Ferdinand: Hughes will build from the back

By

QPR defender Anton Ferdinand says boss Mark Hughes is keen for his team to play the ball out from the back this season.

Former Rangers manager Neil Warnock, who signed Ferdinand a year ago, felt the centre-back had tended to come unstuck by trying to do too much on the ball.

Warnock was keen for him to stick to the basics but Ferdinand believes Hughes may take a slightly different approach.

Hughes took over in January.

“He [Hughes] wants me to do my job, which is to defend. That’s the first thing that’s got to be in my head – to defend first,” said Ferdinand.

“But if I’ve got time on the ball then I need to use it properly – that’s what the gaffer stresses.

“That’s good for me because it suits my style of play and I enjoy it.”

Ferdinand added that the Rangers camp are in good spirits ahead of the new season, which begins with a home match against Swansea City this weekend.

“The morale in the squad’s brilliant and that’s there for all to see,” he declared.

“We haven’t really spoke about targets. First things first, we’ve got to make sure that we’re an established Premier League club.

“When we’ve done that, if we do finish higher than we expect, then it’s been a fantastic season for us.

“To remain in the Premier League is the priority, but with this squad who knows?”

Click here for the QPR v Swansea quiz

Follow West London Sport on Twitter
Find us on Facebook