Gareth Ainsworth: ‘It’s up to me to motivate the staff and players at QPR’
Just one game into the new Championship season, QPR manager Gareth Ainsworth is already under pressure. Having been thrashed 5-0 by League One Oxford in their final pre-season friendly, Rangers began the campaign proper in the worst possible fashion – conceding a goal after just 33 seconds at Watford and being booed off at half-time by their own fans on the way to a 4-0 defeat at Vicarage Road.
But Ainsworth remains bullish, believing a siege mentality coupled with some new signings will help him repeat last year’s escape act. He tells Metro why it would be wrong to write off QPR just yet.
Some pundits are tipping Rangers to go down this season. What do you think of that pessimism?
People have predictions to make – I won’t do their job for them! I will make sure we are competitive and an improvement on last season is a must for me. It needs rebuilding and I’m a realist. I know exactly the fans’ pressures and am under no illusions about being bulletproof. It’s up to me to motivate the staff and the players.
Many regard this season’s Championship as the toughest for years, given the teams that have come down from the Premier League and also up from League One. What’s your view?
It’s the strongest Championship in the last ten years, without a shadow of a doubt. We’re still a huge team with huge support but from the outside you probably see us as one of the smaller clubs but, goodness me, we can fight. We ended up in the Championship at the end of the year. The aim is to keep this club competitive in the Championship and I aim to do that.
You arrived in February and kept the Hoops up. But how big a test has the job been so far?
It’s been a great challenge but I have great support here. (Managing director) Lee Hoos has been working really closely with me and the board just want the best for QPR. There are financial restrictions and some clubs find themselves in trouble. The stories are there – rumours are rife about what’s going on at a lot of clubs.
Will you be able to add any new signings during the remainder of the transfer window?
I want four, five, six, seven players in who might make a difference. We have super talent here that just needs that experience and leadership alongside it.
