OLLIE’S SMILES BETTER FOR US!
Boss has filled us with confidence – Cousins
YOU can’t help feeling Jordan Cousins may have got more than he bargained for when he left boyhood club Charlton for QPR in the summer. But, while he admits he has never encountered anyone quite like current boss Ian Holloway, the midfielder is enjoying the unique experience. Cousins was signed by Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink but, after the Dutchman’s November departure, Holloway – football’s famous funnyman, known by every fan for his quick wit and wacky anecdotes – was tasked with steadying the ship at Loftus Road. Cousins is adamant it’s not just the gift of the gab which sets his outspoken boss apart. He is also an expert at getting Championship clubs to overachieve and has guided Blackpool and Crystal Palace to the promised land of the Premier League.
Bubbly
Though QPR have endured some patchy form, Cousins concedes that playing for the charismatic 53-year-old is an experience like no other. “Working with Ian Holloway is something I’ve never had before. Not in a bad way, in a very good way,” said the 22-year-old, as he attended a Kit for Kids activity run by Wickes, Official Partner of the EFL. “He breeds great confidence into the players. He’s a bubbly character to have around the building. He puts a smile on everyone’s face and, as players, we go out there confident because he wants us to perform for the fans and he wants the fans to help us. “You can feel the passion in his team talks and it helps us go out and replicate that on the pitch. “That doesn’t mean he’s more relaxed than Jimmy was, though. It’s still a high intensity and quite hard, but he likes to put his ideas across. He’s tactically very aware and very astute.
“We do a lot of shape work, so on a Saturday we know as players exactly what our job is to do.
“We needed some stability and consistency. In football right now, you’re not seeing much stability in managers, but we’ve got a great manager.
“Hopefully, we can keep him and he can build a squad that can push for good things for the club.”
Cousins was a regular presence in the QPR team at the start of the season but has been in and out of the side after picking up a series of niggling muscular injuries.
He doesn’t blame the intense physical focus of the Hasselbaink regime but admits it may have had an impact.
“It’s clearing up, so I’m just trying to get the training days in and, hopefully, I can get back in the team as soon as possible,” added Cousins.
“It’s a combination of a different kind of regime and me trying to come back too soon.
Regime
“Obviously, when Jimmy came in, the physicality was something I have never experienced before.
“It took a toll on my body and there were stages when the manager wanted me to play and I came back too quickly, which wasn’t good for my body.
“But I can’t blame it on Jimmy’s physical regime.
“It’s bound to happen., I’ve been injury-free for three seasons so my time has come.
“I’ve actually come back quicker than I was supposed to, but that stands me in good stead.
“I’ve been in the gym and I’ve been training pain-free so, hopefully, I can kick on now and contribute to the team for the rest of the season.
“I can’t get too downhearted. We have a good squad and plenty of players who can fill in for me, so it’s just about keeping fit and trying to get back into the team.”