Gareth Ainsworth on a 'New' Culture...
Posted: Wed May 17, 2023 11:20 am
Lee Power for the Brent & Kilburn Times....
Rangers avoided the drop after late away wins at champions Burnley and Stoke City,
finishing six points above the relegation zone in 20th place.
And Ainsworth, who became the club's third manager of the season when succeeding
Neil Critchley after Michael Beale joined Glasgow Rangers, paid tribute to his players for
surviving a tough campaign.
"What I want to try and do is instil this culture and that will be driven by new signings,
new methods, a new energy about next season," he told qpr.co.uk.
"We were in a tough place last year, but survived. We went to Burnley and beat them,
we went to Stoke and got a clean sheet.
"If that doesn't make you want to go out and give your all every week for QPR, I don't
know what will.
"I keep reminding them of what they achieved this season because they've done well,
they really have.
"To be where they were when I walked in, to where they are at the end of the season,
I'm really proud of these boys and I think some additions to it, with the right character,
some leaders and drivers, I think we'll only get better."
How QPR go about improving their chances in a second tier including relegated
Southampton plus two other Premier League clubs from Leicester, Leeds, Everton and
Nottingham Forest remains to be seen.
But Ainsworth admitted that style has to some times give way to substance for the
greater good.
"Every team wants to play like Man City," he added.
"You look at it when Leicester won the Premier League with the least possession in
the league.
"There's different ways of winning a game, my job is to cut the cloth accordingly to
what you've got.
"We have some great possession players in this team but there was no purpose in that, no
real identity about why we were doing it.
"I sacrificed that a little bit just to get results, I consider that a good move that I had
to make.
"I do love playing. I played in some good teams here - some real, fast entertaining flowing
football. I do want to play that way.
"Getting results on the board is my ultimate job as a manager, getting points on the board."
As such, Ainsworth wants to get the right balance between craft and graft to ensure his side
are looking up the table and not over their shoulders.
"Of course I want to play some of these players to their maximum ability, getting them the ball
on the ground," he said.
"Ilias [Chair] for instance, he's at his best when he's taking people on and dribbling at players.
We managed to get him on the ball doing that and that makes him shine.
"It's just the work rate of the whole group, to make them better and fitter so they can do it
time after time.
"I'm going to shy away from putting crosses in the box, putting it on the opposition, in their
areas.
"I like going forward with the ball but that's my style as a manager and I think there is a lot of
teams that want to play like the top Premier League teams but seldom get to do it because they
can't afford the players like the ones up there.
"We'll be winning games and that will be important next year."
Rangers avoided the drop after late away wins at champions Burnley and Stoke City,
finishing six points above the relegation zone in 20th place.
And Ainsworth, who became the club's third manager of the season when succeeding
Neil Critchley after Michael Beale joined Glasgow Rangers, paid tribute to his players for
surviving a tough campaign.
"What I want to try and do is instil this culture and that will be driven by new signings,
new methods, a new energy about next season," he told qpr.co.uk.
"We were in a tough place last year, but survived. We went to Burnley and beat them,
we went to Stoke and got a clean sheet.
"If that doesn't make you want to go out and give your all every week for QPR, I don't
know what will.
"I keep reminding them of what they achieved this season because they've done well,
they really have.
"To be where they were when I walked in, to where they are at the end of the season,
I'm really proud of these boys and I think some additions to it, with the right character,
some leaders and drivers, I think we'll only get better."
How QPR go about improving their chances in a second tier including relegated
Southampton plus two other Premier League clubs from Leicester, Leeds, Everton and
Nottingham Forest remains to be seen.
But Ainsworth admitted that style has to some times give way to substance for the
greater good.
"Every team wants to play like Man City," he added.
"You look at it when Leicester won the Premier League with the least possession in
the league.
"There's different ways of winning a game, my job is to cut the cloth accordingly to
what you've got.
"We have some great possession players in this team but there was no purpose in that, no
real identity about why we were doing it.
"I sacrificed that a little bit just to get results, I consider that a good move that I had
to make.
"I do love playing. I played in some good teams here - some real, fast entertaining flowing
football. I do want to play that way.
"Getting results on the board is my ultimate job as a manager, getting points on the board."
As such, Ainsworth wants to get the right balance between craft and graft to ensure his side
are looking up the table and not over their shoulders.
"Of course I want to play some of these players to their maximum ability, getting them the ball
on the ground," he said.
"Ilias [Chair] for instance, he's at his best when he's taking people on and dribbling at players.
We managed to get him on the ball doing that and that makes him shine.
"It's just the work rate of the whole group, to make them better and fitter so they can do it
time after time.
"I'm going to shy away from putting crosses in the box, putting it on the opposition, in their
areas.
"I like going forward with the ball but that's my style as a manager and I think there is a lot of
teams that want to play like the top Premier League teams but seldom get to do it because they
can't afford the players like the ones up there.
"We'll be winning games and that will be important next year."