though over his services, which could be a bit more enticing.

Should QPR have a vacancy to fill though, remaining in London could be even more tempting for Mason, who should be high up on the list in the event.

Johannes Hoff Thorup

Should QPR want a manager that gives them the best of both worlds - a European style with Championship experience - then Johannes Hoff Thorup could be their man.

Eyebrows were somewhat raised when the Dane became the new head coach of Norwich City last summer, with the Canaries poaching him from Nordsjælland in what looked like a long-term move for a project.

After less than a year in charge at Carrow Road though, the 36-year-old was sacked earlier this week due to poor results which saw a play-off push fade a long time ago, and that was despite having two of the top scorers in the division in the form of Josh Sargent and Borja Sainz.

Thorup should not be written off though - he has a clear style and vision that he wants his teams to play and there's still hope for him yet, and there's no reason why he couldn't be a good fit at Loftus Road.

Kim Hellberg

Of course, QPR could just go directly to where they went last time for a managerial appointment - Swedish outfit Hammarby.

That is where Cifuentes arrived from a year-and-a-half ago, and his eventual replacement Kim Hellberg has been doing similarly good things at the 3Arena.

Under Hellberg, Hammarby finished second in the Allsvenskan in 2024, giving them a passage into the UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds later this year, and the 37-year-old is just generally on an upward curve when it comes to his management career, having jumped ship from Swedish top flight minnows Varnamo.

It was when at Varnamo where Hellberg was wanted by Sunderland in 2023, and although he had discussions with the Black Cats, ultimately he would not be the next head coach on Wearside.