With Championship football returning on Friday night, QPR manager Julien Stephan says his team are embracing the challenge of facing West Ham, with the Rangers boss insisting his side have the belief and motivation to compete against us.
Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the trip to the London Stadium, Stephan acknowledged the size of the task awaiting his side but stressed that his players are ready for the occasion. The Frenchman described the fixture as one of QPR’s biggest tests so far, given the quality and strength of West Ham. The QPR head coach believes his side can be competitive and are prepared to exploit any opportunities that come their way. Stephan highlighted the high level of motivation within his squad and said the players are eager to measure themselves against top-level opposition. Rather than focusing on West Ham’s reputation, he wants his team to concentrate on delivering their own performance and showing the progress they have made under his leadership.
Espirito Santo has been warned about West Ham’s vulnerabilities
QPR Looking For West Ham Weaknesses
The Rangers boss also suggested that every team has vulnerabilities, regardless of league position, and that QPR must be brave enough to identify and take advantage of any weaknesses they find. While not revealing what that is, most West Ham fans are all too aware of our fragility in defence, having conceded eleven goals so far this season, four more than our London rivals.
However, we are comfortably the league’s top scorers with 22 goals.
West Ham are yet to beat a London rival in the Championship, having lost at home to Charlton Athletic and managing a draw at Millwall and Watford. The Hammers last faced QPR in January for an FA Cup tie which ended in a 2-1 win for Nuno’s side after extra time. It was a scrappy game, with West Ham not registering a shot until 32 minutes! On that day our West London rivals brought 9,000 fans to the London Stadium, and have already sold out their 3,000 allocation for Friday night’s league fixture.
Nuno Faces Selection Decisions
QPR are clearly approaching this fixture with energy and a strong sense of purpose, making it imperative that West Ham secure all three points. With several players returning from international duty appearing fatigued, Nuno may need to move away from his preference for a small, trusted nucleus of players and look to reintegrate those who have found themselves on the fringes in order to challenge Swansea for the top spot.
It all makes for an exciting game, and one I’m looking forward to!
COYI!