‘Every team wants to play like Man City’ – QPR boss outlines playing style for next season after Championship survival
Gareth Ainsworth has outlined how he wants his QPR side to play next season – and believes it’s a style of football that will see the west Londoners get back to winning ways.
QPR finished six points above the drop zone after winning two crucial games towards the end of the season, beating league winners Burnley away and picking up all three points in a 1-0 win at Stoke.
Former Wycombe boss Ainsworth won just three of his 13 games in charge of QPR after replacing Neil Critchley in December.
QPR failed to register a shot on target in their final game of the season – a 2-0 home defeat to Bristol City.
“I will tell you that every team wants to play like Man City, but only Man City get to play like them because they can afford the best players,” Ainsworth explained to QPR’s YouTube channel.
“There are all different ways of winning a football game, but my job is to cut the cloth accordingly as to what we have got.
“We got some great possession-based players in this team, but there was no purpose to that or sort of identity about why we were doing it.
“I had to sacrifice that to get results. I consider it a good move I had to make, but I do love playing.
“I want to play fast, entertaining, flowing football, but everyone has that idea of playing 10 pass moves and then a goal.
“But getting results and points on the board is my ultimate job as a manager, and I want to play some of these players to their maximum ability.
“It’s the work rate of the whole group. To make them better and fitter, to make them do it time after time.
“I won’t shy away from it, I like crosses in the box and putting it on the opposition in their area – that’s my style as a manager.
“There are a lot of teams who want to play like the top teams, but seldom get to do it.
“But we will be winning games, which is what will be important next year.”
PICTURE: ROB AVIS
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QPR need to study, then replicate, the Luton City model.
The players have pace and toughness, the play is fast and forward, and the product is exciting to watch. All of this was done on a relatively modest budget. Forget Man City. Ainsworth totally gets it. If QPR can return to this kind of club, watch out!