McClaren tells QPR players: Don’t show Leeds United too much respect

Steve McClaren has told QPR players not to show Leeds United too much respect in tonight’s game at Loftus Road.

Rangers are on a terrible run of results, having lost seven league matches in a row and slipped down to 18th in the Championship table.

They faded after conceding an early goal in the 2-0 defeat at Middlesbrough on Saturday and McClaren wants to see an improvement against promotion-chasing Leeds.

He told QPR’s website: “On Saturday you could see the confidence go a little bit and we didn’t react after Middlesbrough’s first goal.

“That disappointed me and I said to the boys we have lost games recently but we have been unlucky and come off to a big ovation from the fans home and away, but we didn’t do that on Saturday. The early goal deflated us and we didn’t respond.

“Tonight we will need to have good organisation, be hard to beat, physical, aggressive, all those things. And we mustn’t show them too much respect. Maybe we did that against Middlesbrough.”

Rangers are still without veteran defender Angel Rangel and on-loan Stoke midfielder Geoff Cameron, who are still recovering from thigh and ankle injuries respectively and have not returned to full training.