QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth previews trip to Middlesbrough

Ainsworth spoke to the press ahead of QPR's showdown with Middlesbrough in the Championship.

QPR boss Gareth Ainsworth previews trip to Middlesbrough
Ainsworth will look to lead QPR to their second win of the season (Photo by Steve Bardens/Getty Images)
harryware07
By Harry Ware

Queens Park Rangers travel to Middlesbrough this weekend in the Championship, as Gareth Ainsworth's side look to respond to a 2-1 defeat against Southampton last time out. 

Jack Colback brought the game level for the R's after they went behind through a Samuel Edozie strike just moments before. However, Adam Armstrong put Southampton back in front midway through the second half to give the Saints all three points. 

It means QPR have picked up just one win in five games in all competitions, leaving them in 19th place. 

With Deadline Day tomorrow, Ainsworth spoke to the press ahead of QPR's trip to the Riverside Stadium on Saturday, with both sides in need of points near the bottom.

  • Ainsworth on "shift" in mentality 

Ainsworth told VAVEL that whilst the performances are always improving, he knows they need points to go with it. 

After causing Southampton problems at the St. Mary's Stadium last week, Ainsworth is confident that QPR will "surprise" many this season. 

"We restricted Southampton to the worst expected goals at home," he began. 

"Even though they scored two, their actual stats were ridiculously low and I told the players about that.

"I also said to the players after the game about what they'd done, about how we're playing and about how close we are.

"You can't have 46 great performances and no wins and stay in the Championship, you've got to earn that right. I said to the boys that we're going to surprise people this year without a shadow of a doubt.

"I told them to keep going, keep working hard and the difference of the feeling in the dressing room from last season to this season.

"Last season after games the lads were really down because we'd been beat. This season apart from one game, the feeling has been down because we haven't won.

"That's a huge shift."

QPR's last four games in all competitions have been decided by just one goal, with the R's winning just one of those games. 

Ainsworth expressed that there is currently very little in the recent games when it comes to the result and that the R's can be a test for anyone in the Championship this season. 

"I'm hoping that people and the players see that this (the results) can swing either way so easily," he explained. 

"We take one of those chances in the second half and I think that's a totally different game.

"Opposition managers will always look after themselves, but I think Russ (Russell Martin) was quite good after the game and he knows exactly where we're at. If we can do it to a team like Southampton, we can do it to any team in this league."

  • Challenge of Middlesbrough 

Middlesbrough are the opponents for QPR on Saturday. 

Michael Carrick's side are one of five teams in the Championship without a league win to their name. 

Boro were victorious last time they faced QPR at the Riverside Stadium back in February, in what was Neil Critchley's final game at the club. 

A Chuba Akpom brace helped the host on their way to a 3-1 victory over the R's, with Ilias Chair getting QPR's only goal of the game. 

Ainsworth told VAVEL that whilst they are looking forward to the game against Middlesbrough, QPR want to focus on themselves rather than the opposition. 

"We're looking forward to Middlesbrough on Saturday," Ainsworth said. 

"We do a lot of work during the week on watching what they are then we concentrate a lot on us on Thursdays and Fridays. 

"I think what I was known for in the past was probably destroying the opposition, whereas now we can start imposing our game."

QPR travel to Middlesbrough on Saturday, September 2nd, in a 15:00 BST kick-off at the Riverside Stadium.