QPR latest: Marti Cifuentes challenge, Yoann Barbet admission, Sky Sports relegation prediction | OneFootball

Queens Park Rangers pulled themselves out of the Championship relegation places for the first time since September at the weekend, as the R’s came from behind to defeat basement side Rotherham United at Loftus Road.

Tom Eaves gave the visitors an early lead in West London before Paul Smyth levelled the scores for the home side on the hour mark with a finish from a tight angle.

Chris Willock then popped up with his first strike since December to claim all three points for the Hoops, who leave Stoke City sitting in the drop zone at their expense.

Martí Cifuentes challenges players to keep pushing

Rangers boss Martí Cifuentes was delighted with his side’s efforts in the turnaround victory at the weekend, which gave his side back-to-back wins after a 1-0 success over Bristol City.

The resilience shown by his side to battle their way out of the bottom three - where they had been since a 3-1 victory at home to Coventry City on September 30 - leaves the Spaniard optimistic about their survival chances this season.

“We knew that this game would not be easy. It is a milestone for us mentally to get out of the bottom three but we know there is still a lot of games and we have to keep on pushing,” he told the club’s official website.

“The reaction from the players – not just for today but in the last weeks – has been fantastic.

“Against Huddersfield, we were down in the last minute of the game and we responded, and we responded well again today.

“Mentally they have shown that they really want to achieve and that is why I want to praise them because they are deserving of the credit.”

With a trip to league leaders Leicester City next up for Rangers, followed by clashes with West Brom, Middlesbrough, and Sunderland, that perseverance is something that is going to be well-tested as we head towards the season’s run-in.

Yoann Barbet opens up on time at Loftus Road

Former QPR regular Yoann Barbet has revealed which Rangers player influenced him the most in his time at Loftus Road.

The 30-year-old spent three years in West London between 2019 and 2022 after signing from local rival Brentford, before going on to sign back with his first club Girondins de Bordeaux.

The Frenchman has since been given the armband at the Ligue 2 club, something which he was also tasked with during his time with the Hoops.

“At QPR, I was vice-captain, and when we started against after Covid, I got the armband because the captain was out of contract at the end of the year and didn’t want to take the risk of playing again,” he told the Ligue 2 official website.

“During my last season there, I was also vice-captain, and wore the armband regularly because the captain, Stefan Johansen, was a bit older and he didn’t play every game. It’s a role I appreciated.”

Barbet was something of an ever-present in his time with Rangers, representing the club 121 times during his three seasons, while also finding the net four times.

Lee Wallace was a man who regularly wore the captain’s armband while Barbet was at the club, and the former Hearts and Rangers man is someone who he admits had a big influence on his career.

“He was someone very positive, who had infinite knowledge about football. I learned a ton from him.”

Sky Sports' Andy Hinchcliffe delivers relegation prediction

Sky Sports pundit Andy Hinchcliffe has weighed in on the battle for Championship survival and is fearful for one of QPR’s rivals in beating the drop.

Rangers have picked up form in recent weeks with back-to-back wins over Bristol City and Rotherham United, and sit just the right side of the dotted line with 12 matches left to play in the season.

Former Manchester City and Sheffield Wednesday man Hinchcliffe believes Stoke City will find it hard to clamber out of the bottom three now they find themselves in there - having replaced the Hoops after their victory over Rotherham.

“It’s a horrible time, you just want to survive,” he told Sky Sports News.

“The team you have got to worry the most for is Stoke; Steven Schumacher has gone there and it looked ok for a while but that’s gone horribly wrong.

“There’s still a lot that can happen and a lot can change down there, there’s plenty of games left but its about finding a bit of confidence and finding a bit of form.”

Rangers suffered defeat to the Potters on Valentine’s Day, with Wouter Burger scoring the only goal of the game in a 1-0 victory, but responded valiantly with back-to-back victories.

After a tricky run of fixtures against teams in the top half, they face relegation rivals Birmingham City, Swansea City, Sheffield Wednesday and Plymouth Argyle; four matches which will be fundamental in whether they avoid dropping into the third tier.

Hinchcliffe continued: “There are five points between Plymouth in 15th and Stoke in 22nd, so it’s all incredibly tight and there’s lots of games between those teams.

“For survival, it isn’t going to be about beating those sides in the top ten, it’s what you do against the teams around you; you can directly affect your chances and knock somebody else off course as well."