Sheffield Wednesday boss Danny Rohl called for unity and a more positive mindset around the club after a 2-0 victory at QPR.
The Owls, who conceded a late equaliser to draw 2-2 at home to Bristol City in midweek, overcame a Rangers team which had won their previous four Championship matches and five in a row at home.
It left them 10th in the table with 41 points and very much in the race for the play-offs – and close to the 50-point mark generally regarded as guaranteeing safety from relegation.
Michael Smith put them ahead on 72 minutes and Callum Paterson’s late goal sealed the win.
Rohl said: “Big credit to my team. After a small setback on Wednesday, we came here against a team that was really in form and have taken a lot of points at home.
“It’s not easy to come here but we did well, were well organised and in good shape.
“To have 41 points, we should be very proud of the team at the moment. My big wish for the next 17 matchdays is to stay a bit more positive.
“After Bristol, I suffered myself – very negative – and I think this is not the right mindset. We should be proud of what we have achieved so far.
“To have 41 points in January, for me that is a big performance. Nine more points and then we can speak about 50 points.”
While Wednesday have made good progress on the pitch, there has been disharmony off it.
Chairman Dejphon Chansiri has attracted criticism from fans and recently caused a stir by suggesting he and Rohl had not discussed transfer targets.
Rohl added: “My wish is togetherness for the next 17 matchdays, off the pitch and on the pitch, and have much, much more fun and enjoy. We should stick together.”
QPR boss Marti Cifuentes refused to blame his team’s below-par performance on fatigue.
The defeat came after two long away trips in the space of a few days to Plymouth and then Hull.
But Cifuentes insisted: “That’s not where my focus is, otherwise I think we can create a culture of excuses or finding reasons.
“We were not good enough to score goals and they were. That’s it. We just need to improve. We need to keep working and learning.
“Credit to Sheffield Wednesday; they were good enough at what they wanted to do.
“We definitely need to look at ourselves and make sure we attack better against a team that was, as we expected, very physical and strong.
“We started the game quite well but didn’t create enough chances to put real pressure on them. We lacked the end product and that’s something we can look at.
“The first goal was a game-changer. Then it was difficult and had to risk more.”
Rangers were bottom of the table a couple months ago and their excellent run took them up to ninth, just four points away from the play-off places.
This defeat saw them drop to 13th, six points away from the top six.
Cifuentes added: “We have been on a very good run and one game shouldn’t change the mindset this group is progressing and improving.”
