QPR chairman Tony Fernandes insists it is 'not over yet' in relegation fight

R's slumped to a 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool

QPR chairman Tony Fernandes insists it is “not over yet” for the bottom-placed side despite their miserable season continuing yesterday.

Liverpool ran the Rs ragged at Loftus Road, with Luis Suarez's brace and a Daniel Agger header earning the visitors a deserved 3-0 win.

The defeat means QPR end 2012 bottom of the Premier League and eight points adrift of safety.

Few could have predicted such a dire season for the west Londoners after a summer of high-profile acquisitions and, while thoroughly disappointed, chairman Fernandes believes survival is still possible.

"No excuse," he said via his Twitter account, tonyfernandes. "Lost for words. Back to the drawing board. 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."

Those comments echoed the sentiments of manager Harry Redknapp, who still believes QPR can stay up.

"I think we'll stay up still," the Rs boss said. "You'll think we're mad, but I think we will stay up.

"I only want positive people around me, I said that in the dressing room.

"Those that are moping around, the subs that are not playing, are not playing because they're no good.

"If they had been 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. The next two games are unbelievable, Chelsea away and Tottenham at home - two of the best teams in the country.

"They are difficult games, but we've got to keep going and I still think we'll do it."

As poor as QPR were yesterday, Liverpool deserve credit for a fine performance, particularly in the first half.

The comprehensive win was made all the more impressive by the fact that manager Brendan Rodgers missed the game through illness.

"They were fantastic, absolutely awesome today," said assistant manager Colin Pascoe, who led the side with coach Mike Marsh in Rodgers' absence.

"The way they played, the way they conducted themselves, the way they controlled the game. It was brilliant.

"The back four were great and you could go through the whole team. It was just a fantastic performance today, with Luis creating chances and scoring."

The only negative from the win in west London was an injury to Jose Enrique.

The left-back limped off in the second half, leaving the club to sweat on the severity of his hamstring injury.

"Unfortunately, it looks as if he's got a little tear in his hamstring," Pascoe added.

"He was terrific today, absolutely superb, and he's been a joy to watch in the last few months, so hopefully he's not out for too long."

PA

Independent Comment
blog comments powered by Disqus
Latest in Sport
Caption competition
Caption competition
News in pictures
World news in pictures
Sport blogs

New day (slowly) rising – As Brasileirão gets underway, Brazilian football stumbles, rather than leaps into the future

The average Serie A crowd last year was 13,000 - comparable to Australia’s A-League.

by James Young

iBet: Mercedes and Hamilton to roar in Monaco

Monaco is a street circuit where driver ability is more important than anywhere else and if we take ...

by Gareth Purnell

On The Road at the Giro d’Italia: It sounds sadistic, but the team live for the mountain stages

Three weeks ago as I drove off the Eurostar, I remember thinking what a very long time it was until ...

by Martin Ayres

       

Day In a Page

Johnny Marr talks relationships and reunions

He's worked with Modest Mouse, the Pet Shop Boys and Beck, to name a few, and recently released his first solo album. So why, wonders Johnny Marr, do people still hark on about The Smiths?
After the flood: From Haiti to Britain, one man has captured the devastation of our increasingly deluged lands

In pictures: After the flood

From Haiti to Britain, one man has captured the devastation of our increasingly deluged lands
Death becomes her: Meet the very modern mortician who champions 'cool' funerals

Death becomes her: A very modern mortician

Ever considered baking a loved one's remains into a cake or putting their ashes in fireworks? If so, talk to Caitlin Doughty, champion of the alternative death industry.
How long can the 'Keep Calm' trend carry on?

How long can the 'Keep Calm' trend carry on?

At first it seemed clever and cute. Then the 'Keep Calm' motif went mad, spawning endless offshoots.
The man who built Brum: A lament for the demise of John Madin's Brutalist Birmingham

John Madin: The man who built Brum

The architect's buildings were supposed to leave an indelible, futuristic mark on his beloved hometown but they are now being inexorably torn down.
School of chop: Learning the art of butchery at the Ginger Pig

School of chop: Learning the art of butchery

How do you butcher a lamb? Or make Mexican street food in a British kitchen? Christopher Hirst finds out.
James Pembroke: The man who's eaten everywhere

The man who's eaten everywhere

Few people know more about restaurants than James Pembroke, who only spent five mealtimes at home during his entire childhood.
A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

A Berliner in 1963 – but did John F Kennedy once admire Adolf Hitler?

The young JFK praised 'superior' Nordic races during visits to Germany
Banned Iranian director Mohammad Rasoulof to attend Cannes Film Festival 2013, his first public appearance since prison

Banned Iranian director to attend Cannes Film Festival

Mohammad Rasoulof to make his first public appearance since being imprisoned three years ago
Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

Seeing the larger picture: Inspiring images of space

An exhibition explores images how photography has shaped astronomy
Eat Spam and carry on: Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating

Eat Spam and carry on

Wartime pamphlets could teach us a thing or two about healthy, thrifty eating
Facial hair: Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence

Facial hair

Cat beards and the purrrsuit of excellence
The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

The 10 Best salt and pepper sets

Whether they're for everyday use or to make your dining table look just right, it's worth getting a stylish shaker...
Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Ferran Soriano: Predicting success if Manchester City 'vision' is followed

Chief executive says trophies will come if a 'core' of suitable players is in place
Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

Thomas Müller: We couldn't handle losing a Champions League Final again

The Bayern Munich forward tells Tim Rich his side have to shed chokers' tag after two recent final defeats