A defiant Harry Redknapp has claimed Queens Park Rangers will retain their Premier League status this season despite seeing his side thrashed at home by Liverpool to leave them eight points from safety and bottom.
QPR shipped three goals in the opening half-hour to a visiting team denied the presence of their own manager, Brendan Rodgers, by a bout of the norovirus, with Luis Suarez running riot. Redknapp admitted afterwards that certain members of his squad had “miserable faces too often” with Jose Bosingwa, who refused to sit on the bench in the recent derby against Fulham, now apparently “injured”.
Attempts will be made to move on disaffected players though, if reinforcements can be added, the manager is convinced QPR will survive.
“I still think we’ll stay up,” said Redknapp. “People will think I’m mad, but I think we will. I only want positive players around me. I said that in the dressingroom after the match. Those who are moping around . . . the subs are not playing because they’re no good. If they were any good, I’d be picking them.
“I don’t need miserable faces, I don’t need them around me. I need people who are upbeat because the next two games are unbelievable, Chelsea away and Tottenham at home . . . two of the best teams in the country.
“But we’ve got to keep going and I still think we’ll do it.
Miserable faces
“I know what the problems are. You need to have everyone working as a team together. If one or two don’t buy into it, you have a problem. A few have miserable faces too often for some reason. If there are people who don’t want to be here, as soon as the window opens we’ll see if we can fix something up for them if we can, but it’s not easy moving people on.
“Bosingwa’s injured, he has been ever since the day he wasn’t on the bench [against Fulham]. Not fit to train. But I’ve had a good chat with the players, a meeting, and they’ll be in on Monday and we start again.”
QPR have games at West Ham United and against Manchester City after the two daunting derbies to come – they visit Stamford Bridge on Wednesday – with only one win to show from 20 league games.
The owner, Tony Fernandes, said on Twitter: “Woeful performance. When we signed all those players. Everyone was full of praise. No one thought we would be in such a mess. Not over yet though.”
Asked about strengthening Redknapp added: “Well, if we can find the right players, get one or two in to make the difference, get Bobby Zamora fit to give us a target up there. I just feel we can still turn it round, if we can get one or two in now.”
Guardian Service
