MARTI Cifuentes has hailed Queens Park Rangers’ 30-somethings ahead of another crucial clash in the Championship relegation battle this weekend.
QPR travel to Sunderland on Saturday knowing they could drop as low as second bottom if they fail to win at the Stadium of Light and their assorted rivals pick up three points.
Only five points separate nine teams from Swansea City in sixteenth to Sheffield Wednesday in 23rd. With Rotherham United in last all but doomed, there is a desperate battle to avoid the drop for arguably twelve teams up to Sunderland in twelfth.
Cifuentes replaced Gareth Ainsworth at the end of October and dragged the side out of the relegation zone for the first time since September last month.
And he believes experience is crucial to surviving the clutches of League One.
“When you have players like Asmir Begovic, Jack Colback, Steve Cook, the way they are helping the young guys, the way they are leading the team, on and off the pitch, to understand that we are in a very tricky situation where we need to keep calm but at the same time work in a relentless way, as a manager my job becomes easier,” Cifuentes said on the club’s website
“They are supporting everything we are trying to implement here. They have been excellent and I am very grateful for that.”
Cifuentes added: “It’s been a good week. The players have been working at a high level and it’s also been important to recharge after a tough week last week.
Sunderland have lost six consecutive games since their 3-1 victory over Plymouth in February had them in sixth. That run of form has seen them go from promotion contenders to one of those sides not safe from the drop in a crazy Championship season.
There will be more than a thousand R’s fans in the north-east to cheer on their side.
“I’m so proud,” Cifuentes said. “Every time game we go away, the number of fans we are taking is so impressive. There were 2,500 at Bristol City, 3,000 at Leicester.
“Whatever we achieve at the end of the season, we must say thank you to our fans who are packing the ground out at home, too.
“The support is seriously impressive.
“They’ll probably have 40,000, 42,000 fans supporting them, desperate to respond at home after six defeats. That makes them more dangerous for us.
“It’s surprising to see the position they’re in. They have a very talented young squad.
“We know it will be a difficult test and we are going to have to be on top of our game.
“We’ve got 20-odd players pushing very hard to compete and help the team.
“To arrive at this time of the season with a near fully-fit squad is a real positive for us.”
