Cifuentes savours QPR victory but insists ‘job is not done’
Marti Cifuentes savoured QPR’s vital win at Oxford United but insisted “the job is not done”.
The 3-1 victory – Rangers’ first win in eight matches – took them seven points clear of the Championship relegation zone, on 49 points – one short of the 50-mark regarded as usually being enough to avoid the drop.
Failing to beat at least one of fellow strugglers Cardiff and Oxford would have left them in real trouble, but four points from the two vital games has given them breathing space with five matches of the season remaining.
The head coach declared: “I’m happy about the result, the performance and the fans who came here.
“The job is not done. We just need to keep pushing. Five games left and we need the best of everyone.”
It was a great night for Rangers, but their injury curse struck again.
Sam Field, recently back after an ankle injury, was outstanding in a more attacking role than usual but limped off just after the hour mark, having fallen awkwardly following an aerial challenge.
There was another QPR injury a few minutes later, when Kenneth Paal went off clutching his hamstring, and Paul Smyth was then hurt and struggled on before eventually being substituted.
Cifuentes said he was unsure about the condition of Field, who was being assessed by Rangers’ medical staff.
Paal, meanwhile, seems a doubt for this weekend’s game against Bristol City.
“Paul Smyth was struggling a bit with his hamstring but I hope it’s nothing important. But it feels like Ken was a little bit more,” Cifuentes said.
With Michael Frey, Zan Celar and Alfie Lloyd among the Rangers players out injured, and with Rayan Kolli on the bench, having only recently returned to full training, Cifuentes again played without a recognised striker.
Australian teenager Daniel Bennie, usually a winger, was given his full debut and deployed as a centre-forward because of the lack of attacking options.
“It was an extremely big effort to play in a position that is not his position,” Cifuentes said.
“We felt that we needed his running capacity and he showed that. It was about stretching their centre-halves.
“He has this capacity to run in a lot behind and stretch them, and I think that was important.
“I’m not saying he will have a future as a striker. Who knows. But one of his strengths is that he can occupy a lot of positions.
“Last season in Australia he did play a couple of games as a striker. He has played a lot as a winger, as a number eight, and when Australia Under-20s won the Asian Cup he played at right-back, so he’s a player that definitely has that capacity.”
There was praise too for the much maligned Nicolas Madsen, who was recalled to the side.
The Dane, playing in a left-sided role, delivered the corner which led to Ronnie Edwards’ opening goal and in general produced a sound performance.
Cifuentes said: “I’m very happy for him because it’s not easy, what he has been going through.
“He deserved a night like this and he played at a really high level. He did really well.”
