O’neill hits back at Toon taunts
NEDUM ONUOHA concedes QPR have the hardest run-in but is confident they can stave off relegation.
The R’s lie in 16th place in the Premier League, although only goal difference separates them and the bottom three.
Mark Hughes’ team have won just once in 15 matches and face a toughlooking final 11 games, including trips to Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City on the last day of the season.
Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham all visit Loftus Road before the close of the season as well, but Onuoha is not fazed by the upcoming fixtures.
“Of course it’s the hardest run-in,” He said.
“But teams playing us between now and the end of the season know that we have to go into games trying to get three points. It’s going to be just as tough for them. It doesn’t matter who you play against because teams will be favourites.
“But it’s football – and anything can happen.
“I don’t really look back myself. Going into every game, you’ve got to try to win them.
Struggle
“It doesn’t matter who you’re playing against. Everyone’s got something to play for.
“If you just decide, going into a game, that they’re probably going to win because they’re a better team, then you’re going to struggle.
“As West Brom showed on Saturday, anything’s possible in this league. They’re not too far ahead of us and they still went and beat Chelsea. They were deserved winners.”
An eight-point gap now separates 15th-place Aston Villa and QPR, who face a trip to fellow strugglers Bolton this weekend.
“I called it a ‘ mini league’ a few weeks ago and it is that at the minute,” said Onuoha, who joined the Hoops from Manchester City in January.
“Everyone has to start winning games, that’s the priority for all of the five sides down there.
“But fortunately the one thing that you can say has been consistent about the other four down there – Blackburn, Wolves, Bolton and Wigan – is the fact that they’ve not put too many wins together.
“Whoever can get the most wins between now and the end of the season will prove to be champions of the mini league.”
probably MARTIN O’NEILL ridiculed “hard man” Cheik Tiote after reopening his bitter war of words with Alan Pardew – accusing the Newcastle boss of talking nonsense.
The Sunderland boss revisiting the stormy Tyne-wear derby in a bid to set the record straight, accusing Toon midfielder Tiote of play-acted to help get Stephane Sessegnon sent off.
The rival bosses had to be kept apart on the touchline during Sunday’s bad-tempered 1-1 draw.
And O’neill said: “Tiote, this ‘hard-man’, clutched part of his anatomy that wasn’t even touched.
“He was hit between the chest and neck – enough to hit a fly over.”
Pardew claimed the Black Cats employed an “ugly” gameplan.
But O’neill blasted: “His was an extraordinary analysis. I wasn’t happy with his comments and I’m choosing to air my views.”