Warburton: QPR youngsters need to learn

Mark Warburton says the only way QPR’s young players will develop is to play first-team football and learn from their mistakes.

Rangers have lost four of their five matches since the season resumed and have been increasingly reliant on youngsters.

Manager Warburton admitted a miss by Ilias Chair in this week’s 1-0 defeat at Wigan was costly.

But he said: “The only way that young players learn is by being exposed to the level.

“At the start of the season we were one of the favourites for relegation, so the young guys have really done well.

“They’ve stepped up and they’ve shown they’ve got a lot to learn, but you’ve got to expose young players to the level.

“They’re going to make mistakes – have no doubt about that.

“Young Conor Masterson will make a mistake. Osman Kakay and Ilias Chair will make mistakes.

“You can leave them on the bench, take them with the first-team squad – but get them out there.

“Get them out there having to mark from a corner, having to close down – that’s football.

“There’s no other way of learning other than making mistakes and being exposed to the level.

“They’re young, they’re learning and they’re going to have good days and not so good days. But you’ve got to trust them.”

‘Remarkably young’

Rangers were poor at Wigan, although Kakay emerged with some credit after another committed performance.

Olamide Shodipo and Jack Clarke did well after coming on and there was also another appearance as a late substitute by academy product Faysal Bettache.

“We’ve got a young squad and I think we finished the game with a remarkably young side,” Warburton said.

“We had Faysal on, Mide on, Clarke on – really young.

“Geoff Cameron is 34, Yoann Barbet’s 27 and then everyone’s down below 25 and 24. So we’re very, very young.

“But they’ve got to recognise the demands of the division.”