Stats show QPR substitutes are the Championship’s best

If you’re putting money on a match-winner for QPR when they visit Cardiff City today, you might want to ignore Ian Holloway’s chosen starting XI.

According to figures published by Playmaker Stats, Rangers have scored more league goals via substitutes than any other Championship club since the start of last season – 12 in total, with Idrissa Sylla netting half of them.

That includes, of course, the end of Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink’s reign as manager, when Sylla came off the bench to score on three occasions – in defeat at Huddersfield, to win the derby at Fulham and earn a draw at Nottingham Forest, while Sebastian Polter secured a point at Burton.

Holloway has seen subs score eight times, beginning with Conor Washington against Burton in January and continuing with Luke Freeman against Huddersfield the following month.

Sylla and Yeni Ngbakoto both netted after coming on at Birmingham, while the latter also scored in the win over Cardiff in March and the former at Bristol City in April.

And against Hull last weekend, Holloway’s changes turned defeat into victory as Matt Smith nodded in an equaliser before Sylla netted the winner.