Table has 'artificial look' for QPR - Cifuentes

Queens Park Rangers head coach Marti Cifuentes says the Championship table has an "artificial" look for his side at the moment despite their gathering play-off momentum.

The Hoops, in 13th, take on fellow top-six challengers Coventry City on Tuesday with both teams only three points adrift of that leading group.

But Cifuentes is not interested in making any predictions with 15 games still to play for his side and another set of matches to come in the division on Wednesday.

"It's an artificial situation based on us having played one more game than many other other teams," he told BBC Radio London.

"I'm not thinking about the play-offs, I'm not thinking about the table. The reality comes in the last six games of the season and perhaps then is when you have a look and say 'that's where we are and that's what we need to do'."

What Cifuentes is more interested in at the moment the progress his side has made after narrowly avoiding relegation last season thanks to finishing the campaign with three straight wins.

"The target this season was very clear - to improve on what we did last season and not to suffer as much as we did.

"We're putting ourselves in a good position to do that but there is still a lot of games to go."

In QPR's way next are the Sky Blues, whose four-game winning run under Frank Lampard ended against stylish Leeds United last Wednesday.

After back-to-back defeats, QPR responded by beating Blackburn last week and Cifuentes says that trait of character is what he wants to see maintained.

"It was one of the strengths we had last season and and we've shown it again this season," he said.

"They are very resilient mentally. If we get beaten it's by a small margin and that shows a lot about the commitment and their mental strength.

"Frank has done really well [at Coventry]. They've won four of the last five and are on a really strong trend."