Marti Cifuentes casts doubt over his future at QPR despite ‘amazing support’

QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes appeared to have doubts about his future after a 1-1 draw with Stoke left his side still bottom of the Sky Bet Championship and without a home win this season.

Cifuentes remains popular with fans after keeping the club up last season and has previously been bullish about having the support of the Rangers hierarchy, who presided over an overhaul of the squad during the summer.

However, the Spaniard’s tone seemed somewhat different after the game at Loftus Road.

He said: “The club knows very well, since the summer, that there are areas I think we need to improve.

“From there, I’m going to work to the best of my capacity to make sure that this club is at the level that I think it can be and that I think it deserves, because this club has amazing potential.

“I’m here as a coach trying to do my best. And there are other things that someone else has to decide.

“I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen a team bottom of the table, 11 or 12 games without a win, and the manager goes out and everyone is singing and supporting the way the fans did.

“This is something that will be in my heart all my life – all my life. I feel amazing support from the players and fans.

“Everywhere I have been as a manager I achieved the target the club asked me to achieve. If now someone thinks there is a manager or a coaching problem, it’s not my call.”

Asked if he felt he had the support of his bosses, Cifuentes said: “I think that’s a question you should ask them, not me.”

Ben Gibson’s own goal gifted Rangers an equaliser after Tom Cannon had put the visitors ahead.

Stoke boss Narcis Pelach refused to dwell on referee Gavin Ward’s decision to disallow a late goal by Bae Junho, seemingly for a handball by the South Korean before he fired in from 25 yards.

Pelach said: “The referee said that it was a handball. I don’t want to go into that – I just want my team to do everything they can to try to win games. I don’t want them to get into a culture of excuses.

“The referee saw what he saw. He must have seen a handball and it is what it is.”

QPR also went close late on, with Stoke goalkeeper Viktor Johansson producing a fine save to push Alfie Lloyd’s shot onto the post after the youngster had been set up by fellow substitute Lucas Andersen.

“We had to defend our box a lot, which I expected, knowing that they are in need of points, but we were always there,” said Pelach.

“The competitive levels of the team were very good and we got a point on the road, which is positive. I’m pleased with the effort.

“It would have been an amazing three points away from home, but we need to go into the next game and focus on what we can control.

“We value every single point that we get in the Championship. Every point is valuable and very difficult to get.

“We wanted to be a team that is difficult to beat and we are getting there step by step.”