Rs have not won a game in the FA Cup since the 2012-13 season
Queens Park Rangers kick off their FA Cup campaign on Sunday at home to Sky Bet Championship rivals Leeds United in the third round.
The Rs will be hoping to progress past the third round for the first time since the 2012-13 campaign having not won a game in the competition for five years.
While defeats to Everton in 2014, Nottingham Forest in 2016 and Blackburn Rovers in 2017 may have been understandable, the exits at the hands of lower-league opposition in Sheffield United in 2015 and MK Dons in 2018 were inexcusable.
In his first FA Cup match as manager of QPR, McClaren will be hoping to avoid a similar fate this weekend.
The Rs head into the cup tie in good form, having not been beaten in each of their last five matches in the league.
Their last defeat, however, did come against Leeds at the start of December as the Loftus Road club lost 2-1 in Yorkshire despite taking the lead.
QPR the New Year with a 2-2 draw away to Aston Villa, with Luke Freeman and Ebere Eze on target for McClaren’s men.
And the Rs boss was content with a solid start to 2019 from his side after they took a point at Villa Park.
McClaren told the club website: “We’re just delighted with what we’re doing. What pleased me most is that we scored two goals and could have got more.
“It was a thoroughly good performance from the boys.
“The fans are pleased because we’ve given them a good festive period and start to the New Year and we want to keep on getting better.
“That’ll be difficult under a transfer embargo and with key players out injured, but others have stepped in and the squad has really come to the fore.
“We want to prove that we’re a good team and can compete. Our away form has improved this season and we know that we can still improve, despite the limitations.”
Winners of ties in this weekend’s FA Cup third round are set to pocket £135,000 in prize money.
For QPR, though, the victory will offer so much more as the west Londoners looking to end their rotten run in the competition.
And though it will be tough against high-flying Leeds on Sunday, McClaren will hope to guide the Rs to a first FA Cup success since 2013.
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