Queens Park Rangers experienced their fifth consecutive loss at The Hawthorns last night, a defeat that left manager Gareth Ainsworth far from pleased. Ainsworth acknowledged that defender Jimmy Dunne’s quick succession of bookings was a naive decision that turned the tide of the game in their 2-0 loss to West Brom at The Hawthorns.
Dunne received his first yellow card for returning to the field too early and was subsequently shown a red card two minutes later for allegedly tampering with the penalty spot after West Brom was awarded a penalty. Brandon Thomas-Asante converted the spot-kick in the 59th minute, and Grady Diangana scored the second goal eight minutes later.
Ainsworth commented on the incidents, saying, “There was a crazy moment to give the penalty away and then a crazier, more naive moment with the red card. I spoke to the referee, and he said there was an incident on the penalty spot with the West Brom player. I asked him if he was absolutely certain that it was the player he recognized, and he said ‘yes, 100 percent,’ so a second yellow was warranted. If it’s true, it’s very naive. The first yellow was for coming back onto the pitch too early. You can accept getting beaten in football, but when you lose a player to that – if it is that – then it’s very naive.”
With this defeat, Queens Park Rangers have now suffered five straight losses and remain in the relegation zone in the Sky Bet Championship. The pressure on Ainsworth is increasing, and they are set to face league leaders Leicester at home on Saturday. Nevertheless, Ainsworth expressed his determination to turn things around, stating, “We’ve got some really good players, but I’m sure there’s enough to turn it around. We’re going to get out of this, and one way or another, I’ll get these boys fighting. I know the frustrations of the fans and supporters all over the world make managers targets, and sometimes they have to take flak. There’s pressure from day one because you get judged on results, but I don’t fear anything.”
The gaffer gives his reaction 🗣 pic.twitter.com/IBXNqm0fH1
— QPR FC (@QPR) October 24, 2023
Meanwhile, West Brom’s head coach, Carlos Corberan, credited patience as the key to breaking down QPR. He is about to mark his first anniversary in charge of the club with a return to the top six of the Championship. Corberan highlighted the importance of patience and maturity when facing a team like QPR that deploys a 5-4-1 formation, emphasizing the need to avoid conceding counter-attacks while creating opportunities. He also mentioned the significance of attacking down the sides and stretching the opposition’s defense to achieve one-on-one situations.
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