QPR boss Mark Warburton lost for words after 2-1 defeat to Bristol City
BY NICK KITUNO
Mark Warburton was lost for words after Queens Park Rangers lost to Bristol City despite a dominant first-half display.
The R’s created a slew of chances to pin the visitors under pressure, and they took the lead on 11 minutes when Rob Dickie rose highest to power in Chris Willock’s corner.
City looked vulnerable but pulled themselves level when former QPR loanee Nahki Wells tucked home Callum O’Dowda’s deflected delivery across goal five minutes before the break.
The Robins completed the turnaround shortly into the restart when they pounced on Dickie’s poor pass to enable Adam Nagy to drill home on 50 minutes.
It is the first time Rangers have suffered consecutive defeats this season, but Warburton praised his team’s display.
He said: “For the first time in my managerial career – for many, many years – I didn’t know what to say to them at full-time.
“You can’t wallop them. They were so good for such a long period of the game against a very good Bristol City, top-six team. We’ve created chance, after chance, after chance. The biggest frustration is that they have got to build that belief of how good they are now, and how good they can be, but you do that by winning games of football.
“You look at Friday night [against Brentford], which, for a number of reasons was more than frustrating, and again tonight we’ve dropped six points when we really played some excellent football. But you have to get your rewards. You have to defend your goal with a real passion.
“Seny’s [Dieng] had nothing to do other than bend down twice to pick the ball out of the net. That’s it. That’s all he’s had to do.
“We’ve got to recognise that defending our goal which a ruthlessness and attacking the opposition box. I’m sorry to sound like a broken record, but yes. [I am] very frustrated.
“I think they deserve a lot of credit, the players. They have worked hard on the training pitch, and whilst the games are coming thick and fast now, we’re not actually getting much time to work with at all at this moment. They have worked hard up to this point, and they deserve a lot of credit.
“If you have a really bad game of football, lose 3-1, I’d come in and put my hand up and go: ‘Gents, we were awful’. But what do you say to them after that? They were so, so good for long, long periods, right to the death.”
QPR could have equalised in injury time, only for Bright Osayi-Samuel to power a chance wide after teenage substitute Charlie Kelman put him through on goal. It was Kelman’s senior debut for the R’s after joining from lower league outfit Southend United.
Warburton added: “It’s a good group of players, they are working hard. I’m saying to them: ‘You understand how good you are now, and how good you’re going to be in a year’s time’.”
PHOTO: KEITH GILLARD
