What Djibril Cissé has said about QPR’s promotion chances - Sunderland have been name-dropped | OneFootball

The French striker has been talking about the Hoops' chances of a Premier League return

Former Queens Park Rangers striker Djibril Cissé believes that another of his former clubs - Sunderland - have given clubs, such as the Hoops, the perfect blueprint to follow when it comes to achieving promotion to the Premier League.

Rangers have been outside the top flight for over a decade now, with their most recent stint amongst the elite of English football lasting a solitary campaign under Harry Redknapp and Chris Ramsey in 2014/15, having also failed to show any sign of ending said hiatus in several of the subsequent Championship seasons.

Supporters at Loftus Road have been more fearful of potential relegation to League One in recent times, a fate which nearly became a possibility in the 2022/23 and 2023/24 campaigns as the West London outfit survived by just six points in both, eventually progressing to mid-table comforts under now-Leicester City boss, Marti Cifuentes last term.

However, excitement levels are once again growing strong in this part of the capital, as Julien Stephan is overseeing a current rich vein of form just two months into his tenure, with a new-look squad in W12 amongst the form sides in the second tier, responding to an extremely tumultuous start which included a 7-1 defeat at Coventry City on August 23rd.

Stephan also comes with a strong pedigree, having previously managed in Ligue 1 with both Stade Rennais and RC Strasbourg, which included some record-breaking feats at Roahzon Park in particular.

Therefore, with the aforementioned Black Cats also achieving promotion with a new-look and youthful squad under Regis Le Bris last season, speaking exclusively to Football League World, Cisse fails to see why such exploits can't be achieved by the R's in seasons to come.

Djibril Cissé issues Sunderland claim amid Queens Park Rangers promotion talk

In the past three seasons, Sunderland, Ipswich Town and Luton Town are the only sides to have been promoted to the Premier League without receiving 'parachute payments', circumstances which have become a hot topic of discussion due to financial disparity in the modern game.

During their three seasons in the Championship between 2022 and May's dramatic play-off final success over Sheffield United, Sunderland became successful through the usage of several homegrown talents and foreign imports - some of whom have already been sold for major profits such as Jobe Bellingham.

Across Cisse's time in West London, former Hoops owner, Tony Fernandes, became synonymous with overspending on high-profile players who had minimal impact in the Premier League, then being on astronomical wage figures by Championship standards during the eventual play-off winning season of 2013/14 that followed his individual departure by mutual consent.

However, with Stephan introducing an exciting playstyle which is getting the best out of pre-existing squad members and several of the club's 11 signings, including four-goal striker, Richard Kone, Cisse is excited about his former side's current and long-term prospects.

"I think Sunderland is the right example to follow," Cissê told Football League World, via Poker Strategy.

"QPR is a Premier League club, but it takes time to come back to where we were," the former striker explained.

"But I think that the club is going to manage to do it and for me, they deserve it, but like you say, it’s a matter of time to bring back the club to the Premier League," he added.

"I’m fully confident in the years coming that we’re going to see QPR again in the Premier League.”

Queens Park Rangers have emerged as 'dark horses' for promotion

Cisse isn't alone in his thoughts either, with many locals and supporters now seeing Stephan's side as a potential outside bet for promotion, whether that be automatically or through the play-offs.

In recent times, the Hoops have often been viewed as a side that, at it's very peak, could finish on the periphery of the top six, without having the required quality to make an unexpected breakthrough.

However, with Kone continuing the form he displayed at Wycombe Wanders, alongside the likes of Harvey Vale and Koki Saito, Rangers look extremely dangerous in attack, whilst also being defensively strong in recent weeks.

This has also been achieved without the services of Ilias Chair and Kwame Poku, who are still to return from their respective injury lay-offs.

At present, the Championship is as wide-open as its ever been, with only eight points separating Leicester City in third from Derby County in 20th after nine games played.

Therefore, there is every chance that QPR could achieve a play-off berth and beyond, either this season or in the coming years, if an upward trajectory is maintained.