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Joey Barton to ensure in-form Charlie Austin stays grounded

Joey Barton says that he and his QPR teammates will ensure that in-form striker Charlie Austin remains humble amid a sea of praise.

Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has insisted that there is no danger of in-form teammate Charlie Austin getting carried away by his talismanic form.

The former Burnley hitman struck a hat-trick in last weekend's 3-2 victory over West Bromwich Albion.

Austin, who has scored 11 of Rangers' 20 Premier League goals, is the highest-scoring Englishman in the division this season, but Barton says that he will ensure that the 25-year-old retains his humility.

"It'll be our job to keep Charlie on the ground," he told the Daily Star. "We absolutely cane him on a daily basis so his head won't be getting big.

"He's got his lucky jumper – he's got the worst jumper ever that he keeps wearing for home games and he says it's his lucky jumper.

"He's really superstitious. It's a moth-bitten horrible looking jumper like your dog would sleep on, not ironed or anything. To be fair he can keep it on – it hums a little bit but he keeps banging them in."

QPR, who sit two points clear of the relegation zone in 16th place, travel to Arsenal on Friday.

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Charlie Austin of QPR celebrates scoring their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Queens Park Rangers at St Mary's Stadium on September 27, 2014
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TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
1Sheffield UnitedSheff Utd20135228111742
2Leeds UnitedLeeds20125336142241
3Burnley2010822471738
4Sunderland20107329151437
5Blackburn RoversBlackburn1910452317634
6West Bromwich AlbionWest Brom2071122314932
7Middlesbrough209473425931
8Watford199462725231
9Swansea CitySwansea207672119227
10Norwich CityNorwich206863530526
11Bristol City206862525026
12Sheffield WednesdaySheff Weds207582329-626
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15Preston North EndPreston2041062026-622
16Luton TownLuton2064102335-1222
17Coventry CityCoventry205692529-421
18Stoke CityStoke205692126-521
19Queens Park RangersQPR204972026-621
20Oxford UnitedOxford Utd194692030-1018
21Portsmouth193882134-1317
22Cardiff CityCardiff1945101730-1317
23Plymouth ArgylePlymouth1945101940-2117
24Hull City2037101828-1016


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