A NEW NUMBER 10 IN THE MAKING: TJARONN CHERY

Before this season, you’d have to go back all the way to 2010/11 to find a midfielder scoring 10+ goals for QPR in a league campaign. Famously, Adel Taarabt scored 19 goals in a season that saw him named Championship player of the year, firing the R’s to the title and into the top-flight. Although it’s not been as memorable a season in that respect, Tjaronn Chery became the first QPR midfielder since Taarabt to hit double figures in the league, proving to be a bright spark in a season of consolidation.

Chery was directly involved in more goals in this Championship campaign than any other QPR player, scoring 10 goals and assisting four more. The former FC Groningen talisman also became the first R’s player to score in five consecutive league appearances at Loftus Road since Charlie Austin did it back in the Premier League between October and December 2014. Chery’s goalscoring purple patch saw him net against Fulham, Birmingham, Derby, Brentford and Middlesbrough between February and April.

The R’s win percentage when the Dutchman was in the starting line-up was 40% compared with just 19% when he was absent, which further indicates the positive impact Chery has had in his debut season in west London.

Tjaronn Chery scored 10 goals for QPR last season

SET-PIECE SPECIALISTS

No player provided more assists for QPR in the Championship this season than Massimo Luongo (Alejandro Faurlin also on six). In fact, it was Luongo’s best ever return for assists in a single season in the Football League, despite sitting out of the side for a 10-game run between November and December.

Even though all six of Luongo’s assists came in open play, QPR’s potency from set-pieces in this campaign was apparent throughout, with there being several accomplished set-piece takers in the squad. Only Blackburn and Rotherham (12) bagged more goals from corners this season than QPR (11) and overall, only three teams scored more goals from set-pieces (excl. penalties) than the R’s (15).

Massimo Luongo was QPR's top assister this season

LATE DRAMA LEAVES RANGERS WONDERING

The overarching theme of the season from a statistical standpoint has been the effect of late goals in matches involving QPR. There were 13 (7 scored & 6 conceded) goals scored in the 90th minute or later, a league-high figure. Although the explanation for those late goals remains unclear, QPR were undoubtedly a team heavily influenced by goals netted in the closing stages.

No Championship side lost more points courtesy of goals scored in the final 10 minutes (11 points lost) than QPR, but in contrast they also benefitted greatly from scoring at the other end in this period too, earning 11 points; a total only Middlesbrough (13) and Brighton (12) could better.

Another slightly unwanted statistic for QPR this season was their record after scoring first in matches. QPR lost more points after scoring the first goal in games than any other Championship team (27) and their inability to hold a lead was apparent throughout the campaign. Had they been able hold on in just a few more matches then the play-offs might’ve been reachable.

Nasser El Khayati scores in the 94th minute against Charlton Athletic

BEST OF THE REST

Nedum Onuoha played in every minute of league football this season, becoming the first QPR player to do so since Lee Camp in 2007/08.

QPR used four different goalkeepers (Rob Green, Alex Smithies, Joe Lumley, and Matt Ingram) in league games in a single season for the first time since 2006/07, when Simon Royce, Paul Jones, Jake Cole and Lee Camp featured between the sticks.

No side drew more games in the Football League this season than QPR (18). Only in 1997/98 and 2000/01 (both 19), have they recorded more draws in a league season.

QPR ended the season with a goal difference of zero for only the second time in their history and first since 1974/75, when they also scored 54 and conceded 54.

Captain Nedum Onuoha played every minute of every match for the R's