The 2014-15 campaign was a thoroughly miserable one for Queens Park Rangers, with problems both on and off the pitch.
Rangers suffered the indignity of relegation from the Premier League, while poor showings in the cup competitions compounded their misery.
Added to that, manager Harry Redknapp's departure midway through the season increased the club's woes. Chris Ramsey did a credible job when he stepped into the breach at the start of February, but he was unable to stop the rot.
Here, Sports Mole takes a look back at a disappointing nine months for those at Loftus Road.
August
No disrespect to Hull City, but facing them at home on the opening day of the season was viewed as the perfect encounter for QPR on their return to the top flight.
However, it would not be the perfect start that many had predicted as Charlie Austin missed from the penalty spot, while further salt was rubbed into the wound by Hull centre-back James Chester, who scored the game's only goal.
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Next time out, the R's were hammered at Harry Redknapp's former club Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane. It was 3-0 by the break, with Emmanuel Adebayor adding the gloss after the restart to make it 4-0. Then, further disappointment arrived in the shape of the League Cup, with League Two side Burton Albion winning 1-0 at QPR's expense.
Nevertheless, the month would at least end on a high note with a first victory of the season against Sunderland thanks to Charlie Austin, who fired into the net through a crowded penalty area.
September
That win over the Black Cats failed to inspire some positive form from the R's as they did not win any of their three encounters in September.
First up after the international break was a trip to Manchester United, who were looking for their maiden win under Louis van Gaal's management. They claimed it emphatically, scoring four unanswered goals against the West Londoners, meaning that they had conceded eight goals in their two away encounters.
Back at Loftus Road, late inspiration from Niko Kranjcar secured a 2-2 draw against Stoke City, with summer signing Steven Caulker also getting his name on the scoresheet.
September concluded with Charlie Austin scoring a stunning goal away at Southampton, only for the hosts to eventually win 2-1, thanks in part to Graziano Pelle volleying in a memorable goal himself.
October
While October started poorly, by the end of the month there was at least some light at the end of the tunnel for Harry Redknapp and his charges.
West Ham United made light work of QPR at Upton Park, but that was followed by an entertaining encounter at home to Liverpool. The R's may have lost 3-2 with a stoppage-time Steven Caulker own goal, but with Bobby Zamora having caused plenty of problems and Eduardo Vargas shining out wide, there was a sense that Harry Redknapp had at last identified the best style for his side.
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It certainly appeared that way when Aston Villa made the trip to Loftus Road, with QPR propping up the Premier League's other 19 sides.
They moved off the bottom, though, courtesy of a 2-0 victory, with Charlie Austin once again proving to be the hero by scoring both of the home side's goals.
November
A spirited performance away at Chelsea counted for little as a late Eden Hazard penalty secured all three points for Jose Mourinho's men. Still, on the plus side Charlie Austin was among the goals again and he was becoming one of the Premier League's most clinical marksmen.
It didn't get any easier next time out with the visit of champions Manchester City, but QPR held their own and their efforts were rewarded with a 2-2 draw.
However, the home sickness continued on the road, with Newcastle United recording a 1-0 victory at St James' Park, which inflicted a sixth straight away defeat on QPR.
Home victories were much easier to come by. It seemed that Leicester City were going to head home from Loftus Road with a point on November 29, but Charlie Austin was on hand to secure a 3-2 victory for his side - a result that moved the R's up to 18th in the table.
December
Six consecutive away defeats became seven at the start of December with a visit to Swansea City. It seemed for a long while that the game was petering out to a goalless draw, only for the hosting Swans to score two goals late on.
At the same time, Loftus Road was becoming something of a fortress, with Charlie Austin once again among the goals in a 2-0 victory over former club Burnley. The striker was suspended for the away clash at Everton next time out, which saw the hosts run out 3-1 winners at Goodison Park.
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Back for the home encounter against West Bromwich Albion, Charlie Austin's worth was enhanced even further when he fired in a hat-trick to defeat West Bromwich Albion.
On the road again on Boxing Day, the R's equalled a record set by Bolton Wanderers in 1995-96 of losing their first nine away games of the season as they went down 2-1 at Arsenal before a disappointing 0-0 home draw was played out with managerless Crystal Palace to bring down the curtain on 2014.
January
One point from a possible 12 threw QPR into deeper trouble at the start of 2015, with the only positive coming via a 1-1 draw with 10-man Swansea City on New Year's Day.
A particularly damaging loss arrived at Turf Moor when the R's were beaten 2-1 by fellow strugglers Burnley. Charlie Austin was on target yet again for the Londoners, but goals from Scott Arfield and Danny Ings earned the Clarets three valuable points.
Meanwhile, the team's FA Cup campaign was over before it had begun thanks to an embarrassing 3-0 defeat to League One outfit Sheffield United at Loftus Road.
February
There was a big surprise for the club on February 3 when Harry Redknapp announced his resignation as manager. The 68-year-old cited an ongoing knee problem as the reason behind his departure, though he would later claim that unrest in the dressing room was also a factor.
Academy coach Chris Ramsey replaced Redknapp in the dugout on a temporary basis, though he could not stop the side from slipping to a 1-0 loss at home to Southampton in his first game in charge.
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However, Ramsey steered Rangers to their first away points of the season just a few days later as they saw off Sunderland 2-0 at the Stadium of Light. Was this result about to launch the team to safety? Not quite, because a 2-1 defeat to Hull City in their next match kept the team struggling at the wrong end of the table.
March
QPR's fight for survival was dealt multiple blows during March as four consecutive defeats made the side prime candidates to go down.
A 2-1 defeat at home to Arsenal got the month off to a bad start before another narrow loss to Tottenham Hotspur at Loftus Road compounded their misery.
Defeats to Crystal Palace and Everton then followed, leaving the R's four points adrift of safety with eight matches left to play. Their loss to Everton made it seven games on home turf without a victory. Time was now running out.
April
With just two months of the season remaining, a comprehensive 4-1 triumph away to West Bromwich Albion suggested that there was still plenty of fight left in the team. A trip to fellow strugglers Aston Villa was up next, though there would be vital points dropped at Villa Park.
Leading 3-2 with just seven minutes remaining, a late goal from Christian Benteke meant that the sides would have to share the spoils after a dramatic night of football.
There was more heartbreak in their following match, with Eden Hazard's late strike earning champions-to-be Chelsea a 1-0 triumph at Loftus Road. Another disappointing month was to end with a goalless draw at home to West Ham United.
May
It was do or die for QPR as the final month of the campaign arrived, but it would begin badly as Chris Ramsey's men were downed 2-1 by Liverpool at Anfield. Sitting seven points adrift of safety, only a win away to Manchester City in their next match would keep their survival hopes alive.
Which obviously was never going to happen. A 6-0 thrashing by Manuel Pellegrini's side at the Etihad Stadium meant that the R's were finally put out of their misery and sent back down to the Championship. There was little complaint from the players, who admitted that they simply were not good enough over the course of the season.
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With the pressure off, a 2-1 victory at home to Newcastle United came in their penultimate match of the campaign, while a 5-1 hammering by Leicester City rounded off a miserable 2014-15 for the R's.
Jack Prescott
