Warburton insists QPR have made progress
Mark Warburton insisted that QPR have made progress this season despite conceding that his side would likely need to win their remaining five games in order to reach the play-offs.
A first-half own goal from Jimmy Dunne followed by a Cameron Archer strike condemned Rangers to a seventh defeat in eight games, casting further doubt on the future of the under-pressure Warburton.
QPR have occupied the play-off spots for much of the season but their recent slump has seen the team slip to 10th – six points behind sixth-placed Sheffield United.
But manager Warburton maintained that his side’s play-off challenge this season has shown that the club is moving forward under his management.
“We’ve been top six all season, we come out the top six and suddenly my job is under threat according to everyone in the media,” he said.
“From my point of view I just do my job. I don’t think I can ever be accused of not doing my job with the players, working with them individually and collectively.
“I’m not going to go on the defensive in terms of where our budget is, but we’ve been top six all season.
“We’ve gone 13th, we’ve gone ninth, and we’ve been top six all season. I would say progress is being made.”
Rangers play promotion-chasing Huddersfield and Sheffield United over the next five games and will require a drastic turnaround in form, as well as teams above them dropping points, to be in with a chance of promotion.
Warburton added: “We’ve got to win five games, get 74 points and then see if that’s enough. You hope that should be enough. That’s all we can do.
“Today we had some clear-cut chances and we’ve got to take those chances. It’s as simple as that.
“To give away two goals of that nature and miss the number of chances we missed is beyond frustrating.”
Meanwhile, QPR defender Rob Dickie has been ruled out of the remainder of the season because of a hamstring injury.
11/04/2022 @ 12:05 pm
When I referred to the squad, I meant Warb’s squad. he could have selected far better teams than he has, Stef has lost his way recently as has quite a few others, decent (dare I say it) better players not even in the squad. Sorry to say, but Charlie is history and as far as Dykes and Gray are concerned – are they really all we can afford?,
11/04/2022 @ 8:04 am
As you all know we had Warburton at Brentford and he put us on the road to us becoming an established championship club at the time. I don’t think he has it in him to win promotion out of this division. However, he has lifted you to a top half side. So credit to him. As you are punching above your weight.
10/04/2022 @ 5:34 pm
Well said Angry my mistake. Been a fan for over 50 years so not player bashing for the sake of it. Our top scorer this year will do well to get low double figures, none seem able to do 90 mins or 6 games in a row. Teams well below us have more consistant goal scorers. Sorry it will never be Dykes, or Austin anymore. Need complete rethink.
10/04/2022 @ 2:54 pm
Dennis – didn’t you mean 9 minutes? the game lasts 90 minutes. We only wake up after 30 minutes, last until half time then fade away sharply.
10/04/2022 @ 1:48 pm
Football is mainly about money. The clubs with the most money tend to do better than those without it. There are exceptions but they eventually tend to lose their best players (richer and more successful clubs buy them) and normal service resumes. QPR DID once have a lot of money. The money has to be spent wisely and you cannot make “a few mistakes”. Who genunely thinks that a “reasonable bid” for Dickie, Chair, Willock or Deng would be rejected in the future? And who could blame QPR for not accepting them? It would provide funds for replacements and help towards running a loss making business. Who genuinely thinks that without those players, QPR would be a better team?
10/04/2022 @ 10:43 am
I haver said here for months we have been flattered by our league position with mainly average displays. What bothers me more is we let hearts rule heads with Austin and Johanson (and even Ferdinand upstairs) one thing to have experience along side young lads but when legs have gone they are gone. We don’t carry a real striking threat for 90 mins…
10/04/2022 @ 9:35 am
So this is the ‘next stage’ is it? – well, thats why Ollie got shown the door and Warbs entered, so we were told. Looks to me to be same as usual. As usual.
10/04/2022 @ 9:25 am
Oh dear, magic mushrooms come to mind. Why not just admit the squad is nowhere near good enough for a top 6 slot. We will be lucky to finish 15th again. Just as well really because if we did manage to get in the playoffs AND get promoted, guess where we would be season long?
Time for a drastic rethink during the summer I think.
Warbs mentions ‘taking our chances’ – we have to produce far more of these chances in order to regularly win and become a formidable force, at the moment we have become a laughing stock.
10/04/2022 @ 8:27 am
Warburton lives in a dreamworld – he has never been the sharpest tool in the toolbox, has he?
10/04/2022 @ 1:26 am
Players and coaches are well paid
If any other profession they would be sacked
No different here
Time to pack up here
09/04/2022 @ 10:16 pm
Unfortunately the squad isn’t quite a top 6 squad. Even when we were 3rd we were very fortunate with some of the results. A lot of the games we won we could have easily lost. It’s football, if you’re weak you usually get found out. I’m not sure any manager in English football would be able to turn the results around with this squad. Look how badly Stef is playing for example. The loan signings in Jan weakened the squad. Let’s relax, throw in some youngsters for the last 5 games and start again next season. But please let’s drop the old boys who can’t stay fit enough because they disrupt the flow by being in one game here and one game there. The teams that do well have consistent first 11’s….
09/04/2022 @ 9:20 pm
Warburton keeps going on about us having been top six all season. Well, we’re not top six now and at the end of the season it will be irrelevant if we were in the top six for 75% of the season but end up well outside it. The fact is that for the last two months results have been appalling and form was already on the decline before that. Warburton needs to stop treating us as idiots.