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Live Coverage: Chris Ramsey's weekly Queens Park Rangers press conference

Follow Sports Mole's live coverage of Queens Park Rangers head coach Chris Ramsey's pre-match press conference.
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Chris Ramsey insisted that there is no "doom and gloom" at Queens Park Rangers ahead of their match against West Bromwich Albion this weekend.

The Hoops have lost their last five matches in the Premier League, leaving them four points from safety.

Ramsey also revealed that all of the club's internationals returned from their national squads "unscathed".

Read what else the manager discussed below.


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Good morning. Queens Park Rangers head coach Chris Ramsey will be speaking to the media in around 15 minutes as he prepares his side for a trip to The Hawthorns to face West Bromwich Albion. The team have won just once away from home so far this season, and need to start picking up points if they want to remain in the top flight next season.

Ramsey should provide us with a fitness update following the international break. A number of his players have been away from the club with their national squads, so it will be interesting to hear whether everyone made it back fully fit.

Frustratingly for QPR, they haven't been playing badly recently. They've lost their last five games in a row, but four of the defeats have been by a single goal, and in their 2-1 loss to Everton last time out they were unlucky not to come away with a point.

Of the teams involved in the relegation fight, QPR actually have one of the kinder run-ins. They still have to play last season's top three, but they also face fellow strugglers Leicester, plus Aston Villa and West Ham.

Here's a look at some of the team's players in action during yesterday's training session:


As always, we'll have live coverage of this and every other Premier League fixture taking place this weekend from an hour prior to kickoff, plus team news, half-time and full-time updates as well as post-match reaction and loads more.

While we wait for the manager, Ale Faurlin has been speaking to the club's website as he battles a third ACL tear in as many seasons: "This time when it happened I said to my wife, my agent, my friends: 'Bring me the things, I'll sign it, I'll go home. I even said to the doc that I didn't want to have the operation done. It was different from the other times. The other times, you get knocked down, you go through the dark moments, you cry, you have reflection. But this time I had an empty feeling. Like nothing. This was worse. But thanks to the support I received, and the encouragement, I decided to go again."

Right then, the manager has arrived and is ready to speak to the media, so let's see what he has to say this week...

He starts by praising his side's confidence: "We felt the performance was good against Everton. We need to get back on the horse and defend better this weekend. You wouldn't believe we are where we are when you see the confidence of this group of players."

The topic of conversation quickly turns to racism, and the Premier League's only black manager says: "There are probably some managers who are better suited from a profile point of view and there are other managers that should have had jobs of this magnitude. If it doesn't work out for me here, as a manager of any race it's going to be difficult to get another job, because you don't just walk into another job. As a black man, it's always going to be difficult anyway. I don't think it's going to be solely based on my ethnicity whether I get a job or not. The problems of the past will still be there."

On equality in general, Ramsey says: "Something has to be done to effect the way people think in boardrooms. I think there needs to be more awareness."

Ramsey is asked about relegation, and he says: "We need four to six points from the next two games, that's the minimum requirement for us. We know we need victories and remain confident as a group."

On foreign players, Ramsey says: "The top end players have pulled the standard, and the top end managers have pulled the standard up, but I think it's mediocrity that's frustrating. We've seen it happen at many a club where some English players have pushed themselves forward, and we've seen that all over the game. Charlie Austin does the uncoachable thing where he scores goals, and that always has its place."

Ramsey is asked about the relegation battle again, and says: "We were very fortunate that the weekend we played Crystal Palace that the other results were in our favour. As the games dwindle away you do have to look at the other results on a Saturday afternoon."

On Charlie Austin not being including in the latest England squad, Ramsey says: "It's a very prestigious thing to be called up to England. There aren't many people in there life that get such an honour. If Charlie keeps putting in the performances and scoring goals it's only a matter of time before he gets picked. There's been a lot of talk about him getting in the squad, but people know that he's a quality player and a quality person."

Ramsey reveals that Leroy Fer and Richard Dunne could both feature again before the end of the season: "Leroy Fer and Richard Dunne are working really hard. They might be ready for consideration in the next few weeks."

Ramsey reiterates that the team is in good spirits going into this match: "There's no doom and gloom here. We're as upbeat as we can be in this situation. We need high energy performances."

Ramsey reveals that the players that have been involved in internationals are all back ok: "We're still waiting on Yun returning, but all the other internationals have come back unscathed. Mauro Zarate is back at West Ham having treatment. If and when he's fit, he will return here."

That's all from the QPR head coach this morning, so join us again on Saturday to find out if Ramsey's side can end their losing streak. Until then, thanks for joining me this morning. Goodbye.

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West Ham United's English Manager Sam Allardyce waits for the start of the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and Crystal Palace at Boleyn Ground in Upton Park, East London on February 28, 2015
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