BY DAN EVANS
QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes was keen to point out the work of the club’s analysis team for the role they played in his side’s 3-1 victory against Watford.
Rangers opened the scoring in their New Year’s Day win when Kenneth Paal played a free-kick into the path of Kieran Morgan before the midfielder centred for Michael Frey to score.
The early goal set Cifuentes’s side on the way to a fourth consecutive home win.
“Trust me, the analysis team and Xavi [Calm, assistant head coach] do a lot of work on this,” said the Catalan. “They work behind the scenes. Sometimes it doesn’t work as well. But all of the credit to these guys because they work really hard on set pieces.
“You can see the progress in one year. One year ago, at this time, I remember how much we suffered [at set pieces] and now we feel we can still improve but it’s definitely something in the team that is progressing.”
Rangers were forced to settle for a goalless draw in the reverse of this fixture despite having the better chances to win that game.
Watford improved in the second half at Vicarage Road after switching formation, and Cifuentes admitted he was wary of something similar happening in this latest meeting of the sides.
However, Frey’s opener was followed up by a Jimmy Dunne header, and even though Watford pulled a goal back through a deflected Kwadwo Baah strike, Sam Field’s goal 92 seconds later sealed the win.
“The team had a very good first half and a very good performance over the first 45 minutes,” Cifuentes assessed.
“The challenge in the game against Watford a few weeks ago was that they played with a back five in the first half and perhaps we were the better team and then they changed to a back four.
“So there was perhaps a bit this question mark. They’ve been swapping and switching system in the last games.
“The guys adapted really well, adapting to the formation and tactical side of it but as well the pitch situation, it was a bit more heavy with a bit of rain.”
PICTURES: ROB AVIS