May 20, 2024

Queens Park Rangers manager Marti Cifuentes says the team are making “small steps” every day as they move away from a “bad dynamic”.

Rangers won back-to-back games for the first time this season with a 2-0 win at Preston North End on Friday.

That came after a 4-2 win against Stoke City ended a 12-match winless run.

“It’s not easy when you come into the middle of the season into a team that is in a bad dynamic,” Cifuentes told BBC Radio London.

Preston's Ched Evans (centre) taking on the Queens Park Ranger defence in the Championship

“I see small steps every day in they way they are training and the way we want to play.

“I’m especially pleased for the identity of the team.”

Second-half goals from Paul Smyth and Chris Willock secured the win at Deepdale but Cifuentes says the performance in the first 45 minutes was still a long way from where he wants the side to be.

“The team understood we needed to do more and when we scored the first goal (at Preston) we chased the second – that is a very healthy signal about a side that wants to play football in a certain way,” the 41-year-old Spaniard added.

“That is understanding as well that we have to work hard and to understand the picture of the game as it was in the first half.”

Cifuentes replaced Gareth Ainsworth manager on 30 October and last week said he wants to replicate Terry Venables’ attacking game, which the former England manager imprinted on Loftus Road.

“We are starting to see some signals but I want to see us play better -the way we defend and attack and make transitions – there is still a way to go to see the expression we want as a team,” Cifuentes added.

QPR now have two home games in a row against Hull City on Saturday and Plymouth on Wednesday, 13 December.

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