QPR manager only focused on building on this season – and stops shy of talking up play-off push

BY NICK KITUNO

Mark Warburton believes Queens Park Rangers will benefit “enormously” from this season – but wants them to build on the success next year.

Charlie Austin and Stefan Johansen were on target as the Hoops signed off the campaign with a 3-1 win over Luton Town in style.

The two January signings combined to help guide Rangers to three points as Albert Adomah added the finishing touches in stoppage time.

It saw QPR finish the season in ninth, their highest placing since promotion to the Premier League in 2014, and marks the second successive campaign in which Warburton has guided the R’s to an improved finish to the year before.

The Hoops boss paid tribute to his players but remained coy over a possible play-off push – insisting the club must finish as high as it can.

He said: “You’re never going to say to fans that you’re not going for the play-offs. There will be 24 teams, come August 7, intent on the play-offs. That’s the nature of it.

“We will benefit enormously from this year. We will know that we can go to tough places, tough venues, and win games of football. We can apply ourselves well, we’ve shown more character.

“I don’t want to name names because I will miss people out, but when you have got Ossie [Osman] Kakay and Albert Adomah, both playing right wing-back, one is a defender and one is an attacker, they are fitting into a formation, that shows you that the squad has adapted really well.

“They have been asked to meet challenges and demands and it’s not fazed them at all. I don’t want to [single anyone] because I might miss one person out but, to a man, they deserve our praise and our credit.”

Asked what areas of the squad can be improved, he added: “Everything. You can always improve in everything. You look at the second 20 minutes of the first half, we were too deep, [there were] gaps between units, they [Luton] had too much time and space, we were our own worst enemies with the ball, gave it away cheaply and in dangerous areas and they transitioned on us.

“We can make better decisions. The best players in the game make the best decisions, so all of us – staff, players, everyone – can always improve, and that’s what we have to do. Yes, they [the players] will enjoy the summer, a good finish, 68 points, make sure they congratulate themselves, but we recharge, refuel and then we go again in six weeks.

“We have to build. We can’t say, ‘We had a good season last year, this year we’re happy to take 15th,’ no, no no. We have to keep building. There are no predictions from me, ever. All I’ll say to you is: we’ll go as hard we can, finish as high as we can.”

PICTURES: ROB AVIS