Rob Green believes Queens Park Rangers can still clinch an automatic return to the Premier League, but believes they may have to win all of their remaining matches.
Having suffered relegation from the top-flight last term, the majority of pundits expected Harry Redknapp to orchestrate an instant return for the Loftus Road side. However, the Londoners suffered a 2-0 defeat at Brighton & Hove Albion on Tuesday, which means they have now collected just five points since the start of last month.
This has seen them slip to fourth place in the Championship standings, and with seventh place Wigan Athletic just five points behind with a game in hand, these are nervous times for the Hoops. Green, though, still thinks there is enough quality in the squad to turn things around, and believes they can overhaul a nine-point margin to finish second.
“We are still looking to get into the top two,” he said. “We’re looking to win every game that we’ve got left between now and the end of the season. Why should we give up? We could all of a sudden find our shooting boots and score 10 goals a game, and (Burnley strikers) Danny Ings and Sam Vokes get crippled and Burnley’s goals dry up!”
The loss of star striker Charlie Austin, who scored 14 of their 40 league goals thus far, has no doubt his Redknapp’s side hard, having knocked in just four in the last six fixtures. They will, however, expect to get back to winning ways on Saturday afternoon, when they host struggling Yeovil Town in a match which has suddenly taken on fresh importance.
Meanwhile, The Telegraph claim that if results don’t improve, QPR could sack Redknapp and replace him with Chelsea legend Gianfranco Zola. The former Italian international, who began his managerial career with West Ham United, has been out of work since being sacked by Championship side Watford back in December.
