QPR MANAGER IN TALK TO SIGN A CRUCIAL STRICKER.....

With six teams separated by just three points going into the final stretch of the season, the Championship’s relegation battle is not one to be taken lightly.

As of this writing, Sheffield Wednesday, ranked 23rd, is just one victory away from matching Plymouth Argyle, ranked 18th, in terms of points. Several teams at the bottom of the table are having difficulty winning games.

There are times during the season when the slightest of advantages can be the difference between relegation and survival, and Millwall and Queens Park Rangers have something in common that could keep them in the second division for at least another season.

The best two teams fighting the drop this season are the Lions and the Hoops, who have both only let up 50 league goals; the only team in the bottom half of the standings that can match them is Bristol City, with 45 goals.

Because of their strong defense, teams never have too wide of a lead and have a good chance of winning all three points or at least salvaging a point along the course of the game.

Only four goalkeepers in the division have recorded more shutouts than Ranger’s Asmir Begovic, who has tallied 10 this season. He is in fine company with Southampton’s Gavin Bazunu and Norwich’s Angus Gunn.

This season, Matija Sarkic and Bartosz Bialkowski have alternated in goalkeeping responsibilities for Neil Harris’ team. Thanks to the former’s eight and the latter’s four clean sheets, the opponent has failed to score in 31.6% of their matches in 23/24.

It’s certain that the Lions have tightened up even more since Harris took over at the Den when Joe Edwards left, as evidenced by their current winning streak that included victory against Watford, Southampton, and Birmingham City.

With four points now separating them and Huddersfield Town in 22nd place, Millwall has managed to pull themselves out of the bottom three and give themselves some breathing room after grabbing 10 of their last 15 available points.

With just one of their previous five league goals coming from open play, the returning club legend has reduced games to occasions of very few chances that are frequently decided by a set-piece scenario.

The Blues were only able to muster one shot on goal in the entire ninety minutes of their most recent victory over Birmingham, which clearly demonstrates that point. In injury time, Japhet Tanganga emerges to nod in a George Saville corner to give his team the victory.

With another shutout against Sunderland this weekend, QPR’s defensive record is further enhanced. The Black Cats failed to score once during the match at the Stadium, leaving them only one point above the dreaded dotted line.