QPR captain Joe Barton has stated that his team have been the worst in the Premier League because starts do not lie.
The club are fighting against relegation once again, but the repercussions of relegation from the Premier League this time around could be very harmful. The club were penalised by the English football league to the tune of £ 60 million for failing to adhere to the financial regulations. However, they were promoted to the top division just-in-time to avoid paying this fine. If QPR are indeed relegated to the Championship this season, they could be made to pay this substantial fine.
The team are just one point away from the bottom of the table after managing to get a poor 0-0 draw against West Ham at home. This was seen as one of the matches in which QPR could manage some victories. However, they have fallen four points adrift of safety after Leicester City managed to get a fourth consecutive victory – against fellow relegation rivals Burnley. QPR maybe off the bottom of the table, but Barton is aware that his team have been one of the worst in the league over the 34 games. There are still four games left in the campaign for QPR to conjure up a magic and stay in the division.
“On paper we are the worst team in the league – nothing changes that. We came up via the play-offs in the Championship, we finished fourth, we stuttered to fourth in that campaign, we rode our luck at times and it was character and the spirit within the group that got us through. Not talent, not skill or an abundance of attacking intent, it was grit and character that got us in the Premier League and it is going to be grit and character that keeps us in the Premier League,” said Barton.
