Wrexham have won only twice this season, but a 2-1 home victory over Southampton, one of the division's in-form sides, may prove a turning point. Meanwhile, Queens Park Rangers continue to operate below the radar in fifth place, prompting serious questions about how long they can stay there before the rest of the division takes notice.

Wrexham: confidence boost, but inconsistency remains the problem

The win over Southampton ended the visitors' five-match unbeaten run and delivered Wrexham their first home victory of the campaign. BBC Final Score pundit Aaron McLean welcomed the result warmly, though he stopped well short of tipping Phil Parkinson's side for automatic promotion.

"Do I think Wrexham are a candidate for automatic promotion? Probably not, but that win against Southampton will give them huge confidence," McLean said. "That was only their second win of the season and they have probably come under pressure for the first time."

The numbers back up the concern. Wrexham have drawn four games this season, and McLean's diagnosis is blunt: they are not killing matches off when the opportunity presents itself. He pointed to West Ham's 22 goals and Middlesbrough's 16 as benchmarks at the top end of the Championship scoring charts, suggesting Wrexham's attackers have the quality but not yet the cutting edge.

That is the sharp edge of the criticism. Four draws rather than four wins represents a significant points haul left on the table early in a campaign that already carries high expectations. Last season's performances raised the bar considerably, and the squad investment made over the summer has only heightened scrutiny on matchday output.

There is, however, a longer-term caveat. McLean noted that if Wrexham find themselves in the play-off shake-up come January, their ownership is unlikely to stand still. "I would not bet against their owners saying, 'right, let's go and get the missing piece of the puzzle'," he said. A January addition in the final third could yet change the calculation for the second half of the season, though banking on a transfer window to fix a clinical problem is always a risk.

The mood at the Racecourse Ground will be measurably better this week. One good result does not resolve an inconsistency problem that has been building over several weeks, but it is a far better platform than another draw would have been.

QPR: fifth place and flying, but for how long?

Queens Park Rangers' 2-2 draw with Preston at Loftus Road is a result that, on the surface, looks like two points dropped against a side in difficulty near the foot of the table. In context, it is considerably more impressive. QPR played 75 minutes with ten men after Dennis Cirkin's red card in the 15th minute, fought back from 2-0 down, and still claimed a point. That speaks to a resilience and collective quality that Julien Stephan has built carefully at the club.

McLean was effusive. "I have been so impressed with QPR. I think they have been outstanding and they can genuinely stay around the play-off places." He singled out Glen Kamara in central midfield as a player of real quality, and praised the club's recruitment as "first class."

Fifth in the Championship table means QPR are comfortably inside the play-off positions at this stage. The question is sustainability. A good run of four or five games can flatter any side's position in this division, and fifth place in September is not fifth place in April. The schedule will not remain kind indefinitely, and the margins in this division are tight enough that one injury to a key player can shift a club's trajectory considerably.

That said, the manner of QPR's performances matters as much as the points tally. McLean referenced the 7-1 defeat to Coventry at the start of last season as a moment that "made" this iteration of the club under Stephan, suggesting a genuine cultural shift rather than a short-term upturn. If that reading is correct, QPR are a more durable proposition than their current position alone implies.

Their recruitment, their manager's track record, and a squad with genuine depth suggest this is not a mirage. But the Championship has a habit of humbling optimism, and Rangers supporters will know better than anyone that finishing in the top six requires sustaining this level for another seven months, not just seven weeks.

Frequently asked

Why did Wrexham draw so many games this season?
Wrexham have drawn four Championship games this season largely because they have struggled to convert their chances and kill matches off in the final third, despite having the attacking players capable of doing so.
Where are QPR in the Championship table?
QPR are fifth in the Championship table as of mid-September 2026, firmly inside the play-off places under manager Julien Stephan.
Who is Glen Kamara and why is he important to QPR?
Glen Kamara is a central midfielder who has been a standout performer for QPR this season. Pundit Aaron McLean has described him as a player of Premier League quality and a key reason for the club's impressive start to the campaign.