Hasselbaink targets ‘normality for QPR’

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink hopes new signing Nasser El Khayati’s assist in QPR’s 1-0 victory at home to Ipswich is a sign of things to come for the club.

Rangers, previously known for signing and developing lower-division players, have seen a poor return during their big spending under billionaire owners in recent years.

They are keen to reintroduce the club’s past transfer policy, and El Khayati – a £350,000 pre-deadline buy from Hasselbaink’s former club Burton – made a great start by coming on as a late substitute and crossing for Matt Phillips to head home.

“It was a good cross and the win was very satisfying,” said Hasselbaink.

“Nasser was available and I thought he would give us something we didn’t have and that’s why I took him here – and there are others we are monitoring.

“It’s about making this club healthy and bringing the normality of the club back – we have to do that at QPR.

“Behind the scenes, Les Ferdinand and the scouts are always on the lookout, because we want to bring that normality back to QPR.”

Phillips’ goal – his sixth of the season – gave Rangers their first home win since Hasselbaink was appointed as manager in early December.

“To win overall is satisfying, and obviously at home, yes,” the Dutchman said.

“When you see the first half and you go in 0-0 at half-time, you’ve done yourself an injustice.

“But I think we kept being positive, kept plugging away, kept going and kept having the trust that we would score the goal we deserved.

“If you look at the game overall, I think we deserved to be two or three up before we eventually scored.

“But it’s not about deserving, it’s about putting the ball in the net. That’s what counts. And we kept believing and kept going.

“The fact we scored in the last five minutes is very satisfying, because it tells me that the character is good and the organisation is good.”