“Not A New Thing” – Queens Park Rangers Boss Disappointed After Plymouth Draw

Marti Cifuentes, Queens Park Rangers’ head coach, has revealed what went wrong when his team succumbed late on to lose two points away to Plymouth Argyle on Tuesday night.

The West London club gained the lead in the 73rd minute through Sam Field, and it appeared that they would take all three points back to Loftus Road. With four games remaining, a win for Cifuentes’ side would have taken them six points clear of the relegation zone.
Albert Adomah, who came on just a few minutes after Field opened the score, became the villain after goalkeeper Asmir Begovic fumbled a cross from a corner, allowing the ball to ricochet off the 36-year-old and into the net.

While it is still a point on the road and moves QPR up to 16th, Cifuentes and his players will feel it was a huge opportunity missed ahead of the season’s final few weeks, especially given the Londoners’ upcoming games against Hull City, Preston North End, Leeds United, and Coventry City.
Speaking after the game, the Spanish coach lamented his team’s inability to seal the game at 1-0, noting that this isn’t the first time Queens Park Rangers had failed to score a crucial second goal in a tie this season [quotes via West London Sport

“Try to score the second goal – that is always the target,” he went on to say.

“But it’s not a new thing. Unfortunately, we have had instances this season where we have not had the accuracy to close games.

Writer’s perspective

The next two games are critical for Queens Park Rangers to remain in the Championship for at least another season. Hull and Preston will be difficult opponents, but QPR must win at least one of those two games to ensure survival, as dates against Leeds and Coventry may be too difficult.

Nevertheless, Cifuentes is correct. Struggling to score isn’t a new tendency for his squad; Rangers’ top goalscorers this season are Lyndon Dykes and Ilias Chair, who have only struck the net five times each over all contests.