 Monday, 12th Nov 2012 23:29 by Clive Whittingham Chairman Tony Fernandes continued to publicly back his manager following QPR’s eleventh game without a win at Stoke on Saturday, but even Hughes himself admitted a win is a must this weekend against Southampton. NewsHughes, quoted in the Independent said: "Everyone knows the significance of that game now. I have confidence in the players to turn this round, but it needs to happen next week. It's still early in the season but the longer that it goes on, it becomes more difficult for us to have the season that we hoped to have. “The chairman was here today and at Arsenal and he saw positive things in our play and that encouraged him, it encourages us, but the disappointment is that we are not getting the reward that he is looking for and that we are all looking for because the aim of the season is to have a really progressive season. "We've been in this situation before, at Blackburn and Manchester City, when we came in and had to address certain things in the club, change personnel and that was a difficult time. It's tougher at the moment because there is a lot of focus on us, we're a high-profile club now and the perception of QPR has changed. We're more newsworthy than other clubs in situations where they haven't got many wins on the board. "We are where we are at the moment but I am confident, given the effort and determination of the players to turn this round, we'll be fine. But it needs to happen next week." Fernandes, who spoke at length with QPR fans in the away end before the game, took to Twitter after the final whistle to show his support. He said: "We got to cut out errors. One error cost us and we got to take our chances. Team played as planned. Must win next win. No panic. Table is compressed. Defense was awful now fairly solid. Midfield strong. Got to score now." Hughes seemed reasonably pleased with his charges despite the result, telling the club’s official website: “It was a game that we controlled for large periods. We created good chances, but when those moments come, you’ve got to take them. Being the away side, you’re going to come under a little bit of pressure and the way Stoke play, they are going to put the ball into the box. It was a shame for the guys at the back. I thought they were magnificent today. They stood up to the challenge really, really well. We just made a mistake on the goal. We allowed them to get a shot away. I think it was only their second shot of the game at that period.” And so, in the build up to the crunch game with Southampton at Loftus Road this weekend, we begin the mind-numbing weekly procession of player interviews backing the manager, talking about learning from mistakes, praising the supporters, having more time to gel and on and on and on it goes. First up, Ale Faurlin, slightly sluggish on a long overdue return to action at the weekend. He told Sky Sports: “The gaffer and his staff are doing everything to help us perform. Throughout the preparation and at half-time in the games, he is always positive and showing how much he believes in us. We're all disappointed we've not repaid that faith and are determined to put it right. "It is a real cup final for us, and we must stand up to the challenge and make sure we do enough to win. There's a lot riding on it, particularly with a trip to Manchester United coming up the week after. We're professionals and capable of turning things round, so we must keep working to that end. Every game is like a final for us." One bright spot for the team, despite his profligate finishing in the last two matches, has been the resurgent form of Adel Taarabt following his recall. Hughes told West London Sport:“I think Adel now understands I’ve got lots of options. We’ve got good players here now. He understands that if I feel he doesn’t warrant a place then I’ve got other players that can take his place. Maybe it was something he didn’t come to terms with quickly enough, but he certainly has now and I’m really pleased with what he’s producing. His ability isn’t doubted by anyone at QPR. What we want to do is make sure that he’s consistent in training and matches.” Hughes also said he wouldn’t be surprised to receive offers for the Moroccan in January amid rumours of interest from Arsenal but that the player, who extended his contract in the summer, sees his future at Loftus Road. Somebody else who is also apparently keen on a longer stay despite the abysmal run of results is goalkeeper Julio Cesar who hinted in interview this week that the offer of a role behind the scenes at Rangers after his retirement was the deciding factor when faced with a choice between the R’s or Arsenal during the last transfer window. The former Inter Milan stopper told Sky Sports: “I accepted this proposal because I wanted to live in London. I have an amazing way of life here and I'm giving my family a great opportunity to grow up culturally. I talked with Arsenal in the last transfer window, and they were really happy about me playing for them, but at the last minute I moved to QPR. QPR has a project, and I dream about that project coming true. But I came here because I was thinking about my future once I quit football, that's true. The fact that I can speak Portuguese, Italian and now English will give me opportunities in the future to be a director once I quit football. Even at QPR I could work as a director." QPR may not be making much of a fist of this Premier League nonsense this