“Be more ruthless” – QPR boss Warburton demanding after win over Wycombe

BY NICK KITUNO

Mark Warburton wants his QPR side to be more “ruthless” after they held on to see off a resilient Wycombe Wanderers.

Ilias Chair’s seventh goal of the season was enough to seal the win but the Hoops were made to work hard for all three points at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium.

QPR have climbed to 12th in the Championship table, having won eight of their first 12 games of 2021.

Warburton said: “We closed it out officially, but we’ve got to be more ruthless and more clinical. We got the goal in the first half, played some good football, and opened up a very resilient Wycombe team time and again, but we’ve got to be more clinical in that final third and get the second goal.

“It changes the dynamic of the game so much, you saw that against Bristol City. You go back to the Birmingham game, and had we scored just after half-time I think the game was over, or would be over.

“We have to recognise that but, having not got the second goal, we stood up. They threw on some big, physical players [Adebayo Akinfenwa and Ikpeazu], balls were coming in and we dealt with that, got first contact and, as you say, another clean sheet.”

Chair edged QPR in front when he turned in Chris Willock’s drilled cross from very close range. After beating a defender, Willock then held off Joe Jacobson before squeezing the ball between the post and David Stockdale for Chair to finish.

Despite the lead, the hosts struggled to add to it but did go close when Willock closed the post after some neat link-up play involving Lee Wallace and Stefan Johansen.

Wycombe threw players forward to try and rescue an equaliser, but Gareth Ainsworth’s men came away from W12 empty-handed.

Warburton added: “We played some good football in the first half when we moved it, and we created chances, it’s that being ruthless in that final third. We’ve spoken [about it] before, but the second goal on Saturday almost killed off Bristol City. We’ve got to recognise the importance of those types of goals.

“We’re opening them up, players are in good areas, get the rewards with the second or third goal, be ruthless. If we do that, we can be a very good team but have no doubt that every single Championship game is so tough and every clean sheet is massively important.

“That’s a big three points for us this evening, no doubt about that.”

PICTURE: KEITH GILLARD