Kranjcar: Watch me go when I’m fit

NIKO Kranjcar is still some way short of his best but the Croatia international says he already feels at home at QPR.

The 29-year-old made his home debut in the 2-0 victory over Middlesbrough last weekend and impressed before being substituted after 83 minutes.

Kranjcar, who has played under Rangers boss Harry Redknapp at Portsmouth and Tottenham, had not started a competitive game for almost four months.

And he knows he needs time to get used to the Championship, although the home fans liked what they saw.
“I was happy to get a good reception,” he said. “It felt like home from the get-go. The way we played for the full 90 minutes helped the crowd get behind us as well.

“It was my first competitive game for around four months, and everyone knows I’m not there yet. I’m not 100 per cent but I am getting there. It was a good start.

“It gives me a lot of confidence, it gives the team confidence and the fans confidence, but it also makes you work harder in training to get to that level in each game. I’m pretty close to full fitness, and it’s a joy to do it. I enjoy playing football. You can really enjoy yourself when you are fully fit and only then can things that you have in mind happen.
“It’s something you have to do in order to get the creative side of things going as well.”

Kranjcar has only been with Rangers for a few weeks but the midfielder was still disappointed to see first-team coach Steve McClaren depart to take over at Derby.

“I only met him for two weeks but you can see the influence he had on the place and staff around here,” added Kranjcar, who is on a season-long loan from Dynamo Kiev.

“We wish him the best, but we have to focus on our goal, which is getting back to the Premier League.”