QPR Defender Chris Barker on New Manager Luigi De Canio and on QPR Defending

-
Ealing Gazette, November 16 - Language barrier is not a major problem

RANGERS' hopes of making progress this season will not be jeopardised by any communication break-downs, insists defender Chris Barker.
New Italian boss Luigi de Canio will need an interpreter for the foreseeable future because he speaks no English and it must be less than ideal transmitting his tactical and psychological wisdom through a third party like Marc Nygaard - who speaks Italian after a spell with Brescia before he came to Loftus Road.
But Barker is convinced the universal language of football speaks for itself and that the team's performances will not suffer.
"We sort of understand, because when you do clipboards and discuss team-work, you half understand that anyway," the left-back told the Gazette.
"When you want something explained, Marco [Nygaard] does it anyway, so it's not a problem.
"We're all football people, so when he does put things up on the board, we sort of know what he means anyway. We know what he's talking about. We just have to do it on the pitch.
"Even if he didn't learn any English, I don't think we would suffer, but as it is he's learning and I think that even in two weeks you can tell he's picking the odd word up and that will improve."
Talking about the other challenges De Canio faces in adapting to life as a manager in the English league, Barker said: "Sometimes they do play different football abroad, but he's watched a bit of Championship football and he understands what he has to do over here and that it's different football.
"But I'm sure he will bring some Italian flavour. They are strong on organisation and technique and if we can bring that into our game more, we can hopefully keep moving up the table.
"We haven't seen any signs of anger or displeasure from him yet, but I'm sure it will come because every manager's got that. But hopefully we don't see it for a long time because if it does happen, it means we're not doing our jobs.
"He's been very happy with us so far and hopefully we can keep him happy.
"I think the next two weeks will give us all a chance to know each other better because we don't have a game this week and can spend more time on the training ground."
Saturday's 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace felt almost like a defeat because Rangers were in charge for most of the game, carved out all the best chances and only missed out on all three points because of Clinton Morrison's late header.
But Barker was able to see the bigger picture this week.
"It was very disappointing to let in a goal from a free-kick with two minutes to go, but it was still a good performance and hopefully we can go on playing like that every week," he said.
"I don't think we have a problem with concentration, even though it was the second game in a row we let one in at the death. Letting in late goals is just one of those things that happen in football. If we'd scored the goals we should have in the second half, the one we conceded wouldn't have mattered."
Talking about the team's overall defensive improvement recently, Barker said: "It's been a blow losing Martin Cranie because he's a good player. Coming down from the Premiership, he just wanted to play. He's strong and a good organiser. But hopefully we can keep the clean sheets going even though he won't be with us.


"The first five or six games, we weren't doing that and we weren't letting just one in but two, three and four every game and you can't do that at this level. We have let in four in seven and that's given us a chance of winning every game.


"Damion Stewart's been very good in the last couple of matches. You know what you are going to get with him. He gives 100 per cent in every game. He's big and strong and he's very fast. There's not many who are going to get past him over 10 yards and he's improving every game.


"As for me, I'm not totally happy yet with my form. I've been here four months and with the suspension early season and then the hernia problem, my form hasn't reached the levels I want.


"The first four or five games, I thought I was very disappointing and it was probably the worst I'd played in my career of eight years. I'm the first one to hold my hand up. But I'm getting there, improving game by game and there's a lot more to come from me."


De Canio, whose name was chanted by away fans, said afterwards: "We had three great chances, but their goalkeeper played extremely well and I'd like to congratulate him.


"We should have killed the game off, but we actually got a point here and from our position low down in the division, that's a good sign and something to build on in the future.


"I don't think we have a problem with conceding late goals. Even if players concentrate well into the last minute, it's still possible to score.


"What's important is that we get better and that we don't make mistakes to allow the opposition to score - and hopefully we won't face such good goalkeepers."


CRYSTAL PALACE 1 QPR 1 Line-up: Camp; Mancienne, Timoska, Stewart, Barker; Sinclair, Bolder (Rehman 90), Buzsaky, Leigertwood, Rowlands (Ainsworth Ealing Gazette