Queens Park Rangers manager Gareth Ainsworth insists that his team will still have a good season, despite succumbing to their fourth successive defeat yesterday.
The Hoops have endured a miserable start to the campaign and currently sit in the bottom three of the Championship having picked up just eight points from their opening 12 games. Furthermore, they haven’t picked up three points since beating Middlesbrough on September 2nd.
It was much of the same yesterday as Huddersfield Town hit two early goals from Kian Harratt and Jack Rudoni, but Ainsworth’s team pulled a goal back just before half time through Jake Clarke-Salter. However, despite dominating in periods, the London-based side were unable to find an equaliser.
It was a performance which pleased the former Wycombe Wanderers boss, but he did bemoan his side’s start to the game. Speaking after the game at the John Smith’s Stadium, via West London Sport, Ainsworth said;
“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.
