Strengthen quickly
Managers live and die by their signings and Neil Warnock's summer recruitment drive proved the bell toll for his hopes of retaining his job. Of Kieron Dyer, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jay Bothroyd, Danny Gabbidon, DJ Campbell, Armand Traoré, Bruno Perone, Brian Murphy, Anton Ferdinand and Joey Barton only the latter two have a case for not disappointing, and even that is a relative judgement.
Now Mark Hughes has to utilise the next three weeks to strengthen all departments of his side while turning round a rotten run of two points from the past eight league outings. The Welshman may chase Darren Bent, Andrew Johnson, Clint Dempsey and Bobby Zamora to lead his attack, Chris Samba, Sébastien Bassong, Alex, Nedum Onuoha and Wayne Bridge to stop up the defence, Niko Kranjcar, Giovani dos Santos, Junior Hoilett and Josh McEachran to enhance the midfield. The word is that Tony Fernandes will "back Hughes if he can entice some big names", so this now becomes a test of his contacts book.
Hit the ground running
Newcastle United, Wigan Athletic, Aston Villa, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Blackburn Rovers, Fulham, Everton and Bolton Wanderers are the league opposition starting from Sunday until 10 March before Liverpool, Arsenal, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea come into view. QPR stand 17th, so Hughes will hope to ensure that the club has a safety cushion before the season moves towards the defining month of May.
Get QPR scoring
Especially at home. Nine league goals before the congregation at the supposedly hostile Loftus Road is not good enough. Neither is the one more scored on the road meaning that QPR have managed less than a strike a game from their 20 matches. An impression of the season so far is Jamie Mackie and the left-back Traoré bombing forward and delivering dangerous balls only for Bothroyd and Campbell, who has been hampered by injury, being unable to convert. Warnock came to rely on the 34-year-old Heidar Helguson whose seven league goals in 13 matches is an impressive return but the Icelander requires help. And not only from the attack: Barton and the full-back Luke Young, Bothroyd and Mackie are the next highest scorers with two.
Replace Faurlín
While QPR's insipid performance in the hardly deserved 1-1 FA Cup draw at MK Dons confirmed to Fernandes that Warnock should go, Alejandro Faurlín's anterior cruciate ligament injury in the tie leaves a creation void with the side's best performer ruled out for the remainder of the campaign. Perhaps Hughes can remind Adel Taarabt that he is the reigning Championship player of the season and was the team's totem before promotion and Barton's arrival and finally coax match-shaping displays from the temperamental Moroccan.
Solve the Barton problem
Barton is captain and the highest earner and how Hughes handles him will be instructive. The 29-year-old with a penchant for throwing his weight around on Twitter has failed to do so effectively in a QPR shirt – it is a struggle to recall any match he has won for the team. After Hughes met his squad for the first time at the training ground on Tuesday afternoon Barton walked to his car with a gesture to the TV cameras that said he was not allowed, or did not want, to speak.
This followed a heated exchange with Matt Holland, the former Charlton midfielder, on Twitter on Monday after which Barton stated he would avoid the social media site: "Am going to abstain for a week, see what the withdrawal symptoms are like. Have a nice week people. Spk soon," he wrote. Yet how long he can resist is moot and Hughes will not want any of his players straying off-message. Whether the new manager decides to retain Barton as skipper and if he can get him to shine on the field could define each man's fortune this season.
Stay the distance
Now 48, his CV already had Blackburn Rovers, Wales, Manchester City and Fulham on it before Hughes strode into the old club of Rodney Marsh and Stan Bowles to take charge.Successful everywhere he has managed (including City, despite being sacked), Hughes wants to build a legacy and has three, four, maybe five years in mind. Yet if he performs grandly this season chairmen will be quick to speed-dial his agent, Kia Joorabchian, with offers and, as a self-stated "ambitious" manager, the Welshman will listen.
Hughes is also Fernandes's first managerial appointment after the Malaysian inherited Warnock from the previous regime, and with QPR's majority shareholder still learning the moves of the Premier League his relationship with his new No1 is vital. On Monday, Fernandes tweeted: "You live or die with your decisions. I'm sorry to those I upset. Time will tell if we made the right or wrong decision. But a decision had to be made. I thank neil for all he's done and welcome mark to the QPR."