Sherwood will be a hit if players fight for him
13 CHARLIE AUSTIN, who picked up an injury in his last game, has scored 13 of QPR’s 24 goals in the Premier League this season — 54.2 per cent. No other QPR player has scored more than three
CHRIS RAMSEY has backed Tim Sherwood to be a success at QPR, but with the sizeable caveat that their underperforming players must stop ‘letting the club down’.
Ramsey was in no mood to sugarcoat the realities of life at Loftus Road yesterday, strongly suggesting that attitudes must improve if the club are to escape relegation.
An extension of their abysmal away record tonight against Sunderland will make the salvage job harder still, though the appeal of the task remains large for Sherwood, who has been out of work since Tottenham sacked him last May.
Caretaker boss Ramsey revealed his former White Hart Lane colleague has been in contact with him to discuss the role. Coupled with Sherwood’s relationship with director of football Les Ferdinand, he remains the stand-out candidate for the job, even if the process is taking longer than some at the club expected.p
Whether or not itt is Sherwood who replaces Harry Redknapp, Ramsey is convinced it is the he players, more than n the manager, who o will determine if the club fall into the Championship.
He said: ‘ We know there is only one equaliser and that is Tony Pulis. He’s somebodyy who has come in n and been a sensational difference.
‘Generally, it needs the players to galvanise themselves no matter howhow much fist-shaking you do. It still comes down to them having the pride to not want to let the great club of QPR slip into the next division.
‘It’s just a matter of everyone being on the same page all of the time. If you look at the goal we conceded on Saturday (in the 1-0 home defeat by Southampton) it was little margins of somebody not tracking their runner for a split second with 50 seconds to go. You are thinking, “Put your five yards in and then we don’t lose the game”.’
Ramsey added: ‘I wouldn’t say the players let Harry down totally. When you sign, you sign for the club. Ultimately, it’s the club that have been let down because the club have a lot to lose by going down into the Championship.’
Ramsey admitted he would ‘jump at the chance’ to take the role but the club are far likelier to go for Sherwood’s greater experience. Ramsey said: ‘I would be a liar to say I haven’t spoken to him (Sherwood). We talk about games and players and he’s made it clear to me he is eager to get bacback into work — you can only play so much golf anda watch so much daytime TV. ‘He did a fantastic job at Tottenham. I think it was probably underrated the job that he did.’
Gus Poyet played with both Sherwood and Ferdinand at Tottenham, and the Sunderland manager believes they are the double act who can save Queens Park Rangers from relegation.
‘They would be a good partnership,’ said Poyet. ‘ They know each other very well and are strong characters.
‘They have worked together before and that combination would be very natural. It looks like that is going to be case. It will be a challenge to keep them up, but they are in a better situation than we were last season (Sunderland went on to escape the drop) so why not?’
Poyet shared a midfield with Sherwood, and he added: ‘He was someone you always wanted in your side. When you’re in the tunnel and he’s behind you then you feel secure. He had a difficult situation at Spurs and did very well there. If QPR choose him then it will be a good choice.’