QPR boss Cifuentes has his say on Sinclair Armstrong’s performance against Bournemouth
Marti Cifuentes stressed that Sinclair Armstrong is still a young player learning the game following his performance in QPR’s 3-2 FA Cup defeat to Bournemouth.
Armstrong gave Rangers the lead in the first half with a breathtaking solo goal but failed to pick up his man at the corner which the Cherries scored from early in the second half to get back into the game.
The Premier League side went on to complete a comeback from two goals down, meaning the west London club exit the competition in the third round.
“He did really well in the first half,” said Cifuentes when asked about Armstrong. “He showed his extreme capacity in the physical aspect…his pace, his capacity in the duels.
“He had very good moments and I’m pleased for him because he is a young player that wants to develop.
“He is taking steps in the weeks that I have been here, understanding when to use his pace and how to use the space.
“I was joking with him when I arrived that he had a lot of offsides and with his pace he doesn’t need to get into offside positions, he can drop two metres and still recover this advantage.
“When we can use his pace, we are a different team. If teams want to press high that gives us space to attack in behind and if they want to wait we can get much higher up the pitch.”
After Lyndon Dykes had given QPR a 2-0 half-time lead, Armstrong’s lapse in concentration allowed Marcus Tavernier to pull a goal back before Kieffer Moore equalised as he beat Asmir Begovic to the ball at a corner.
Substitute Justin Kluivert completed the Bournemouth comeback after Jimmy Dunne had been robbed of possession by Phillip Billing.
Rangers have conceded nine goals from set pieces in Cifuentes’ 13 games in charge, but he refused to lay blame with individuals.
“It’s a combination of things [going wrong],” he said. “I don’t like to point individually.
“This is a team task. The first thing I said to the guys is to make sure we don’t concede many corners by having the ball, by attacking more, by creating more situations in the opposition half.
“When we face a corner or a free-kick, first of all it is about concentration and knowing the individual task.
“Unfortunately, today for both goals [from corners] we didn’t execute the individual task at the level that is needed.”
MAIN PICTURE: ROB AVIS
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