The former R's favourite has been identified as the individual to reinvigorate the fortunes of the West London club, who have won just once in their past 17 Championship fixtures after looking like promotion candidates in the opening third of the campaign.

After winning his opening match against Preston on December 17, Critchley oversaw a grim ten-match winless league sequence, with his final game in charge coming in Saturday's 3-1 reverse at Middlesbrough.

Rangers, who have not won a home game since October 22, are eight points above the side currently occupying the final relegation spot in Huddersfield Town, who are level on points with Blackpool and Wigan Athletic.

Gareth Ainsworth. Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images.

All of the bottom three have a game in hand on the R's, who visit Rotherham in a key looking game on Saturday week.

Ainsworth is now poised to call time on his epic near 11-year tenure at Wycombe where he’s earned two promotions and took charge of 550 games - winning 219 of them.

Since Ainsworth took over at Wycombe in September 2012, QPR have had nine permanent managers.

The Chairboys were also handily placed in their quest for another promotion push under Ainsworth, with the Buckinghamshire club sitting in seventh place in League One, just three points adrift of Barnsley, who are occupying the final play-off spot with a game in hand.

Wycombe have won their last five league fixtures and nine of their last 12 since the start of December.

League One rivals of Sheffield Wednesday and Barnsley set to confirm managerial departure in boost to Championship foes of Huddersfield Town and Rotherham United