Monk: Birmingham played with fear at QPR

Birmingham manager Garry Monk admitted his team played with fear in their 3-1 defeat at QPR.

Rangers came from behind after Che Adams’ goal, meaning Monk’s side will go into the final match of the Championship season with the threat of relegation still hanging over them.

They will go down if they lose at home to promotion-chasing Fulham and results elsewhere go against them.

“We knew coming here we had the opportunity to secure our survival and that’s what we came with the intention to do,” said Monk.

“I was surprised in the sense that we played with a little bit of fear of the situation. I haven’t seen that from them.

“We’ve been meeting this challenge head-on, putting in our maximum on the pitch, and today we played with a little bit of fear which means you play within yourself and hope your team-mates are going to do something to get you out of it.

“We haven’t been approaching it like that, so it was quite strange to see it. But that’s what pressure can do. That’s what fear can do at certain times.”

Bright Osayi-Samuel equalised for Rangers and Ilias Chair put them ahead before Matt Smith’s injury-time goal sealed Birmingham’s fate.

Monk is hoping that home advantage will be all-important next Sunday.

“It has been all along. We’ve been playing well there and we have to play how we’ve been playing,” he said.

“We’ll go onto that pitch with a full house, all the Blues fans behind us, and we’ll give our absolute maximum and meet it head-on.

“The situation is the same. It’s still in our hands. We’re disappointed but have no time to dwell on it.”