QPR defender Grant Hall believes the club can finish top six in the Championship - but admits facing the likes of Newcastle will be tough.

The demoted Magpies have spent a fortune in Championship terms in a bid to bounce back to the Premier League at the first attempt.

Something in the region of £27million on Dwight Gayle, Matt Ritchie and Matz Sels, shows United boss Rafel Benitez's intent, even if they did recoup £13m on the sale of former Rs loanee Andros Townsend to Crystal Palace.

In contrast, Rangers have so far forked out around £3m on new recruits, but Hall, player of the year and scorer against Reading (below), insists his side are in better nick to challenge for a play-off spot than last term.

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Hall said: “We know it's going to be tough. Our aim is the top six. We know it's tough with the teams coming down and the teams coming up.

“It's a very tough league and anyone can beat anyone. Newcastle are going to be looking to go straight back up but we're looking at ourselves.”

QPR finished 12th on 60 points, 14 behind sixth placed Sheffield Wednesday; 29 behind runners-up Middlesbrough and a whopping 33 off champions Burnley, who came down with Hoops the season before.

He added: “It's consistency. Last season we were inconsistent results wise and performance wise.

“The gaffer came in last season and a lot went on and it was tough. Now we've got a pre-season he can get the players he wants and he can build from there.”

Hall also believes that last season's dullness, in relation to the chaos of previous years, will stand the club in good stead.

He explained: “The foundations are in place for the club to move forward. It was a bit of a yo-yo club before.

“Maybe, we needed what happened last season in finding stability. Having those foundations in place, we can only get better.”