“QPR boss Julien Stephan delivered HONEST verdict following 4–1 to Ipswich Town at Loftus Road

“QPR boss Julien Stephan delivered HONEST verdict following 4–1 to Ipswich Town at Loftus Road

QPR Boss Julien Stephan Reflects on Tough 4–1 Defeat to Ipswich Town

Queens Park Rangers manager Julien Stephan admitted it was a difficult afternoon for his side after conceding just over a minute into the second half, as they fell 4–1 to Ipswich Town at Loftus Road — mirroring their early setback at the start of the first half.

George Hirst put Ipswich ahead only 68 seconds into the game, but Stephan was pleased with his team’s initial response, as Rumarn Burrell equalised in the 21st minute.

However, the French coach felt his side couldn’t recover after Marcelino Núñez restored Ipswich’s lead with a stunning free-kick just over a minute into the second period.

Hirst and Núñez both struck again — the latter from another set piece — to secure the Blues’ first away victory of the season in emphatic style.

“When you concede in the first minute of both halves, it’s mentally very difficult,” Stephan said.
“I liked our reaction after the first goal — at half-time I told the players we were still in the game and could get something from it. The first half was fine — solid defensively, good shape, and we stuck to our plan.
But that goal right after the break was tough to take, and the third came too soon after. The fourth finished us off.”

Stephan admitted that Ipswich dominated the closing stages.

“For about 60 minutes we were close, but consistency is key — and we didn’t have enough of it,” he added.

Both of Hirst’s goals came from QPR’s right flank, with Sindre Walle Egeli and former Rangers full-back Darnell Furlong providing the assists.

“The first and third goals came from different situations,” Stephan explained. “The first was a one-v-one on our left side and a quality cross to the far post.

The third came from a tactical error in our high press — we didn’t follow our plan to win the ball back. Even though both ended similarly, the build-up was different.

“Two set-pieces and two crosses finished at the far post — we must learn from that. Conceding four at home is far too many; you can’t expect a good result that way. We need to rediscover our defensive solidity quickly to rebuild momentum.”

Stephan praised the quality of Núñez’s free-kick and the overall finishing from Ipswich.

“Some beautiful goals today,” he admitted. “Sometimes you have to congratulate the opposition — that second goal was fantastic, and the fourth was a great strike too. Quality made the difference.”

Although the QPR boss felt the scoreline was a little harsh, he accepted that his side’s mistakes proved costly.

“Maybe 4–1 flatters them slightly, but it also tells a story — we made errors and they punished us. They were clinical, especially in the first hour.

We had similar attacking situations but didn’t make them count. That final pass, that finishing touch — that’s where they were better than us today.”