Birmingham City v QPR

QUEENS PARK RANGERS
AINSWORTH RETUNING R’S
It was a rollercoaster ride last season for Queens
Park Rangers supporters; top in late October only
to be fighting for survival come May.
In the end, back-to-back away victories in the final
three games – at leaders Burnley and Stoke City –
secured 20th place and the West London club’s status
in the second tier for a ninth consecutive campaign.
Avoiding another frustrating debacle of a season,
which included just three wins in 24 games from
Boxing Day and saw Director of Football, Les Ferdinand
stand down, is the mission objective for manager
Gareth Ainsworth. The former R’s player returned to
take up the reigns in February from the outgoing Neil
Critchley.
It has not been the homecoming he would have
dreamt about, with an unwanted club record of 12
league defeats at Loftus Road. Yet following a root
and branch overhaul of the dressing room throughout
the summer there are green shoots emerging that
the club’s fortunes might be beginning to show a more
upward trajectory.
Away day successes at Cardiff City and
Middlesbrough have eased the pressure but Ainsworth
will be desperate to return Loftus Road to the fortress
it once was, with no win since March on home soil.
Last weekend, Sunderland were 3-1 victors at their
Shepherds Bush headquarters and a Lyndon Dykes
injury-time equaliser earned a share of the spoils with
fellow strugglers Swansea City in midweek.
Yet Ainsworth believes he has seen enough to
convince him that the tide is turning, telling BBC
London post-match: “We’ve had some bad feelings
around this place recently, but things are slowly
starting to turn around. The work rate and endeavour
from the players – and the fans – was amazing and
there was only one team in it. If we had another five
minutes we would have won.
“I’m proud of the boys and a lot of the work we’ve
done around fitness and conditioning is starting to pay
off. I will add, though, that we must hit the target more.
We must work the opposition ‘keeper more. We’re
creating chances and we need to take them.”
Ainsworth has predominantly opted for a 3-4-3 system
this year and has a plethora of exciting forward talents
to call upon as he looks to discover a more clinical
edge in the final third. Creative gems in Moroccan
international Ilias Chair and 2021/22 Player of the Year
Chris Willock provide fluidity off a central targetman.
20 | BLUES NEWS BIRMINGHAM CITY V QUEENS PARK RANGERS