season, but they’re certainly getting to grips with the spurious withdrawals of players from international squads. Ryan Nelsen – who played a full 90 minutes at Stoke on Saturday – is unlikely to travel to China for New Zealand’s friendly this week while Jamie Mackie, who was on the bench at the Britannia Stadium, has withdrawn from the Scotland squad ahead of Wednesday’s match with Luxemburg with an ankle injury. Finally everybody at LFW was saddened to hear of the death of former QPR player Ivor Powell last week at the age of 96. Powell joined QPR in 1936 from Welsh non-league football which he played while holding down a full time job as a coal miner. He made 157 QPR appearances in a 12 year stay with the club either side of World War Two and won eight Welsh caps. He was part of the Rangers side that won the Third Division South in 1948 and went on to play for Blackpool and Aston Villa. Powell most recently entered the Guinness Book of Records as the oldest working football coach when he oversaw non-league Team Bath at the age of 91. Powell was awarded an MBE in 2008 and told the club’s official website at the time: “"QPR were my first true love. I really relished my time at Loftus Road. Every match where I pulled on the famous blue and white hooped jersey was a dream come true for me. So Rangers will always be my team. I still follow all their results and I hope the R's do well in the future." Loan WatchJoey Barton scored his first goal for Marseille in bizarre circumstances on Thursday night in a 2-2 Europa League draw against Borussia Monchengladbach. Barton scored a first half equaliser direct from a corner and although Marseille then went on to take the lead through Jordan Ayew they were pegged back in the second half. A goal as well for DJ Campbell who netted three minutes from time to seal a much needed win for lowly Ipswich in the Championship. Campbell notched the deciding goal in a 2-1 home victory against Burnley – Town’s second win in 15 matches but also their second in three games since manager Mick McCarthy took over. Cambell has scored four goals in seven appearances for the struggling Tractor Boys – one every other match so far. Rob Hulse has also found his scoring touch for Charlton as they start to climb back up the Championship. Hulse scored in a bizarre 5-4 win against Cardiff at The Valley last Tuesday (Heidar Helguson scored for the visitors) and then played 86 minutes in a 2-0 away win at Bristol City on Sunday. No goals for Jay Bothroyd who has just one in 11 for Sheffield Wednesday. He played wide on the right on Friday night as the Owls were beaten 3-1 by table topping Middlesbrough for whom Emmanuel Ledesma played a starring role. Bothroyd’s lethargic playing style has not proved to be a hit with the Sheff Wed fans so far, and he became embroiled in Twitter arguments with Owls’ fans again following this latest set back. Bothroyd said: ““Thanks to the travelling fans good support. I think we at a key time when we were on top very disappointed to say the least. I set up a goal today put some decent crosses in had a few shots but I’m to blame. Figures. I will never interact with fans again.” In the division below Troy Hewitt is still hunting his first goal for Bury, but the Shakers did win 2-0 at home to Portsmouth to close the gap between them and safety to two points. Hewitt played 70 minutes but has so far made two starts and two sub appearances without a goal. Angelo Balanta is also waiting for the first goal of his latest loan spell with MK Dons. His fourth appearance lasted 89 minutes on Saturday in a 1-0 home win against Sheffield United. In League Two Bruno Andrade played 90 minutes in Wycombe’s 2-1 home defeat by Rochdale. Former R’sQPR legend Rodney Marsh says the club should keep faith with Mark Hughes despite starting the season with 11 matches without a win. Speaking to BBC Radio Five Live’s Sportsweek programme Marsh said: “I believe you should give the manager until Christmas. If you look at any successful team it is always based on continuity and consistency. Yes, they have gone 11 games without a win, but I hate it when owners keep on sacking their managers after a run of bad results. "Mark Hughes has been under the cosh for the last four games. It was only six games into the season when they were saying 'Hughes out'. That can't be good for anybody within the football club. I believe in continuity and consistency. "I wouldn't have sacked Neil Warnock in the first place," he said. "He got them to the Premier League. He was doing a decent job." But former centre half Steve Wicks has criticised striker Bobby Zamora for his recent comments in the Daily Mail about not liking or watching football. Wicks told Talksport: “Players don’t help themselves these days. I know Bobby really well. My son used to play with him at Brighton and he’s a great kid, but to come out and say that when QPR are in this situation, I just find it brainless. It frustrates me really because the QPR fans, all they want to see is their team roll up their sleeves and battle, and they can do it. “When QPR have the ball they can play some really lovely football but the problem with them at the moment is when they don’t have the ball. At the moment it’s almost like, ‘oh, we’re too good to go down’, and I don’t think any team can say that.” Away from Loftus Road two of our former charges got new manager jobs last week. Ian Holloway left Blackpool to take over at Crystal Palace, and immediately hit