Former Birmingham manager Gary Rowett believes QPR have serious problems at both ends of the pitch as they look to climb away from trouble.
Speaking as a pundit on Sky Sports, Rowett suggested Rangers will need to sign shrewdly during the transfer window in order to turn their season around.
He said: “They have a core of players who will work hard and are quite steady.
“The problem is conceding goals they shouldn’t over a long period of time, and they don’t tend to look a threat.
“It’s a tight window for players. Clubs will be reluctant to let Premier League players go, and League One players might be gambles.
“You bring in players that could upset the balance – but QPR have to upset the balance.”
Since winning their first match after Ian Holloway’s return for a second spell as manager, QPR have lost six in a row and dropped to 20th in the Championship table.
Rangers turned to Holloway after being unable to prise Rowett away from Birmingham, who recently sacked him.
Holloway, meanwhile, says he is keen to sign a striker when the window opens, with Rangers having struggled for goals since selling Charlie Austin to Southampton a year ago.