'Won't influence me' - QPR boss Marti Cifuentes on ghosts of his past

QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes is adamant that his previous experience with relegation will not influence how he tackles the final few weeks of the season in West London.

The 41-year-old arrived at Loftus Road last October after the club agreed a deal with Swedish side Hammarby IF to bring Cifuentes to the Championship. The coach had previously worked at AaB, Sandefjord and several smaller sides in Catalunya.

Cifuentes has won over QPR supporters so far with his calm manner and much improved side, which had looked destined for relegation to League One earlier this season. Now, the Rs look to have the credentials needed to secure Championship football next season, but Saturday's defeat to Sheffield Wednesday was a huge blow.

After the match, Cifuentes was asked if his time at Norwegian club Sandefjord was on his mind. The coach arrived at the side in May 2018 and endured relegation in his first campaign, before bringing the side straight back to the country's top flight and going on to secure an 11-year best finish by 2020.

The QPR boss said: "I'm not even thinking about that. It's true that despite getting a lot of points, we went down with Sandefjord. I was already coaching for 20 years before that happened. We knew that this would be a possibility as I took over the team with five points in Gameweek 14 of a 30. The team did really well but unfortunately, we didn't succeed.

"I know there are five games left and my focus is to win all of them. Not one or two, all of them. So far the team has been doing well. It's not going to influence me the last 20 years of my career. What is, is Plymouth and I want to win this game."

Tuesday night's trip to Plymouth Argyle is another 'cup final' for QPR. A second defeat in a row would leave the side in freefall ahead of the final few games of the season but three points would once again have survival in touching distance.

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When asked if his side tends to struggle against the clubs around them in the table, Cifuentes said: "I think we have been a consistent team in being reliable in our performances. It's true that we get some good and some bad results against these kind of teams. It's impossible to expect that just because you play against teams close to you in the table that you are going to win all of them.

"Plymouth, Sheffield today, everybody is fighting for big things. Everyone wants to make the last push and it's important we keep focused and understand it's going to be another final - as it has been since I arrived.

"We put ourselves in a much better position than five months ago, I think all of us would have taken the situation we are in today even one month ago. We need to keep working and be humble, perform at our best and get a result on Tuesday."