Redknapp warns QPR could struggle in the Championship next season

Harry Redknapp has warned that QPR could find the going tough in the Championship.

Rangers’ big-spending owners will target an immediate return to the Premier League if the team are unable to pull off a miraculous escape and avoid the drop this season.

But manager Redknapp believes the problems encountered by Wolves and Blackburn since they went down last term is a stark indication of what the R’s could face in the second tier.

He said: “It’s not easy. You look at this year – Wolves went down and I thought they were a good side.

“Under Mick McCarthy, Wolves were a strong side. They then got relegated and are now hanging in there not to go down again.

“Blackburn went down and they were a decent team last year who weren’t that far short in the Premier League.

Clint Hill of QPR
The likes of Clint Hill could be vital for QPR next season.

“It’s hard that Championship – you ain’t going to suddenly go in there and get straight back out of it. It’s very tough.

“I don’t think you can go down with the attitude ‘Oh we’ll come straight back up next year, it’s going to be easy’. It ain’t going to be easy for whoever goes down.”

And Redknapp believes physical and mental toughness will be as important as the players’ ability if Rangers are to have a realistic chance of returning to the top flight.

He explained: “It’s a lot of hard work and a scrap. In that league it’s Saturday-midweek-Saturday every week.

“You need people who going to be willing to roll their sleeves up and want to play all them games, not people who go ‘Oh I’m tired, I can’t play Tuesday’ – you don’t need that.

“You need a group of players who are going to scrap. That’s very important.”

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