Last updated on .From the section Football

Hughes perplexed by QPR performance

Queens Park Rangers boss Mark Hughes remains in charge of the Premier League strugglers following a meeting with chief executive Philip Beard.

Reports claimed the ex-Wales boss had been sacked after the pair met at the Hoops' training ground on Monday.

Worst Premier League starts after 12 games Everton 1994-95: Won 0 Drawn 4 Lost 8 Goal difference -16 Points 4 Final position 15 STAYED UP

QPR 2012-13: Won 0 Drawn 4 Lost 8 Goal difference -14 Points 4

Sheff Wed 1999-00: Won 1 Drawn 2 Lost 9 Goal difference -19 Points 5 Final position 19 RELEGATED

Swindon 1993-94: Won 0 Drawn 5 Lost 7 Goal difference -18 Points 5 Final position 22 RELEGATED

Man City 1995-6: Won 1 Drawn 2 Lost 9 Goal difference -17 Points 5 Final position 18 RELEGATED

Sunderland 2005-06: Won 1 Drawn 2 Lost 9 Goal difference -13 Points 5 Final position 20 RELEGATED

Hughes is under pressure with winless QPR sitting bottom having taken four points from their opening 12 games.

But his representative Kia Joorabchian told BBC Sport: "These rumours are not true at all." external-link

And Ian Taylor, the club's head of media and communications, tweeted: "Rumours suggesting Mark Hughes has been sacked as QPR manager tonight [Monday] are not true."

Hughes, 49, did not take training on Monday as he was studying the post-match analysis of the loss to Southampton, but did work with his players on Tuesday as normal.

The Welshman, who has also managed Blackburn, Manchester City and Fulham, insisted he would not resign from his job following Saturday's 3-1 home defeat by the Saints.

Some fans demanded his sacking during and after the match, which leaves QPR five points adrift of safety.

Chairman Tony Fernandes has continued to publicly back Hughes, who he appointed in January to replace sacked predecessor Neil Warnock. After the Southampton game, the Malaysian said he was "gutted" by the result. external-link

Winger Junior Hoilett, who was signed by Hughes from former side Blackburn in the summer, insists everyone at the west London club must stick together.

"Everybody in the dressing room was hugely disappointed with the result," he said.

"We're all really disappointed and frustrated with how things are going at the moment, but we will work hard to put it right.

"I can understand the fans' frustrations. We're as frustrated as they are because we want to change this around and climb the table. We've got to stick together as a team."