Dean Court return could spell end of Harry Redknapp at QPR
Published:
Harry Redknapp cut a forlorn figure at the final whistle of QPR’s loss to unlikely play-off chasers Bournemouth on Saturday and there is a growing belief that the Rs manager’s former club may have sealed his fate.
While remaining in the Premier League last season was always beyond Redknapp, Rangers’ owners will have expected an automatic return and although that goal looked a certainty in the early part of the season, Redknapp himself admits an automatic return is now “impossible”.
Bournemouth’s spirited 2-1 win, coupled with Burnely’s point against Watford, means Rangers are now 10 points behind The Clarets and the play-offs are now Redknapp’s only hope.
The west London outfit are among the favourites of the chasing pack to secure a Premier League return at 5/2, but the lottery-like nature of the system means Redknapp’s job hangs in the balance.
The betting shows there is a dissipating faith in the former Spurs boss to deliver the goods – with odds of 2/1 on him being in the QPR dugout for the start of next season – and with the squad he has available to him there will surely be no excuses for another term in the second tier.
Rangers travel to Blackburn on Tuesday night – priced at 9/5 to avoid a fifth loss in eight away games – and Redknapp will be keen to ensure his side at least approach the play-offs in some kind of form.
The lack of guile the Hoops showed up front when dominating possession against the Cherries is a cause for concern as we approach the business end of the season.
Modibo Maiga failed to make an impression at Dean Court, Bobby Zamora was anonymous during his second half cameo and top scorer Charlie Austin failed to dent his former boss’s charge to the play-offs.
The sudden lack of goals does not bode well ahead of a play-off attempt and should the sides meet again – perhaps at Wembley – the south coast club will be confident of a further upset.
While QPR’s strikers were starved at Dean Court, the Cherries partnership of Yann Kermorgant and Lewis Grabban thrived – the former bullying the supposedly superior Rangers’ defenders, the latter grabbing his 20th of the season to seal the win.
Rangers may be the jolly to go up via the playoff-route, but with Bournemouth able to cut Reading’s hold on sixth place to just two points on Tuesday, the 22/1 on the Boscombe club reaching the Promised Land looks much better value.
All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.
Fancy a flutter? Sign up today to claim up to £50 in free bets.
