QPR manager Mark Hughes insists he is unperturbed by his side’s daunting run-in to the season.
Struggling Rangers are arguably under greater pressure to pick up points because their final 10 matches include games against Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, Liverpool and both Manchester clubs.
But Hughes remains confident they will stay in the Premier League and believes they will require less than 40 points to do so.
“Most of the other teams around us have got similar programmes as well,” he argued.
“I don’t think we’re looking too far ahead, but obviously in our own minds we’ve gone through the exercise of how many points we feel it will take [to stay up] this year.
“I think it could well be less than the 40-point mark, which historically everybody feels is the point you have to reach.
“It probably will be lower than that this year. We feel we’ve got enough quality to be able to get enough points.”
Rangers have lost four of their six league matches under Hughes since he replaced Neil Warnock as manager at Loftus Road.
But the Welshman said: “I’ve been pleased with the application of the players.
“We’re working in a different way – maybe a more structured way – than they’re used to, so that takes a little bit of time to get the understanding of what’s required.
“They’ve really embraced that and it’s only a matter of time before we get the fruits of that labour.”
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This post was last modified on 02/03/2012