QPR players have to 'be at it' against Sunderland, warns new boss Redknapp

By Joe Bernstein

PUBLISHED: 17:49 EST, 24 November 2012 | UPDATED: 18:49 EST, 24 November 2012

Harry Redknapp watched his new club QPR slump to defeat at Manchester United just hours after accepting the biggest challenge of his career.

Redknapp agreed a two-and-a-half year contract to replace the sacked Mark Hughes and then travelled north to sit glum-faced in the rain as defeat left Rangers five points from Premier League safety and without a win this season.

Watching brief: Harry Redknapp (right) in the stands at Old Trafford

Watching brief: Harry Redknapp (right) in the stands at Old Trafford

Redknapp considers the challenge far tougher than the job he took at Spurs in 2008, when they were bottom with two points from eight games.

He did not take charge of yesterday’s game, sitting instead next to chief executive Philip Beard, but warned the club’s highly paid stars he expects a massive improvement, starting at Sunderland on Tuesday night.

‘The players have to be at it. The buck stops with them. I know Mark lost his job, but it’s down to the players,’ said 65-year-old Redknapp, who will reportedly earn a £1million bonus on top of his £3m salary.

‘He could only do what he could do. There are some good players here and they really need to step up and start performing.

‘They are man enough to know they’re to blame for the position we are in.’

Hopeful moment: Jamie Mackie celebrates his goal for QPR

Hopeful moment: Jamie Mackie celebrates his goal for QPR

‘We can’t get any lower. We are rock bottom. We have to try to get up that table. I remember when I was at Portsmouth and we stayed up with a game to go at Wigan — it was the most fantastic feeling.’

Chairman Tony Fernandes claimed the club had no option but to appoint Redknapp after Hughes’s more remote style seemed to leave the QPR players cold.

‘Harry’s man-management skills are second to none and we are confident he is the right man to lead us away from the bottom of the table,’ he said.

Redknapp claimed he was ready to take up a job managing England’s World Cup qualifying opponents Ukraine before getting the offer from Rangers.

Yesterday was the first Premier League match he had attended since being sacked by Spurs in the summer and being beaten to the England job by Roy Hodgson.

Good to be back: Darren Fletcher scored on his return for Manchester United

Good to be back: Darren Fletcher scored on his return for Manchester United

‘I hadn’t wanted to go to Premier League games in case people wondered what I was doing there,’ he said.

Redknapp’s mere presence seemed to lift Rangers when they took a shock lead through Jamie Mackie but United hit back with three goals in eight minutes through Jonny Evans, Darren Fletcher and Javier Hernandez.

No team have ever made a worse start to a Premier League season than QPR’s four points in 13 games and he will make signing Spurs centre-half Michael Dawson his top priority in January.

Redknapp will hold talks with Hughes’s assistants Mark Bowen and Eddie Niedzwiecki this week.

They picked the team yesterday but Bowen said: ‘I don’t know what Harry’s plans are.’

Both are expected to leave the club.

In tandem: Manchester United's Javier Hernandez (right) and Anderson celebrate the third goal

In tandem: Manchester United's Javier Hernandez (right) and Anderson celebrate the third goal

 

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On the verge of going to Ukraine? He's be pushed to find luton.

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Harry's man management skills are second to none. Really Mr Fernandes that's not what a lot of the Pompey Tottenham and Southampton ex players say.....another football burk

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I remember when you were at Pompey as well - bankrupted the club !

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harry loves a battle and this is a big one

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Hughes has gone and that was long overdue. His sidekick, Sporting Director, Mike Rigg is still there bleeding the club dry. He made a number of very poor signings and has to go as well. Too close to Kia Joorabchian, for no good reason other than personal gain, and tainted by the whiff of the bung. Get him out Beard/Fernandez.. In Manchester we knew he was a wrong'un.

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Fulham lacked Hughes' ambitions. Thank God as they would be languising at the bottom of the table now. Hughes will be lucky to get a Championship team to manage. What arrogance,

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This modern day Harry Houdini will get them out of trouble.

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My prediction Harry won't be a Premier League manager next season, especially if he stays at QPR!

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Watching the MU / QPR game and despite the final score I thought I saw enough to see a lot of hope this season and I am NOT a supporter. One of the things I could never understand about Mark Hughes was his reluctance to play Mackie enough. I have never seen him have a poor game and the lad runs his socks off as was shown against MU on Sat. Hate to see any manager get rthe sack. Some are a total mystery (Di Matteo) but in Hughes case. when you are handed a practical blank check book and go THIRTEEN Ga,es without a ein then soory as much as I detest it, today's game rests solely one ONE thing - RESULTS. Hughes should ask himself " If the roles were reversed and I was the owner and Fernendas was the manager then would I be satisfied ? At the same time surely some of the players should be asking themselves if they should take part of the blame >\?

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Watching the MU / QPR game and despite the final score I thought I saw enough to see a lot of hope this season and I am NOT a supporter. One of the things I could never understand about Mark Hughes was his reluctance to play Mackie enough. I have never seen him have a poor game and the lad runs his socks off as was shown against MU on Sat. Hate to see any manager get rthe sack. Some are a total mystery (Di Matteo) but in Hughes case. when you are handed a practical blank check book and go THIRTEEN Ga,es without a ein then soory as much as I detest it, today's game rests solely one ONE thing - RESULTS. Hughes should ask himself " If the roles were reversed and I was the owner and Fernendas was the manager then would I be satisfied ? At the same time surely some of the players should be asking themselves if they should take part of the blame >\?

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