He was brilliant’ – QPR boss Cifuentes explains Ronnie Edwards tactical switch against Leeds United
The Southampton loanee featured in central midfield against the Championship leaders having played most of his football at centre-back since arriving at Loftus Road in January.
Edwards excelled in the middle of the park, making four interceptions and two tackles as Rangers managed to hold on for a point against Daniel Farke’s side.
“The idea is to try and find solutions,” said Cifuentes when asked why he decided to play Edwards in midfield.
“Jonathan Varane is injured. Sam Field is injured. Jack Colback did a fantastic job today. I’m very happy with Jack because he played at a high level for 95 minutes at the end of a three-game week.
“We have Liam [Morrison] and [Morgan] Fox training at a very high level, pushing and knocking the door. In the last games I decided to pick Ronnie and [Steve] Cook to play together as the centre-halves but I think that Liam and Foxy deserve more minutes.
“That’s why in second halves we have been trying to keep them in the loop and keep them involved. Against West Brom, Liam came on and against Middlesborough it was Foxy who came on. We are trying to find solutions because the number six position is so important for us.
“Ronnie has got the tactical awareness and the positional awareness to play in this position but also the quality to break lines and drive forward and to defend out of possession.
“He did brilliantly. It’s not his main position but in an emergency situation we have with the number six, as we have with the strikers. Today Michy [Frey] had to play 97 minutes and it’s not optimal but that’s where we are and we have to find solutions.”