Les Ferdinand has urged QPR fans to be patient following their team’s uninspiring start to the season.

Friday’s 4-0 defeat at Fulham led to many supporters turning on head coach Chris Ramsey, whose side are 13th in the Championship table after winning just three of their opening nine league matches.

Ferdinand concedes that Charlie Austin and Matty Phillips staying at Loftus Road has raised expectations of an immediate return to the Premier League.

But the Rangers director of football insists his previous forecast of a difficult season in which consolidation should be the club’s aim has not changed.

“It’s about patience. It’s about consolidation,” Ferdinand said.

“People were getting excited and thinking that we’re going to shoot straight back up. We’ve got no divine right to do that.

“As much as we’d love to do that, it’s about patience, about time, about getting the right personnel, and people learning about the new philosophy of the club.

“I spoke at the start of the season and said that this season would be about consolidation for us.

“Now we’ve kept Charlie and Matty, everyone thinks we’re automatically going to go back up.

“It’s changed the game in terms of people’s perceptions in that many are thinking that we’ve kept those two so should go and win the league.

“But we’ve brought 14 new faces into this football club and got rid of 16. It takes time to gel.

“Charlie and Matty are very good players and are assets for this club, but there are other faces who have come in.

“We’re doing our best to get things right. At no stage have we ever said that we’re going to be going straight back up.”



QPR’s record under Ramsey:

Played 26

Won 7

Drawn 5

Lost 14



Ferdinand previously predicted that ex-Tottenham youth coach Ramsey’s lack of managerial experience would be cited by critics should Rangers stumble.

While admitting that “no manager is safe” and that QPR’s owners “weren’t going to tell me it was a great performance at Fulham”, Ferdinand believes Ramsey will be given time.

“It’s about results, I understand that,” the former R’s and England striker added.

“I also understand that Chris isn’t a household name and we live in an instant society at the moment where people want instant results and when they don’t get them they start calling for managers to go.

“Chris is as disappointed as any supporter was on Friday night. We all were. We know that’s not the standard we want to set at this football club.

“Unfortunately we gave a performance in front of our fans and on the TV that wasn’t acceptable. It’s up to us to make sure that changes.

“We’re in this together and are trying to do the right thing for Queens Park Rangers. We knew at the start of the season what it was going to be like.”