QPR Struggle to Break Down Stoke's Compact Defense, Suffer Defeat

Queens Park Rangers (QPR) manager Marti Cifuentes acknowledges that Stoke City presented a challenging defensive setup, being deep, narrow and compact making it difficult for QPR to break them down. Despite having around 70% possession in the second half, QPR struggled to create significant chances managing only five shots none on target.

A Wouter Burger goal secured Stoke’s win, as they defended resolutely to secure a crucial clean sheet. Cifuentes expressed disappointment in QPR’s performance but emphasized the need to move on and not let the result define their season. He pointed out missed opportunities in the first half and the difficulty of penetrating Stoke’s defensive strategy.

The loss kept QPR in the relegation zone and Cifuentes stressed the importance of recovering quickly and continuing to work towards gaining necessary points. The defeat could have seen QPR leapfrog Stoke but they remain third from bottom six points adrift. Huddersfield Town’s victory extended the gap to safety while Millwall’s heavy defeat to Ipswich leaves them four points ahead of QPR in the standings.

Cifuentes downplayed the impact of the loss on the overall season urging the team to focus on improvement and accumulating points.