Even though Queens Park Rangers lost for the fourth time in a row yesterday, manager Gareth Ainsworth is confident that his team will still have a successful season.
The Hoops have had a terrible start to the season, collecting just eight points from their first 12 games, and now find themselves in the bottom three of the Championship. Furthermore, since defeating Middlesbrough on September 2nd, they have failed to win three points.
Yesterday’s match was very similar. Kian Harratt and Jack Rudoni scored two goals for Huddersfield Town early on, but Jake Clarke-Salter gave Ainsworth’s team a goal just before halftime. But even though they dominated for stretches, the London team couldn’t find an equalizer.
The former Wycombe Wanderers manager was happy with his team’s performance, but he was disappointed with how his team began the match. Speaking to West London Sport following the match at the John Smith’s Stadium, Ainsworth stated:
“We lost the game in the first 20 minutes. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb.
“We can’t defend like that in the first 20 minutes of games and expect to get something out of them – but we almost did.
“The spirit, the drive and desire to get back in the game was fantastic by the boys. But this is the Championship and you can’t often overturn a 2-0 deficit – but we almost did it.
“We hit the post and had one cleared off the line. We were the aggressors. But we’ve got to start games better and be more solid. They were sloppy goals to concede.”
Despite another loss, the performance was black and white to that witnessed before the international break, when Blackburn Rovers left Loftus Road with a 4-0 win. Ainsworth was quick to compare, going on to say that he still believes it will be a good season;
“I’m a glass-half-full guy. The Blackburn game was not acceptable and the transformation is something else. We’ve improved from Blackburn.
“Roll on the season because it’s going to be a good one. I’m pretty sure we’re going to finish above that line.”
QPR will be hoping to stop the rot when they travel to the Midlands on Tuesday to take on West Bromwich Albion.
Writer’s View
You have to admire Ainsworth’s optimism, because he is a man who looks to be on borrowed time right now. Yesterday’s performance was much. much better, but they can’t keep dropping points if they want to remain in the Championship next season.
QPR are obviously keen to give their manager as much time as possible to turn things around, but fans are losing patience and you have to wonder exactly what is that tipping point that will see a managerial change.
