Queens Park Rangers

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Veteran goalkeeper Ben Hamer has signed a new short-term contract with Championship side Queens Park Rangers.

The 38-year-old originally joined the Londoners in September as cover after an injury to Joe Walsh.

Hamer has gone on to play seven times for the club since his debut in early November as he and Paul Nardi have competed to be first choice.

"Ben has had a big impact on the group since his arrival in September," QPR chief executive Christian Nourry told the club website., external

"He has an infectious personality and has gelled well with the lads and the staff.

"On the pitch, he's brought his ball-playing qualities and calm presence to the fore, having been involved in some important wins for the team so far this season."

QPR have not specified the exact length of Hamer's new deal.

Queens Park Rangers head coach Julien Stephan spoke to BBC Radio London after Sunday's 3-0 win against Sheffield Wednesday.

"It's a good win. I said to the players at the end of the game that I now know exactly what it means to play four games in nine days and what it means to play over Christmas in England - and it's a crazy period for the players, to be honest, both physically and mentally," he said.

"They had a good first half and were very dominant in possession. And out of possession they didn't concede any shot in the first half.

"They moved well collectively, even if the conditions were difficult to play good football they still succeeded in doing that.

"After the first half it was less good in possession, but we didn't concede anything, and at the end they found a solution to score the second and third goals, so it was a good win."

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Julien Stephan says QPR have no time to feel sorry for themselves after they slid to a 2-1 defeat at home to struggling Norwich.

Rangers conceded at both the start and end of the second half and Amadou Mbengue's injury-time consolation was not enough to prevent their second defeat in three days.

Stephan told BBC London: "It was a disappointing performance, especially in the second half. We had a lot of difficulty to keep the ball and create something collectively.

"When you concede a goal at the beginning of the second half, we struggled a lot and didn't find the solutions, even when we tried to change something with new players, and change the momentum.

"It's very important when you go through a moment like this to stay united and support the players even if we have to be honest and say it's not enough, the last three games.

"We have another in just three days (at home to Sheffield Wednesday) so we don't have time to stay too down and we have to find the right way to give the confidence the players need to play the next one."

Queens Park Rangers will look to get within striking distance of the top six as they host bottom three side Norwich City on New Year's Day (15:00 GMT).

The Hoops are three points short of sixth placed Watford but trail by eight goals to see it unlikely they will kick-off 2026 in a play-off place.

While at the other end of the table, it's a similar story for Norwich. They are four points away from safety but a win would have their fans feeling much more optimistic for the new year.

• Queens Park Rangers beat Norwich City 3-0 in this fixture last season, last registering home wins in back-to-back EFL campaigns against the Canaries in 2016-17/2017-18 under Ian Holloway.

• Norwich City beat Queens Park Rangers 3-1 in the reverse fixture back in November and will now be aiming to win back-to-back league meetings with QPR for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

• Queens Park Rangers won 3-1 at home to Watford on New Year's Day last year, last winning on January 1st in back-to-back years in 2007/2008 (vs Colchester and Leicester).

• Norwich City have only won one of their last eight away games played on New Year's Day (D4 L3), though it did come last year when beating Luton Town 1-0 at Kenilworth Road.

• Norwich City have lost six of their last nine league matches in London (W1 D2), with their only win in this sequence coming via a 3-2 victory at Millwall in March 2023.

Julien Stephan was pleased to take a point after QPR's 1-1 draw at Portsmouth.

Rangers were poor in the first half but better in the second and Jimmy Dunne equalised for them with a second-half header.

"Two different halves. It was a very difficult first half for us - not good enough in terms of intensity and quality," R's head coach Stephan told BBC Radio London.

"It was a poor first half from us and a good reaction in the second. We scored and had two or three opportunities to score another one.

"It was really better at the beginning of the second half and I think it changed the momentum of the game a lot. And after that we know have some quality, with offensive players able to create some danger.

"When you play only one half away, it's very difficult to get a top result. But we have to take this point. I think it's a good point for us.

"We played only 45 minutes with quality and it's a point, so we take the point."

Portsmouth and Queens Park Rangers will be holding hopes on either side of the table when they face each other on Boxing Day (15:00 GMT) at Fratton Park.

For Pompey, the aim will be to avoid a potential drop into the relegation zone that only a win can provide if Oxford take victory against Southampton.

While a draw could be enough to see the Hoops enter the top six, though three could nestle them into the play-off positions quite nicely.

• Portsmouth did the double over QPR last season, as many times as they'd beaten them in their previous 16 league meetings (D5 L9).

• QPR have won just one of their last six away league games against Portsmouth (D2 L3), beating them 3-1 in the second tier in May 2000.

• Portsmouth have lost their last two Boxing Day league games, last losing more consecutively between 1994 and 1996 (3).

