Mark Hughes is keen for his revamped QPR squad to avoid the lower reaches of the Premier League this season.
boss hoping revamped QPR will be looking further up the table
Mark Hughes is keen for his revamped QPR squad to avoid the lower reaches of the Premier League this season.
Rangers flirted dangerously with relegation in 2011/12, but stayed up despite losing to eventual champions Manchester City on a dramatic last day.
Experienced campaigners like Andrew Johnson, Ryan Nelsen and Ji-Sung Park are among a host of new faces at Loftus Road, with Hughes confident that a stronger squad will stay out of trouble.
Targets
"We have set ourselves targets in terms of points and what we want to achieve," said Hughes.
"I think it is important that certainly we improve on the position we were able to achieve last season - it was too close for comfort for everyone involved with QPR and we don't anticipate that is going to be the case this year.
"We are fully aware that the Premier League is a very difficult league but I feel, and the whole club from top to bottom feels, that the quality that we have been able to bring in means we won't find ourselves in the same position."
Joey Barton, banned for 12 matches and possibly on his way out of QPR, is no longer club captain but Hughes has yet to decide on a replacement.
Leadership
"We have a good group now and there is that old adage that you need more than one captain, you need a team of captains and we have good leadership in the group now and irrespective of who gets the armband I expect the majority of the players to drive the team from within.
"We are quite happy with the situation we find ourselves in in terms of leadership in our group."
Hughes added that Ji-sung Park is a candidate for the QPR captaincy.
"He is in my thinking in that respect. I have said there are a lot of guys I feel comfortable with giving the responsibility of captain and certainly Ji is in that group."