the ground running with a 5-0 home win against Ipswich and 2-1 away success at Peterborough, while Gareth Ainsworth is the permanent Wycombe boss after three wins and four draws from ten matches as caretaker. Holloway told the official Palace website: “This is a fantastic opportunity for myself and a fresh start. It is sad to leave Blackpool as my time there was the best trip I have been on and leave very proud of what was achieved and I would like to wish them all the best. I just see this as too good an opportunity to turn down. I got great energy when I met the club’s owners and just can’t wait to get going.” While at Adams Park Ainsworth said: "The lads have responded well to the last six or seven weeks. I'm really pleased the board have kept faith with me. In 24 years I've never known anything like the injury situation here. We've got 12 injuries. I've seen 12 injuries before but never 12 who could actually walk into a team. If I can get the belief back into the team we've got no worries about staying in this league. I'm very confident in the squad I've got." Ainsworth’s first job has been to cope with the surprise release of goalkeeper Nikki Bull for personal reasons. Following criticism online, Bull released a statement saying: “'The past week has been one of the hardest of my career. I would like to take this opportunity to set the record straight on unfounded and untruthful comments and rumours circulating about me which have brought my character into question and attacked my integrity. At no point did I refuse to play for Wycombe Wanderers or attend training. During my time at the club I have played many times through injury and illness so to read in newspapers and social media that I had refused to play was extremely upsetting. The fact of the matter is that I was not even considered for selection due to my imminent departure from the football club. 'Regardless of whether supporters rated me as a player or not I would like to think they all respected the fact that I always gave my all every time I entered the field to represent their club so it has been difficult seeing the fans that I have respected throughout my time at the club turn on me in the way that they have without knowing or waiting for all the information to surface before forming their judgements. My performances in my last few appearances for the club were not up to the standards I expect and demand from myself and it was clear in my mind that all of last seasons defeats and goals conceded had started to take its toll on me and I needed a break.” Leon Clarke’s impressive loan spell at Scunthorpe continues. The big, fat, useless, lazy, waste of space scored another two this weekend as the struggling Iron won 2-1 at fellow League One basement dwellers Coventry City. Clarke has now dragged ten goals in 12 appearances through the same tear in the fabric of reality once exploited for QPR by Patrick Agyemang. Premier League Shorts- Chelsea captain John Terry will be missing for “weeks not months” after picking up an apparently serious injury in his side’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool on Sunday. Terry screamed with pain after a clash with Luis Suarez but, it turns out, there’s nothing wrong with him really. Shame. - Man City coach David Platt says the club don’t consider striker Edin Dzeko a ‘super sub’ despite him scoring a sixth goal of the season off the bench in a 2-1 home win against Spurs yesterday. Platt said: “We haven't called him 'super sub'. That's just what people want to call him. I wouldn't say it is his best role. It's not whether he scores after coming off the bench, it's whether he scores when he is on the field.” - Southampton manager Nigel Adkins remained defiant following a 1-1 draw at home to Swansea on Saturday. Adkins is tipped for the sack after a poor start to the season but says the club is united behind him in his first season as a top flight manager. He said: “"You've seen today the whole football club is united and we are determined to be successful here at Southampton.” - Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere has admitted the club would need a miracle to win the league this season after missing a last minute penalty in a 3-3 draw at home to Fulham on Saturday. Wilshere said: "We can't drop any points now and have to treat every game as a cup final. Our aim every year is to challenge for the Premier League which we continue to do. We wouldn't be Arsenal if we wanted any less. OK, now we are in a position where it could take, maybe, a minor miracle to do that. But we know what we have to do." Parish NoticeboardThe following tube and train closures are in operation this Saturday as Rangers play at home to Southampton: - The Circle Line is closed. - No Hammersmith and City Line between Royal Oak and Baker Street. - No District Line between Edgware Road and Earls Court. - TFL is once again saying that the Northern Line will be closed on the Edgware, High Barnet and Charing Cross branches this weekend leaving services only Euston and Morden, and Charing Cross and Morden. However they also claimed this two weeks ago for the Reading match and it never happened. Check nearer the time. - The Metropolitan Line is closed between Uxbridge, Northwood and Wembley Park. Tweet @loftforwords Pictures – Action Images Photo: Action Images Please report offensive, libellous or inappropriate posts by using the links provided.
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