Queens Park Rangers manager Gareth Ainsworth remains optimistic about his team’s prospects for the season, despite suffering their fourth consecutive defeat in their recent match. The Hoops have had a challenging start to the campaign, currently finding themselves in the Championship’s bottom three with only eight points from their first 12 games. Their last victory came on September 2nd when they defeated Middlesbrough.
In their latest match against Huddersfield Town, the opposing team scored two early goals courtesy of Kian Harratt and Jack Rudoni. However, Ainsworth’s side managed to pull a goal back just before halftime through Jake Clarke-Salter. Despite dominating at times, they couldn’t find an equalizer.
Ainsworth expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance, although he criticized their slow start in the game. He stated after the match, “We lost the game in the first 20 minutes. We gave ourselves a mountain to climb. We can’t defend like that in the first 20 minutes and expect positive results, but we came close. The team’s spirit and determination to get back in the game were remarkable.”
He also acknowledged that in the highly competitive Championship, it’s challenging to recover from a 2-0 deficit but highlighted the team’s offensive efforts, including hitting the post and having a shot cleared off the line. Ainsworth stressed the need to start games better and be more defensively solid, as the goals they conceded were sloppy.
Despite another loss, Ainsworth believes the team has made significant improvements compared to their performance before the international break, particularly referencing their 4-0 loss to Blackburn Rovers. He expressed his optimism for the season, saying, “I’m a glass-half-full guy. The Blackburn game was not acceptable, and the transformation is something else. We’ve improved from Blackburn. Roll on the season because it’s going to be a good one. I’m pretty sure we’re going to finish above that line.”
QPR is looking to break their losing streak when they face West Bromwich Albion in their upcoming match.
In the writer’s view, Ainsworth’s positivity is admirable, but there are concerns about his job security. While the recent performance was much improved, the team cannot afford to keep dropping points if they hope to stay in the Championship next season. The club appears to be patient with Ainsworth, but fans are growing impatient, raising questions about the tipping point that might lead to a managerial change.