Julien Stephan’s Queens Park Rangers team showed a number of promising signs against established Eredivisie side SC Heerenveen, though the game ended in a two-two draw.
The 44-year-old initially gave his general thoughts on QPR’s performance against their Dutch opponents.
” I enjoyed the performance. To be honest, I think it was our best performance of preseason.
“We played a good team with good players and good principles of play and we only struggled for the first 20 minutes.
“After that, it was interesting defensively and offensively. I enjoyed what I saw on the pitch, the reaction of the players.
“We were brave, and, for me, we were dominant after the first 20 minutes.
“I thought it was logical when we scored the first goal.
“Sometimes in football, you just need to deal with the details. I think, if we had managed some situations better, we could have won the game.
“But, the most important thing in preseason is that we continued our preparation for the first game [of the Championship season] and that we continued to share playing time amongst the squad.
“We finished the game with very young players on the pitch, but it is important to give them the opportunity to play and show their qualities.”
The Frenchman was then asked about the performance of Liam Morrison, who had a good game in the centre of defence in the second half, and what his expectations were for the young Scotsman.
“We have four centre-backs: Liam, Amadou [Mbengue], Timmy [Akindileni] and Cookie, who are available at the moment, plus Jake Clarke-Salter.
“For me, it is important that centre-backs are able to both win their duels and take initiative with the ball.
“Liam took a lot of initiative with the ball in the second half. He made a lot of good passes and found good angles, which were important in helping us break through Heerenveen’s press.
“The other centre-backs also have a lot of quality, so I have a lot of choice, and that is a good thing for me as the manager!”
The game was the second consecutive outing in which the R’s lined up without a recognised striker. Stephan was asked if this was an area that he would be looking to strengthen in the final weeks of the transfer window.
“We decided to play with a false 9 today.
“With it being a preseason game, we thought it would be a good time to collect information.
“I wanted to show how we could create offensive overloads, and I enjoyed the outcome.
“But, I can only select the players who are available. To be honest, we did not have a number nine available today except for Bennie.
“It was a good experience to play with Illy [Chair], and we did well with the ball in the first half so it could be an option
“We need to prepare for different scenarios during the season, as there might be times when we have players unavailable, so you need to imagine other things.
“The players did well and showed good adaptability. I enjoyed that too.”
QPR announced the signing of Rumarn Burrell, who scored 11 goals in League One for Burton Albion last season, following the game.
The former Rennes manager was also questioned about the future of last season’s League One top goalscorer, Charlie Kelman, who has since been sold to Charlton Athletic.
“My only focus as a manager is to work with the players who are available on the pitch. If the player is not on the pitch, that means he is not available.
“Of course, I want to work with all of the players, but they are not always available and I am not a magician!
“Let’s see how the situation develops with Charlie. He is a good player, a good striker, who is able to score goals.
“But, Kaddie [Dembele] is able to score, Illy is able to score, Bennie is able to score, Celar is able to score and Frey is able to score. So we still have goalscoring options.
“Today, we had to go with the players who were available. That meant using Illy as a false nine, which was a good experience, and then using Bennie as a striker in the second half, which was a good experience as well.
“I am a happy manager! My offensive players are scoring, which is good for their confidence.”
Stephan then commented on the youthful nature of his squad.
“Developing young players is a part of the club’s project.
“We have to put them in the best positions. As a manager, the question I have to ask is ‘When is it the right moment to put them on the pitch?'”
“Preseason is a good time to give them an opportunity to show their quality. But once the league season starts, I will have to look at that question more carefully.
“I have no problem [with playing young players] if it is the right moment.
“In the past, I have gained a lot of experience with young players and, for me, age is not a problem. You can be very good at 16,17,18, but some players need to wait until they are 21 or 22.
“It depends on the profile of the player as to whether it is the right time.
“If you do not wait for the right moment, it can become very hard for young players, so it is important to understand when that moment is.”
Lastly, the French manager was questioned about managing at his new home, Loftus Road, for the first time.
“The most important thing was not that it was my first game [at Loftus Road], but to see how the players have developed as a team.
“When you are a manager, especially when you go to a new club, you enjoy every second.
“I know that, on Monday, I will enjoy every second on the training pitch with the players. Next Saturday, I will enjoy every second. Imagine how much I will enjoy every second against Preston!
“My emotion is not the most important thing. It is how the players perform on the pitch, how good their mentality is, how brave they are and how they deal with problems. Are they able to fix them on the pitch, or do they need my help at half-time?
“That is why it is important to look at problems on the training pitch. They can learn to fix them during the week, so that it is easier to fix them at the weekend.
“That is my main focus. My emotion is not important. My focus is to help my players fix problems and create danger so we can score some goals!”
Writer’s View
QPR certainly did show some bright sparks against Heerenveen, and they look on their way to becoming a good side under the stewardship of Stephan.
The R’s certainly had a gap in their squad at the top end of the pitch, but they have already addressed it by signing Burrell, who thrived in League One from January onwards.
Their lack of experience is slightly worrying, and there are still one or two more areas in which they need to upgrade if they want to push for the playoffs, but their squad has far too much quality to be anywhere near a relegation battle next campaign.
