Manager: Harry Redknapp.
Last season: Promoted from the Championship via the play-offs.
Major signings: Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United, free), Steven Caulker (Cardiff, £8m), Jordon Mutch (Cardiff, £6m), Mauricio Isla (Juventus, loan).
Players Out: Tom Hitchcock (Mk Dons, free), Aaron Hughes (Brighton, free), Stephane Mbia (released), Andrew Johnson (released), Luke Young (released), Hogan Ephraim (released), Angelo Balanta (released), Yossi Benayoun (Maccabi Haifa, undisclosed), Esteban Granero (Real Sociedad, undisclosed).
Expectations: They’ll do ok.
It seems as though the London club have learned from the mistakes of the past and cutting their cloth in the transfer market. Gone are the expensive punts on players looking for a stepping stone back to the big time, a massive pay cheque, or both.
All four of Redknapp’s signings this close season speak of common sense.
Rio Ferdinand may be heading towards his 36th birthday but his experience will be invaluable, and any lack of pace will be offset by the addition of Steven Caulker beside him. The 22-year-old proved himself good enough at both Tottenham and Cardiff to be on a bigger stage, so his signing is something of a coup for Redknapp.
Jordon Mutch was the Bluebirds’ best attacking player last season, while Mauricio Isla is solid and young enough to make a real impact out wide.
The one worry for Redknapp will be goals. Despite the collapse of Loic Remy’s move to Liverpool it’s hard to see the Frenchman remaining at Loftus Road, while Charlie Austin is unproven at this level and Bobby Zamora is getting no younger.
If Redknapp can either convince Remy to stay or find £10m or £15m to spend on a quality replacement, then the only question QPR will have to answer will be whether or not they can find the team spirit that was totally lacking the last time they visited this level. The squad itself, on paper, should not struggle.
Irish Angle: Richard Dunne is the obvious one, with the recently retired Dubliner likely to spend most of the next season as back-up to Ferdinand and Caulker. Brian Murphy will play as back-up to Robert Green and is likely to see some action in the cups.
If they were a fictional character… they’d be Al Pacino’s Carlito Brigante. He got a bit too big for his boots and got sent down, only to emerge a more humble and sensible soul who tries to do things a bit more sensibly.
Where will they end up? Just below mid-table.
