Cifuentes ‘would go back and change decisions’ after QPR loss

By

Marti Cifuentes admitted regretting some of his decisions after QPR slumped to another defeat.

Rangers’ 3-1 loss at Stoke means they gone six matches without a win – a run which has included five defeats – and have lost eight of their past 11 games.

With his already limited options up front further reduced by Michael Frey not travelling with the squad, head coach Cifuentes opted to start with the fit-again Karamoko Dembele in attack rather than Alfie Lloyd.

He also decided not to start with on-loan Tottenham youngster Yang Min-hyeok.

The South Korean had just returned to London, while Lloyd has been easing his way back to fitness after a recent injury.

Both players made an impact after Cifuentes brought them on at half-time, when Rangers were two down.

Lloyd added some energy up front and Min-Hyeok scored his first goal in English football.

Cifiuentes said: “A lot of the decisions I made today, probably now if I could go back I would change some things, definitely.

“But it was based on Yang coming back from a very long trip from Korea, Alfie coming back from injury – he (Lloyd) is the only striker available and we need to take care because he is going to be so important in the next seven games.

“Michy picked up an injury yesterday in training. It was a last-minute situation, so we had to take a decision.

“My thoughts in the last 24 hours were that if ‘Kaddy’ Dembele, who has been working and improving his fitness levels, could start the game then we thought it could be an option, because Alfie is coming back from injury, having some small issues, and I want to protect him.

“We thought that he (Lloyd) could have an impact during the game, as he did, but that’s the situation in terms of taking decisions.”

Min-hyeok’s 78th-minute goal was an excellent one. He turned and fired into the bottom corner from near the edge of the penalty area.

But it came when the R’s were 3-0 down and the game was essentially already lost.

“We were 70 minutes late to the game today. It was a poor performance,” Cifuentes acknowledged.