QPR boss Marti Cifuentes was thrilled with how Ilias Chair channelled his frustration at not starting by creating both goals in the 2-0 win over Preston at Deepdale.
Struggling Rangers have now won two in a row for the first time all season, under recently-appointed boss Cifuentes, who feels his side are starting to find their feet.
And it was the half-time introduction of Moroccan international Chair that made the difference at Deepdale, as the midfielder set up Paul Smyth and Chris Willock in the second half.
The manager said: “I spoke to Ilias at half-time and told him we desperately needed fresh legs out there.
“He wasn’t happy that he hadn’t started the game of course, but that’s what I want.
“I want players here who are disappointed to be on the bench.
“He’s got lots of really strong attributes and he was terrific. I felt confident at half-time that he could contribute.
“The identity of the team is really coming on.
“It’s great to be winning, and though it is small steps at this stage of the season, I can see real progress since I came to the job.
“I’m not looking at the league table at the moment.
“It’s far too early for that.
“Maybe in April we’ll look and see where we are, but for now, it’s just about trying to pick up as many points as possible.
“The team is performing well right now, and we don’t necessarily have to be dominant all the time.
“I’m pleased that I can see a clear picture now of how we want to play.
“I’ll be using all the players, and that can be the difference as we move further into the season.”
Preston missed the chance to move back into the top six as they slumped to a third straight loss, despite Ched Evans having the best chance of the opening stages, tamely shooting straight at Asmir Begovic from Mads Frokjaer’s cross.
Duane Holmes also looked lively for Preston, but one of his dangerous crosses was just beyond Will Keane as neither side could find a way through on a bitterly cold evening.
The introduction of Chair proved the difference, his dangerous in-swinging cross poked home from close range by Smyth.
Freddie Woodman then denied the Moroccan a goal of his own, but he ensured they would come away with all three points, crossing for the unmarked Willock to seal the deal three minutes from time, leaving Preston boss Ryan Lowe with plenty to ponder.
He said: “It’s a tough one to take.
“Both teams were a little bit flat I thought, especially in that first half, but we needed to raise our game maybe 10 or 15 per cent, and we just didn’t do that over the course of the rest of the game.
“They raised their game in the second half, and this is what happens.
“Overall we’re all very disappointed, but I’m scratching my head a bit right now.”
Leverkusen star Wirtz named Bundesliga Player of the Year
Florian Wirtz played a starring role for Bayer Leverkusen this season and has been named the Bundesliga Player of the Year.
Wirtz scored 11 goals and provided a further 11 assists on the way to helping Leverkusen win their first-ever top-flight title.
The forward was pivotal in Leverkusen’s title charge as they became the first German team to complete an unbeaten season.
Only Victor Boniface has scored more goals than Wirtz this campaign, netting 14 times, while his tally of 11 assists is second only to Alejandro Grimaldo (13) across the Bundesliga.
Wirtz came off the bench to score a hat-trick in Leverkusen’s 5-0 win over Werder Bremen in April which clinched the title with five games remaining.
The Bundesliga champions still have the German Cup final on Saturday against Kaiserslautern, which follows the Europa League final against Atalanta on Wednesday.
Wirtz played a critical role in helping Leverkusen reach their third European final, having been involved in eight goals in the Europa League this season (four goals, four assists), the most of any player in the team.
He has also created 28 chances from open play in the competition, a tally only five players can better in a Europa League campaign, most recently Amin Younes for Ajax in 2016-17 (30).
In all competitions, Leverkusen’s unbeaten run stretches to 51 matches, as they aim to finish an unbeaten season with a treble.
Kane injury doubt for England Euro 2024 squad
Harry Kane may be a doubt for England’s Euro 2024 squad as he continues to struggle with a back problem.
Gareth Southgate is due to name his preliminary squad for Euro 2024 on Tuesday, ahead of upcoming friendlies against Bosnia and Herzegovina and Iceland.
The England captain missed the final two Bundesliga games of the season after going off towards the end of Bayern Munich’s Champions League semi-final second leg against Real Madrid.
Thomas Tuchel confirmed prior to their final match against Hoffenheim that Kane was back in England to undergo treatment.
When later asked again about the nature of the striker’s injury, Tuchel admitted that Kane had been struggling for a couple of weeks.
"In Madrid, it was borderline. We tried injections and treatments. The back has completely closed.
"It has gotten worse and kept breaking out in small, everyday movements. There's no chance he's even training."
Kane scored 36 league goals in his debut campaign for Bayern, though due to the injury, he finished five adrift of Robert Lewandowski’s single-season goal record of 41, set in 2019-20.
The final announcement of Southgate's 26-man squad will be revealed on June 7, ahead of the tournament opener against Serbia on June 16.
Pochettino prioritising continuity as Chelsea draw up transfer plans
Mauricio Pochettino feels continuity will be key for Chelsea ahead of his second season in charge, ruling out the prospect of another clear-out at Stamford Bridge.
Chelsea clinched European qualification on the final day of the Premier League season on Sunday, a 2-1 win over Bournemouth ensuring they beat Newcastle United and Manchester United to sixth place.
The Blues finished the campaign with five straight victories, the first time they have achieved that feat since doing so in March 2022 under Thomas Tuchel.
A positive end to Pochettino's debut campaign has quietened talk of his job being under threat, and he wants to see evolution rather than revolution ahead of 2024-25.
"Does the club need new signings? Always, you can improve," Pochettino said after Sunday's victory.
"They are going to be much better next season because they will have one year of experience, a tough experience.
"That is the advantage of being solid and consistent and not making too many changes.
"Next season, if we keep 80 to 85 per cent of the squad, for sure it is a big step forward because it is about having continuity in the ideas and the knowledge between them. That is important for the club.
"That is a club decision. Like it was from the beginning, we [the coaching staff] are going to be there to help and if not, we are going to do our job."
Chelsea only lost one of their final 15 matches of the Premier League season (nine wins, five draws), with that defeat coming by a 5-0 scoreline at Arsenal in April.
Only Manchester City, Arsenal (16 each) and Liverpool (12) won more Premier League games than Chelsea's 10 between the turn of the year and the end of the campaign, with their total of 43 goals in that time ranking them fifth among all teams in the division.
Chelsea's overall tally of 77 goals in 2023-24 was their third-most in a Premier League season, behind only their title-winning campaigns of 2009-10 (103) and 2016-17 (85).
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