Stephan goes back to basics to get first QPR win

QPR delivered their best performance of the season so far to beat Charlton at Loftus Road and earn Julien Stephan his first win as head coach.

The game against Charlton came off the back of last weekend’s humbling 7-1 loss against Coventry, and it was therefore no great surprise to see Stephan adjust his tactical approach from what we had seen in the opening weeks of his tenure.

The changes were best summed up by the opposition head coach.

After the game. Nathan Jones said: “Credit to their manager. They went against everything they’ve done through pre-season and the first three games of the season.

“They were very direct, didn’t risk possession, sat off [without the ball]. We didn’t have enough quality to break them down.”

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With more than one of the goals conceded against Coventry the consequence of Rangers surrendering possession in their own half, it was clear that Stephan was unwilling to take similar risks as he searched for a response.

He did not show his players any footage of their comprehensive defeat in the West Midlands during the week – and it looked as though it had been completely forgotten about in an aggressive, front-foot start against Charlton.

Goalkeeper Joe Walsh played 33 long passes throughout the 90 minutes – considerably more than in any other game so far this season – and attempts to build attacks through short passes from defence were largely abandoned.

This seemed to benefit QPR in a number of ways.

It brought Richard Kone into the game on his home debut. The striker registered more touches than any other attacker on the pitch and battled tirelessly with Charlton centre-back Lloyd Jones to give Rangers a platform to play from in the opposition half.

Kone’s late goal had an element of fortune about it, but the way in which he collapsed to the turf during the celebrations was surely a sign of his physical exertion throughout the game.

The midfield duo of Jonathan Varane and Nicolas Madsen also appeared far more comfortable not having to receive the ball from the backline facing their own goal. QPR’s more direct approach allowed them to focus their efforts further up the pitch.

Stephan’s tactical changes by no means worked perfectly.

Charlton took charge of the game either side of half-time and equalised through a goal that showcased some imperfect defending.

However, the introduction of Rumarn Burrell and a switch to a two-striker system meant Rangers could start challenging Charlton physically again and the momentum of the game changed once more.

It still took a brilliant individual goal from Koki Saito to set the course for victory, but it was the change of approach that made QPR more convincing than what was displayed in the first few weeks of the season.

Stephan insisted afterwards that the changes should be considered an adaptation and not a transformation and that further alterations are likely across a long and challenging Championship season.

But following the embarrassment of the defeat in Coventry and a week of trying to forget about it, the win against Charlton represented hope that both Rangers and Stephan can make a success of this season.