QPR boss Ainsworth on "keeping perspective" in Championship relegation dogfight
Plenty has changed at Queens Park Rangers since Gareth Ainsworth embarked on a 13-year love affair with Wycombe Wanderers back in 2010.
But there were still more than a few home comforts awaiting the new R's boss when he was welcomed back to west London in February.
Since losing the services of Michael Beale earlier in the campaign, QPR's form has disintegrated to the point where relegation from the Championship has become a real possibility. Ainsworth became the club's third head coach this term after Neil Critchley was dismissed.
But the club's sterling community work has helped provide some much needed perspective amid the trials and tribulations of QPR's bid to stave off the drop - a battle they could finally bring to an end this weekend.
"For me, perspective in life is huge," Ainsworth tells Mirror Football . "In this industry, we have to realise how lucky we are. Yes, we're in a relegation battle, but we're earning really good money and we might end up playing in League One in front of thousands of people - that's the worst that could happen. But there's a lot of people worse off than us in the world. The players know that."
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The R's have always held a special place in Ainsworth's heart courtesy of the seven-year stint he had at Loftus Road during his long playing career. And he was delighted to discover that several of the community schemes that were around during his first spell at QPR - including The Tiger Cubs, a football team for children and young people with Down's syndrome - are not only still around, but thriving under the club's current owners, who Ainsworth credits for backing such important work.
Ainsworth adds: "In this world of football, finance, transfer fees and survival, we actually still remember what's important in the world here and that helps to put things into perspective.
"A football club in some ways is a bit like a communal hub; it affects that many people. They all love the club. That badge can help engage all sorts of people: young, old, people who are struggling or maybe just less fortunate than others. It's something that I'm really proud of. People know that the club is there for them, but it's reciprocal: they're also there for the club, especially when times are hard. That's really important. It makes tough times not quite as tough, sometimes."
QPR are one of 17 clubs in the EFL who are offering a BA Hons Sport Business Management in conjunction with the University of South Wales. The degree helps engage local youngsters by offering them the chance to study at a football stadium. At the launch event hosted by the club this week, students were tasked with pitching a product or initiative which would help drive matchday revenue in front of a Dragons Den-like panel made of QPR players, staff and representatives from the University.
Such initiatives have become common practice for clubs in the EFL, particularly in recent times amid the Covid pandemic and the current cost of living crisis. Last season alone, over £865million was generated by such schemes run by clubs in the community.
QPR launched a new Sport Business Management Degree in conjunction with the University of South Wales this week aimed at local young people in the community (The EFL/Shutterstock)On the pitch, there has been far less to shout about. After seeing their promising early season form wilt away, the R's are entrenched in a battle for survival at the foot of the Championship.
Ainsworth has toiled away since stepping into the hotseat, but after inheriting a squad totally bereft of confidence following one win in 17 matches, victories have come at a premium: just two have arrived in the league on his watch, with the latest three point haul coming as recently as last weekend.
Ainsworth, the leader singer in rockband 'The Cold Blooded Hearts', has always marched to the beat of his own dream - both in the dugout and on the pitch. So how has he attempted to galvanise a squad at rock bottom? By sticking to the principles that make him, him.
"I'm not your conventional manager," he says with a smile. "There's some old school coaches, some new total football ones and I'm probably in the middle in some ways. I'm always open to trying different things. I think the mental side of the game is absolutely enormous: I work on that and I think there's some real untapped potential in a lot of players linked to that.
"In terms of how I've galvanised the group, it's just been me being me: being consistently and unashamedly me. That's how I manage. I'm so lucky in life to know who I am. I don't say that as a flippant comment. I don't think a lot of people still know who they are or what they stand for, but you've got to stay consistent.
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QPR can secure their Championship status with a win at Stoke City on Saturday (Mike Morese/NurPhoto)"If I start changing and doing wild and wonderful things that I'm not sure about myself, then people are going to see right through me. There's plenty of clever people in the world and I think staying true to myself and being consistent in myself [is the way to lead]."
Last weekend's priceless 2-1 victory against Burnley means that QPR can officially preserve their Championship status with a win against Stoke City on Saturday. But even if the weekend produces a fresh twist in the relegation battle rather than the conclusion he's hoping for, Ainsworth won't be deterred - and he isn't looking for any favours, either.
"They've [QPR] had the Premier League and all sorts of trials and tribulations [since I was last here] but it's still as special as it was when I left it. I feel at home here; coming in and seeing the same faces that were here last time is great. It's a fantastic club. There's potential here beyond your wildest dreams. With the new training ground on the way, with the facilities we've got, to be entrusted with the football side of that is just immense.
"It takes time to change the mentality of a squad. I think it's been a little bit inconsistent and it's been tough to replicate performance after performance, but it's something that we're working on. The boys know we're not looking for helping hands from anyone else - we want to do this ourselves.
"I told the boys on day one: this energy won't fade. It's not going away. You either come with me or you get left behind, and every single one of them has certainly come with me. The fans have been great and stuck with me too. Results like last week helps fuel that belief. Hopefully we can back that up by going and securing survival this weekend."
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