Warburton urges QPR not to underestimate newly-promoted Luton

QPR chief Mark Warburton has urged his side not to underestimate the Hatters in any way ahead of their clash at the Kiyan Prince Foundation Stadium this afternoon.
QPR boss Mark WarburtonQPR boss Mark Warburton
QPR boss Mark Warburton

The hosts go into the game sitting eighth in the Championship, on the back of two straight wins, against a Luton team playing their first season at this level in over a decade.

With Town enjoying successive promotions to get to the second tier of English football, then Warburton knows that makes Graeme Jones' men a dangerous proposition.

He said: “I said to the players that the biggest mistake teams make is underestimating the promoted teams, because they come up with a winning mentality, they know how to win, they have that togetherness and desire, and they know what they are good at.

“I said to the boys at the start that one of the promoted teams will be in the top ten come the end of the season.

“At the moment, that looks like Charlton but Luton and Barnsley are tough teams, they are well organised with good, individual players and collectively they know what their job is as a team.

“That’s why Luton will be a really tough test for us.”

Both managers are in their first few months at their new clubs, with Warburton taking the helm in May, replacing former England boss Steve McClaren.

However, he has plenty of experience behind him, having managed Brentford, Rangers and Nottingham Forest previously, with Jones left impressed by his career to date.

He said: “I think Mark Warburton’s done a really good job and when I analyse their team, a really, really good job.

“They play different systems, he plays to the teams strengths, so we’ll have a challenge, but we’re ready for it.

“He’s got a method of work that I really, really respect and I think tactically it will be a very interesting game.

“His different way is very different to mine and our different way, but it’s impressive and it is different.

“Whatever he was doing at Brentford, I know he’s been at Rangers and had Forest, he’s been at big clubs, I haven’t followed his method of work all the way through, but it’s still quite innovative now.

“So you can imagine how innovative it was then.

“This is a guy who’s got a method, who thinks about football in detail and analysing his work has been impressive.”