QPR manager's job: Mark Hughes in talks to replace Neil Warnock

Hughes left Fulham in June after less than a year in charge

Mark Hughes is at Loftus Road for talks with QPR about taking over as manager, BBC Sport understands.

Ex-Wales boss Hughes, 48, has been out of the game since leaving Fulham in June and is favourite to replace

The funny thing is that I do not actually think QPR are as bad as their results have suggested, but they have simply not been able to score enough goals despite bringing in Jay Bothroyd, DJ Campbell and Shaun Wright-Phillips

Mark Lawrenson's verdict

Chief executive Philip Beard said he hoped the club could make an appointment in the next 48 hours.
"We are working extremely hard to bring in the right person," Beard told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I'm hoping we have someone in place in advance of our game against Newcastle [on Sunday]."
Beard agrees that Welshman Hughes, who also has Premier League experience with Blackburn and Manchester City, has the kind of background that the club are looking for, although they have "three or four" candidates in mind.
With the club 17th in the Premier League, chairman Tony Fernandes said that they made the decision to sack Warnock in the hope that a change might preserve their top-flight status.

Recent QPR managers

• 2010-12: Neil Warnock
• 2010: Mick Harford (caretaker)
• 2009-10: Paul Hart
• 2009: Steve Gallen & Marc Bircham (caretakers)
• 2009: Jim Magilton
• 2009: Gareth Ainsworth (caretaker)
• 2008-09: Paulo Sousa
• 2008: Gareth Ainsworth (caretaker)
• 2008: Iain Dowie
• 2007-08: Luigi De Canio
• 2007: Mick Harford (caretaker)
• 2006-07: John Gregory
• 2006: Gary Waddock (caretaker)
• 2001-06: Ian Holloway
• 1998-01: Gerry Francis

"Neil has done an incredible job for QPR, bringing the club back into the Premier League," said Beard. "We want to remember what he achieved here but we want to move on. We think the time is right to make the change.
"We will be judged because it's a results-orientated business. The results have not been good over the last few months. We are now in the infamous January transfer window and we want to do some business.
"We haven't made this change lightly. What we really want is a period of stability."
QPR made an encouraging start to the season, having been guided back to the top flight last year by Warnock, reaching ninth on 19 November.
But, without a win since then, QPR have slid down to 17th - just one point clear of the relegation zone - and needed a last-minute equaliser from Heidar Helguson to avoid an FA Cup third-round defeat by League One side MK Dons on Saturday.

Former QPR manager and player Iain Dowie told Radio 5 Live Breakfast: "Mark Hughes would be a very safe pair of hands. But you never know what Tony [Fernandes] has in mind."
Discussing the decision to sack Warnock, Dowie added: "Neil seems to be given very little credit for the job he did last year, which is rather surprising. Also I don't think the league position they're in is beyond the kilter.
"They have 17 points from 20 games. You don't know what goes on behind the scenes but it certainly raised an eyebrow for me."