Marti Cifuentes mystified as press fails for QPR

Queens Park Rangers boss Marti Cifuentes admitted his side’s slow start had left them with too much to do after a 3-1 defeat to Championship side Stoke City.

Bae Jun-ho met a low-driven cross from attacking full-back Junior Tchamadeu to net the opener for Mark Robins’ side.

Tchamadeu got on the scoresheet himself to double Stoke’s lead before Million Manhoef finished superbly after the break.

Substitute Yang Min-hyeok reduced the deficit late on, but it wasn’t enough for Cifuentes’ side, who fell to a fifth defeat in their last six matches.

Poor

“We were 70 minutes late into the game today,” he said.

“It was a very poor performance in the first half, and even though we tried to show some pride in the second, I think it was far too late.

“We were struggling with the way we were pressing high.

“It is something we have done quite well this season, but today it failed us.

“They played through us, which is the main principle of the press – to not let the opposition play through you – and they scored two goals in a similar situation.

“Then at half-time we spoke about having a strong reaction in the second period, making sure we could score a goal, get into the game, put pressure on Stoke, but we conceded a third goal that is as poor as the first two.”

On his half-time substitutions he said: “I would have made 11 [half-time substitutions] if I could have done it.

“I was not happy, and this defeat is on me.

“I think that some of the players who came from the bench helped us to play a little bit better higher up the pitch, but the starting point for the improvement was not really very high.”