• QPR have won just one of their last 11 Boxing Day league games (D2 L8), failing to score in each of their last five since a 3-0 win against Ipswich in 2018.

• Portsmouth forward Conor Chaplin has scored five goals in six Championship appearances against QPR (4 in 4 for Barnsley, 1 in 2 for Ipswich), his most goals against an opponent at this level.

Queens Park Rangers head coach Julien Stephan spoke to BBC Radio London following Saturday's 4-1 win against Leicester City.

"It was an outstanding first half," he said. "The way they played, how they came onto the pitch, how they moved together – with and without the ball – it's never perfect, but it was very close to perfection.

"To score four goals like this, and to create the atmosphere like this with the fans was probably the best first half and best feeling since I started this job.

"When you live something like this, you have to enjoy it, but you also need to be ready to compete immediately and that is what I said at half-time because the game is not just 45 minutes.

"I think we came out very quick and very good in the first 10 or 15 minutes of the second half, and they didn't have many situations, and we could have scored another one. It's a fantastic win."

Marti Cifuentes takes his Leicester side back to his former club on Saturday (15:00 GMT) having moved up to eighth place in the Championship following a run of seven points from their past three games.

QPR would move above the Foxes with a win at Loftus Road.

• None of the past 11 league meetings between QPR (five wins) and Leicester (six) have been drawn, with the Hoops winning 2-1 last time out in March 2024.

• Leicester have alternated between defeat (three) and victory (three) in their past six away league games against QPR, winning 2-1 on their last visit in October 2023.

• QPR have won their past three home matches in the Championship and will be looking to win four in a row in the same calendar year for the first time since April-September 2017 (four).

• Leicester City have only won five of their past 26 away league games against London sides (D4 L17), while keeping just two clean sheets from these 26. Their most recent away game against a London side in the Championship was a defeat to Millwall in October (0-1).

• Rumarn Burrell has netted nine goals in the Championship this season, and could become the first QPR player to reach double figures for league goals in a single campaign since Andre Gray in 2021-22 (10).

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QPR head coach Julien Stephan called Middlesbrough "the best team we've played this season" after his side lost 3-1 on Teesside.

It was a sobering afternoon after four wins in their previous five, but Frenchman Stephan had no complaints about the result.

"We have to be honest and say that is probably the best team we have faced since the start of the season," Stephan told BBC Radio London.

"Especially in the first 60 minutes, they played technically, collectively, physically very, very well and they were stronger than us - I think they deserved the win and it was a logical result.

"We scored one goal and we had more opportunities to score another one but in the end they deserved their win."

But the challenge that Stephan has issued his players is to see if they can raise their levels over the next few months to those shown by Boro.

He added: "We will play against them again in March at home and let's see in the next three months if we are able to improve in order to compete because we know they will be playing for promotion."

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Second-placed Middlesbrough go into Saturday's game (15:00 GMT) in a rich vein of form having won their past three games with Kim Hellberg continuing his perfect start as boss after their win at Charlton last time out.

Boro are flying high in second place and are five points adrift of leaders Coventry.

QPR will be looking to squeeze their way into the play-off positions after picking up wins in their past two games.

The R's, who currently sit just outside the top six but only on goal difference, claimed a dramatic late winner against Birmingham City in their most recent outing.

• Middlesbrough have won their past three league games against QPR, last winning four in a row between November 2015 and January 2018.

• QPR have won four of their last six league visits to Middlesbrough (L2), though they lost 2-1 there in 2024-25.

• Middlesbrough have won 10 of their last 15 home league matches (D3 L2) and won in Kim Hellberg's first game at the Riverside against Derby in November.

• QPR haven't won any of their last six away Championship games in the month of December (D3 L3), last winning back in December 2023 away at Preston.

• Morgan Whittaker has scored three goals in his last five home Championship games for Middlesbrough, having failed to score in any of his first 11 games at the Riverside for the club.

Queens Park Rangers manager Julien Stephan was ecstatic about his side's performance after they beat Birmingham City to climb into the Championship play-off places.

"Fantastic game, a lot of emotion," he told BBC Radio London. "I think the players deserve this win. And all the credit to them because they played so well today, with a lot of character and a lot of ambition.

"They pressed the opponent very well, which we know is important because if they have time to organise themselves they are a very good team. I think in the second half if was perfect.

"It was very difficult mentally to accept the fact that we concede the goal, but the reaction of the players is amazing. This a great win, I enjoyed their performance, and enjoyed a lot the atmosphere in the stadium. We play football to share this kind of emotion, it's very important.

"I'm not sure it's our best game this season, but it's certainly the most emotional. And it's more important to have some emotional games, because when you win it's a fantastic feeling."