Mark Warburton expressed a familiar feeling of anger as the beleaguered QPR boss saw his side fall to a 2-0 defeat at home to high-flying Swansea City on Boxing Day. 

Goals from Andre Ayew and Jamal Lowe gave Steve Cooper’s side the victory to move them up to second in the table, as defeat extended the R’s winless run to eight games. 

Warburton’s side now sit 19th, still just four points outside the Championship relegation zone, following a ninth defeat of the league season which has intensified the pressure on the 58-year-old. 

And it was a familiar tale against the Welsh side, as QPR yet again dominated possession (with 66% to Swansea’s 34) and the shot count (with 12 to Swansea’s six) but could not make this tell by finding the back of the net. 

“The mood is angry, frustrated – there is only one stat to read today and it’s two-nil to Swansea,” Warburton said. 

“Possession and chances are irrelevant – there is only one thing that matters and that is putting the ball in the back of the net. 

“Time after time I come out sounding like a broken record. We’re frustrated and angry that we’re letting ourselves down by not getting the rewards for playing good football. 

“All you can do is keep working. Hard work underpins everything that you do in any job. 

“I think you saw good quality coming into our two strikers in the box in the first half – but you have to maximise that and put the ball in the back of the net. 

“We were winning tackles and I thought we looked a good team in the first half. But looking good is only good when you get your rewards. 

“I’m not going to sit here in front of the fans and say I’m happy about losing two-nil. But I think you saw a first half where Swansea never really threatened us. We controlled the ball and we moved it very well. 

“They were very well organised and we had to switch the play quickly, which we did, and got the ball into the box. We had strikers in the box and Ilias Chair looked very dangerous. 

“But you’re only in control when you score goals.” 

Macauley Bonne came closest to getting Rangers on the board but his firm header was well saved by Swansea goalkeeper Freddie Woodman.  

And the defeat continues a worrying recent record for Warburton’s side, with only four points earned in December and just six victories earned since football restarted post-lockdown. 

The January transfer window, then, could prove vital to QPR’s fortunes as they attempt to reverse their nosedive down the table. 

Indeed, Warburton has admitted that his side need some new faces to rejuvenate the situation at the club. 

He added: “Of course we’d benefit from freshening things up – even though I appreciate where we are from a financial point of view. 

“It will be shrewd business if we do any at all.”