Responsibility lies with players, says Nelsen

Queens Park Rangers defender Ryan Nelsen said the playing group must take responsibility for their poor start this Premier League term.

Saturday’s home defeat against fellow strugglers Southampton left the Hoops four points adrift at the bottom of the table, without a win to their name in 12 Premier League outings.

This miserable start has put manager Mark Hughes’ job under severe threat, but Nelsen believes the players need to shoulder their own share of the blame for the current predicament.

The New Zealand international told the club’s official website: “The players have to hold complete responsibility for last weekend. When it mattered most, we just didn’t stand up.

“You’ve got to defend and attack the ball and we just didn’t get on the end of anything. Every game from now until the end of the season is a ‘stand up and be counted’ game.

“Every player’s got to hold their hands up and do everything they can for this club to get out of where we are.”

Former Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp has been heavily linked with taking over from Hughes at Loftus Road, although the Welshman has allegedly refused the board’s recent request to resign.