Gary Neville gives verdict on QPR’s relegation chances ahead of Aston Villa clash 06:15 07 April 2015 Jack Green please log in to view this image QPR players celebrate Joey Barton's goal against West Brom (Photo by Ben Hoskins/Getty Images) 2015 Getty Images Gary Neville believes QPR still have a chance of beating the drop this season providing they have the right mentality. Chris Ramsey’s men secured a big three points with away at West Brom on Saturday, just their second win since Harry Redknapp left the club at the start of February. Rangers are currently 19th in the Premier League, three points off safety, and Neville believes the win at The Hawthorns gives them a chance of staying up. “[Their chances are] slim, but that gives them a real chance. It really does,” he said on Sky’s Monday Night Football. “They have got talented players but you have to question whether they have the real mentality. “But that will give them real confidence and we have seen some strange things happen. There’s always one team that goes on one kind of stupid run and you think ‘where has that come from?’. “You look at QPR’s fixtures and you think they are going to struggle but we have seen teams on the past go on that type of run. They have got the players to do it and the talent to do it. It’s whether they can actually do it that’s the big thing now.” Wigan and Sunderland are among the teams who have pulled off unlikely escapes from relegation in recent years, and QPR will be looking to do the same in this campaign. Their form under Ramsey has been poor but with the likes of Charlie Austin, Leroy Fer and Joey Barton in the first team there is a chance they could beat the drop. Next on the schedule for Rangers is a relegation six-pointer against Aston Villa, who have been rejuvenated under new manager Tim Sherwood.
Garth Crooks: Joey Barton can lead Queens Park Rangers to Premier League safety Subhankar Mondal 7 minutes ago please log in to view this image please log in to view this image Subhankar Mondal 7 minutes ago "> View image | gettyimages.com Former Tottenham Hotspur and West Bromwich Albion forward Garth Crooks has written on BBC Sport that Joey Barton can lead Queens Park Rangers to Premier League safety. However, the 57-year-old believes that Barton needs to maintain his cool like he did during QPR’s 4-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion away from home at The Hawthorns on Saturday. “This was a game QPR had to win and they needed a cool-headed Joey Barton back in the heart of their team to do it,” Crooks wrote on BBC Sport. “If QPR can keep Barton out of trouble and focused on the task in hand, he can lead QPR to safety,” he added. Barton is one of the best players in the current QPR squad, and his importance to the London outfit’s chances of survival cannot be undermined. Over the years, the 32-year-old has developed a reputation of getting fired up too easily during matches and making rash challenges. The former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder has already picked up nine yellow cards and one red card this season, and he simply cannot afford to get suspended anymore this term. In 21 Premier League appearances so far this campaign, Barton has scored one goal and created 46 chances, while having a pass accuracy of 75% and winning nine of the 13 dribbles he has attempted. However, Barton has won just 33 of the 111 tackles he has attempted this season and has committed as many as 64 fouls. Rangers are currently second from bottom in the Premier League table with 25 points from 31 matches, just three points behind 17th-placed Aston Villa.
