QPR midfielder Jermaine Jenas: We are blessed to have Harry Redknapp as boss

This week marks a year since Harry Redknapp’s first game in charge of Queens Park Rangers and Jermaine Jenas today praised the job his manager has done at Loftus Road.

Jenas calls Redknapp’s decision to stay at QPR following relegation “a blessing” and believes the former Tottenham boss deserves credit for the way he has galvanising the club this season.

“He is still a top-level manager,” said Jenas. “I am sure he had to think things over during the summer because he knows he is not a young manager and he was linked with the England job not long ago. To go from that to managing in the Championship must be hard to take but it is testament to him that he has managed to maintain his hunger and appetite for the game.”

Only goal difference keeps QPR off the top of the Championship ahead of tomorrow’s game at Doncaster and Jenas said: “The boss has done a fantastic job. The fact he has stuck around is a blessing. One of the biggest things he has brought to us after the disappointment of last year is that everyone is on the same page.

“It was no secret that there were some difficult characters that the manager had to deal with but he has brought a team spirit and togetherness to the dressing room. Steve McClaren [the former QPR coach now Derby manager] deserves some credit for that as well.”

Redknapp, who celebrated 30 years in management last weekend, is on course for an immediate return to the Premier League, with QPR level with Burnley and Leicester at the top of the table. Jenas knows the busy festive period will be crucial in the promotion race.

He said: “The goal now is to break away from the three teams that are up there. The Christmas period is very important, we have got some big games against Leicester and Nottingham Forest and squads in the Championship are tested around this time of year.

“Doncaster will work hard and when you come across teams like that, you get a side that is hard to beat. But they have got quality in there as well, with Federico Macheda on loan from Manchester United. It will be a tough game but we go there confident off the back of some very good results.”