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QPR fans demand for Gareth Ainsworth to resign after pre-season thrashing by Oxford

QPR fans demand for Gareth Ainsworth to resign after suffering a 5-0 pre-season thrashing by Oxford United on Saturday afternoon.

Goals from Cameron Brannagan, Mark Harris, Marcus Browne, debutant Stanley Mills and Jordan Thorniley saw the U’s win comfortably leaving the home support cautiously excited ahead of the 2023/24 season, starting with Cambridge away next weekend.

The same can’t be said for Championship outfit Queens Park Rangers however after a huge defeat by a club the league below leaves fans extremely concerned.

You can see all the goals in the highlights video below, be sure to make it full screen!

It started badly for QPR on 23 minutes with Jimmy Dunne stretchered off with a shoulder injury.

Oxford opened the scoring 34 minutes in when Mark Harris flicked the ball excellently into Cameron Brannagan inside the box, who tucked the ball calmly into the bottom corner.

On the hour mark, Oxford doubled their lead. Mark Harris scored his first goal for the club after a delightful switch from Brannagan found Rodrigues. His ball inside was met by Harris who took a clever touch round the defender and buried his strike in to the roof of the net.

Oxford made it three less than 10 minutes later, Rodrigues lifting the ball beautifully over to Browne who chipped Begovic. The keeper got a touch on it but Marcus was round him and nods the ball home.

Shortly after, it was 4-0 Oxford, Stan Mills getting in on the action and scored within five minutes of coming on with a tidy finish into the bottom corner.

On the 82nd minute, Jordan Thorniley was determined to win the header from Brannagan’s corner, rose highest and planted the ball into the bottom corner to make it five.

Gatlin O’Donkor then hit the woodwork with his attempt to make it 6-0 on the verge of full time.

Oxford United (4-2-3-1): Beadle; Long (Stevens 46), Moore, Thorniley, Brown; McEachran (McGuane 66), Brannagan; Goodrham, Rodrigues (Bodin 77), Browne (Mills 66); Harris (O’Donkor 77).

Unused subs: Eastwood, Negru, Stevens, Henry.

Booked: McEachran.

Queens Park Rangers (4-2-3-1): Begovic; Kakay, Dunne (Rendall 23), Gubbins, Paal; Field, Dozzell (Adomah 77); Chair, Richards, Willock (Gape 77); Dykes.

Unused subs: Walsh, Kelman.

Booked: Chair.

Referee: John Busby

Attendance: 4,587 (1,777 visitors)

Gareth Ainsworth said QPR’s performance at Oxford United as ‘unacceptable’.

“It wasn’t good enough,” the R’s boss told www.qpr.co.uk. “It wasn’t good enough for me, it wasn’t good enough for the fans.

“We were outfought and outrun by Oxford. We totally lost our way.

“I’m pleased with where we are in some aspects but that wasn’t good enough.

“We’ve been convincingly beaten by a League One side and I apologise to the fans for that.”

“Everyone knows we’re up against it,” he said. “I’m glad we’ve had a kick up the backside on the final day of pre-season. We’ve got to make sure this is totally reversed next week.

“That’s not acceptable for a pre-season game; it definitely won’t be acceptable in the league.

“It wasn’t good enough going forward or in defence and I’m going to make sure the boys will be firing next week.”

“Losing Jimmy today just compounds things,” Ainsworth added. “We’re struggling for centre-halves with Jake injured.

“We don’t know the extent of it yet but we’re hoping he’ll recover soon.”

U’s boss Liam Manning said: “I have to give credit to the staff and the players, we’ve done a huge amount of work. There’s so much work that goes on at the training ground, whether it be on the pitch, video work, individual meetings or unit meetings.

“What happens today is not just off the cuff, it’s a lot of hard graft.

“I thought Sparky [Mark Harris] was terrific today in terms of setting the tone out of possession, but you can also play into his feet, he runs the depth and he competes with long ones.

“I could go through the whole team to be fair, there was a lot of positive individual performances, as well as collectively.”

Manning added: “If you break the game down, in the first 20 or 25 minutes, we found it quite difficult in the build-up and you could feel it around the place.

“It was a little bit nervy and there’s some new stuff for the fans to see in terms of how we want the team to play.

“The players are working really hard to solve the problems and when you get it right, you then get what we saw from 35 or 40 minutes onwards.

“It’s a work in progress and it’s not going to be perfect straight away but there was a huge number of positives to take, and the lads should take confidence from it into next week.”

As mentioned, QPR fans demand for Gareth Ainsworth to resign after the pre-season thrashing by Oxford…

@randomranger: “I don’t want us thinking ‘oh we’re a good team’ going into next week” – trust me, there’s ZERO danger of that, Gaz.

@ftblcharlie: Love the bloke but got to be the worst manager of all time

@Edwin_aj_mills: Get out my club

@KipsKipparooney: This bloke turning QPR into a mid table L1 team for 24/25 season.

@Higzwan: Legend or not, he’s got to go. 5-0 a few weeks before the season starts. Take the hit now and rebuild with a new manager. Not half way into the season. I pray this comment doesn’t age well.

@gabhrain: Sorry Gareth, but this on you. When you walked into the club you said you wanted people to lower their expectations, well the players have. #QPR #relegation

@BrianDqpr: Going down aren’t we.

@Matt_Wilsher: Baffled why a manager wants his team to play any sport believing there not good enough to be successful. No wonder the morale plummeted last season.

@Qpr722: Looks pressured GA. – Nothing but survival this year he says. We are in for a tough season.

@richburge54: Talks like a Sunday league manager, goes in about defence but created nothing with our strongest attacking players on the pitch. Hope all those who wanted him are happy, so out of his depth it’s laughable. No wonder players aren’t playing for him!

@Sam_Spring: Jesus! Even he doesn’t hold out hope!

@stewiemac67: I knew it was going to be a tough season, but I fear it’s going to be even harder than I thought. This is the most competitive Championship I’ve seen in years, and this is the weakest QPR squad I’ve seen since we were relegated to the third tier two decades ago. I fear the worst.

@Jools_Orca: We were outclassed by a mediocre League One side. “Glad we got that kick up the backside?” – tell that to the 2,000 who traveled to see that crap.

@RossLee_: He’s basically saying we’re fucked before the season starts.. that on top of him saying “he’s scared” on talksport the other week. We are 100% getting relegated this season.

@CQpr1968: Sorry Gareth but mate you’re out of your depth. Loved you as a player but no

@andymartin1882: The club is an absolute shambles

@chrisdavisqpr85: Get him gone

@diffmj: I’d lose the plot if the ceiling of my managers tactical understanding was fighting and running

@caid_sulli: No care for any of the fans first of all, stating he’s glad we got battered. The whole club is turning into a comedy act. There’s no change or desire, something that can actually be changed if a few vital players got their head out their asses. #QPR

@GavinCrowe2: As an Oxford Fan I was dismayed when QPR hired this guy . He plays absolutely awful football . Wycombe loved him because they were punching well above their weight, and credit Ainsworth for that, but if you want to be entertained then this bloke isn’t the man

@DKevinas: I give ainsworth 12 games then he will be sacked. I said we should of stuck with warburton injuries cost him the wheels have started to come off our great club

@WEG0NEGHOST: Leave

@Alex_G_79: Absolutely shot to bits. If he’s saying these things now, its nailed on relegation.

@Benbarcessat191: wow what an absolute joke of a club

@dunners1980: Woeful. If we’re not down by March I’ll be shocked

@Jensen70283516: He looks broken. just resign

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