Plymouth boss Steven Schumacher hails 10-man display at improving QPR
Posted Thursday, December 14, 2023 by PA
Plymouth manager Steven Schumacher praised his players for battling to a 0-0 draw at QPR with 10 men – but felt they could have taken all three points.
Dan Scarr was sent off in the 25th minute at Loftus Road for a crude challenge on Ilias Chair.
Up to that point, Plymouth were the better side and missed chances to go ahead after Rangers repeatedly gave the ball away in the opening quarter of an hour.
Schumacher said: “It felt like a long time (with 10 men). I’ve just said to the players that I’m proud because the effort we put in under those circumstances was top drawer.
“I felt we deserved something from the game. Everything QPR threw at us we dealt with really well.
“They had to put their bodies on the line throughout the game, and any point away from home is a good point.
“I’m pleased to come away with something, but there’s a tinge of disappointment because I felt we should have scored in the first 15 minutes.
“We created the most opportunities, we just didn’t make the most of them. That’s the frustrating thing. We should have been holding on to a 1-0 rather than a 0-0.”
Ryan Hardie missed a golden chance for the visitors, lifting the ball over the crossbar after being teed up by Finn Azaz.
Schumacher said: “The one he put over was probably the biggest chance of the whole game. I don’t know how he got it over the bar.
“I wish we could have got one of them in. It would have been the perfect night.”
QPR boss Marti Cifuentes admitted his team were fortunate not to go behind during their dismal start.
The Spaniard said: “The start of the game was very poor. The first 15 minutes were perhaps the worst since I’ve been here.
“We were terrible and conceded a lot of chances. In that sense you could say we were lucky to be 0-0 at half-time because it was not a good first half.
“Plymouth were extremely aggressive and extremely good in the first half.
“In the second half we pushed much more, but Plymouth defended very well and made it difficult for us to create really clear chances.”
A win would have been Rangers’ fourth in a row and lifted them out of the relegation zone.
A point at least saw them continue to close the gap on the teams above them – and they have lost just one of their seven matches since Cifuentes took over.
“We missed the quality in the last third that we’ve had in other games. I would say it was just one of those days,” Cifuentes said.
“We’re really disappointed about getting only one point. When we look back, it has not been a good performance.
“It’s OK. Credit to the guys (for the recent improvement). But don’t ask me if I’m happy, because I’m not.
“Today was a day to take three points. We take one, OK, but I’m always quite demanding.”
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