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Redknapp Calls for More Quality from QPR

QPR manager Harry Redknapp admitted his side need to show more quality and composure if they are to win their battle to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Redknapp's team remain bottom of the table after being forced to settle for a 1-1 draw in Saturday's London derby at his former club West Ham.

QPR scored with their only shot on target, when debutant striker Loic Remy beat the offside trap after 14 minutes to run onto Adel Taarabt's pass and slot home.

But it was one of the few flashes of craft from Redknapp's men, who were grateful that goalkeepeer Julio Cesar was able to frustrate the Hammers with a series of fine saves.

QPR are now unbeaten in five games, but Redknapp conceded they will have to improve in all areas to beat the drop.

"It's a point gained, but I couldn't say we deserved to win," Redknapp said.

"That would be nonsense, wouldn't it? At least we're still in there and we're fighting. But we have to try to play with a bit more quality. We got in front and that's when you should be keeping the ball.

"You have to be bold enough to try to play with the ball. You can't keep kicking the ball back to them and inviting attacks. Spirit and effort will only get you so far.

"You need to be able to play and pass the ball under pressure. I like teams that can play and we need to be bolder."

Redknapp revealed he remains in the market for Rennes midfielder Yann M'Vila, but regretted that he had been unable to land Joe Cole, who scored the equalizer from close range after Cesar had saved a header by West Ham substitute Carlton Cole.

Joe Cole was given his debut by Redknapp when he was West Ham manager, but the lure of Upton Park proved stronger when he left Liverpool than being reunited with his former manager.

"I wanted Joe, but I felt we took too long to get the deal sorted. Once West Ham came in, he was only ever going to come here. It's Joe's club, this is his home, it's where he started as a 12-year-old when I signed him," Redknapp said.

Meanwhile, Sam Allardyce called for better finishing from his forwards after seeing his West Ham team dominate but end up with only one point.

"We put in 46 crosses so you're giving the front men the right service but that has been our problem -- our front men don't score enough goals to win us games that we should win," Allardyce said.

"We couldn't have created more chances in the 90 minutes. But however dominant we were in the stat department, however much better than the opposition we were, the one thing that matters is the score, and it's 1-1.

"Whatever happened today we couldn't get the ball in the net. However, you say to the players that if you continue to play like that, you will win more than you draw."

Marouane Chamakh, on his first home start for West Ham since joining on loan from Arsenal, saw several efforts saved by Cesar, and also had two penalty claims refused by referee Howard Webb.

"It looks like Howard wasn't in a great position to have a clear view," Allardyce said.

"He got in a couple of very good headers and we'd have loved Chamakh to score, but it was his first game for a while and it's a question of competitive edge."

Source: Agence France Presse


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