“From my point of view…” - QPR man delivers clear Gareth Ainsworth verdict | OneFootball

Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has backed under-fire boss Gareth Ainsworth, as he insists he has the quality to turn things around.

QPR endure poor start to the season

The former player was named as Neil Critchley’s successor in the previous campaign, and it’s fair to say he didn’t make the impact he would’ve wanted in the first few months, although they did stay up.

There were hopes that a turnover of players in the summer would bring a positive change, but that hasn’t happened.

A 2-1 defeat to Huddersfield last time out, a fourth loss on the bounce, has left the R’s in the relegation zone, and they’re already four points from safety.

Therefore, the pressure is building on Ainsworth, who knows that he needs to get results quickly if he is to stay in a job.

Asmir Begovic has his say on Gareth Ainsworth

However, it seems the boss still has the full support of the dressing room, as Begovic told Sky Bet that he is enjoying his time working with Ainsworth.

“So far so good [working with Gareth Ainsworth] – I’ve really enjoyed it. He’s a really good manager, he’s a down to earth guy, he’s easy to talk to and easy to get along with. So, from my point of view, it’s been a pleasure.

“[He’s] someone I respect a lot from what he’s done in his managerial career and of course his playing days, so he’s had a great career and it’s something you can only respect, and it’s been really good working for him so far.”

What do these comments mean?

Firstly, people will understandably say that Begovic isn’t going to criticise his manager, and there is a point to that.

Yet, this is a player who has worked with some top quality coaches throughout his career, and the fact he is speaking on the record about Ainsworth suggests that he still has the backing of the dressing room.

In fairness, there are no signs that the team has given up, but they are lacking quality in key areas, and it’s costing them at the moment.

But, having experienced players like Begovic publicly supporting Ainsworth is good for the manager in these testing times.

Nevertheless, he knows it’s about getting results, and words won’t matter if QPR don’t start winning games.

What next for QPR?

Now, all attention turns to the next game, and it’s not an easy one for the Londoners, as they make the trip to take on West Brom on Tuesday night.

But, they can take encouragement from the fact that they picked up a point at The Hawthorns last year under Ainsworth, and he will be hoping for a repeat this time around.

There were some positives to take from the display at Huddersfield, and if they had scored at crucial times it would’ve been a different story, but the R’s are running out of excuses now, and they must be clinical.

So, it will be interesting to see if Ainsworth makes any changes, but Begovic will continue in goal.