Queens Park Rangers are undoubtedly an attractive proposition for a number of managers in the football league and it was perhaps no surprise to see Chris Wilder register his interest in the vacant position at Loftus Road.
According to The Sun, the former Sheffield United and Middlesbrough boss is keen on a swift return to management after being sacked by the North East outfit in October.
The 55-year-old would prove a far cheaper option than Coventry City boss Mark Robins, who has also been linked, as he wouldn’t cost the Hoops any money in terms of compensation.
While Wilder’s time with Middlesbrough did not go to plan, his average of 1.49 points per game with the Reds was still better than the 1.41 points per game averaged by Beale in his brief spell at QPR.
The experienced Englishman will also be judged on his incredibly successful spells with Northampton Town and Sheffield United, having won league titles with both.
After leading the Cobblers to a hugely impressive League Two title win in 2016, despite off-field issues, Wilder oversaw a revolution at a sleeping giant in Sheffield United.
Should QPR hire Wilder?
The Blades had endured three tough seasons in League One without promotion before Wilder’s arrival in 2016 and he made it back-to-back league titles of his own, as the Bramall Lane outfit returned to the Championship.
Sheffield United would then finish 10th in their first season back in the second tier before earning a remarkable promotion to the Premier League the following campaign, with Wilder clearly instrumental to their turnaround.
The Blades even flirted with the possibility of European football in their first Premier League jaunt under Wilder, finishing in ninth position in their debut campaign back in the top flight, but after a poor run of form the following season he was sacked rather harshly, with Sheffield United then dropping back into the Championship following his departure.
The “phenomenal” work done by Wilder with Northampton Town and Sheffield United suggests that he knows how to get the best out of a squad, and there seems no reason why he couldn’t get QPR’s promotion push back on track should he arrive at Loftus Road as Beale’s replacement.
