GARETH Ainsworth has challenged his QPR players to show more mental resilience if they are to win their scrap to stay in the Championship.
Saturday’s 4-0 home defeat at the hands of fellow strugglers Blackburn Rovers continued the Hoops’ dreadful record at Loftus Road.
The club’s long-suffering fans have yet to see their team win at home at all this season.
In fact, the sole success on their own patch in 2023 came way back in March when QPR beat Watford 1-0.
Ainsworth is coming under increasing pressure to turn the club’s fortunes around, but is demanding the squad have a bit more faith they are actually capable of battling their way out of trouble.
The boss said: “I think mentally the boys need to believe more in themselves, I really do.
“They are good players but they just seem to be losing their way.
“From when I walked in it was like that and I’m trying to change it day in, day out.
“You can’t put quality in players but you can make them believe – you can get them better on that side of things, the mental side of things.
“I want them to be fit, I want them to outrun teams, I want to mentally outdo teams.
“And then (there’s) the quality of the ball – in the second half (v Blackburn) we were much better on the ball but teams are just going down the side of us.
“Leeds put it around the side of us, Coventry down the side of us and got in and got set pieces and chances from that. We seem to do that and we are not good enough to create the final chance.
“We’ve got to make sure that we are on it.”
The international break at least means Ainsworth has more time to prepare for QPR’s next game at Huddersfield on Saturday week, something he and his coaching staff are determined to make the most of.
He said: “Listen, the boys have given me everything and I’ve got to get everything better. I’ve given everything, I’ve got to make my everything better. We are going to work hard over the next couple of weeks now.
“The good thing is that we’ve got this work (period) now at the training ground.
“We’ve got this chance to get Sam Field back, Steve Cook back, Jack Colback has played (v Blackburn) and given his absolute everything – I don’t know if he was knackered at the end. We need to get all of these players on tip-top condition.
“Next game, we’ve got to make a real big effort.”
Saturday’s Blackburn result was far from ideal for QPR, particularly the nature of yet another setback in front of an increasingly anxious Loftus Road faithful.
But Ainsworth is promising his side will keep battling for every point to ensure the Hoops can prove the bookies wrong and defy their odds as pre-season relegation favourites.
He said: “The table hasn’t changed much, there seems to be a split Championship.
“There is a lot of teams flying at the top and there is about five or six teams down the bottom here – we’ve got to win this mini league.
“We’ve got to get to the top of this mini league, keep this club in the Championship and keep building.”
Ainsworth added: “We all knew this wasn’t going to be an easy season.
“I knew the moment I walked in what was going to happen with this club.
“It has been so good over the years but we are in a tough moment. I’m going to fight my way out of this moment.
“I’m going to get these boys fighting, I’m going to get us scrapping, I’m going to win games, I want to be a Championship side next year and that’s paramount.”
