Defender Clint Hill says the QPR team will relish chasing Cardiff City who replaced the R’s at the top of the table on Saturday.

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There’s a heavy hint of ‘well he would say that, wouldn’t he’ about Clint Hill’s interview with the Fulham Chronicle today. Rangers were knocked off top spot for the first time since August at the weekend when their fifth draw in six matches opened the way for in form Cardiff to climb to the summit. The pressure from behind is now coming from Swansea City who are just four points further back. But with Swansea and Cardiff playing each other this weekend while Rangers host Reading Hill says QPR are still in a great position.

He said: “I think we've got to use it as a positive really. We've got to look at it now that we are the ones chasing and have to go out and play well to keep up with the leaders, and I think we will. Hopefully now we've got something to chase, we'll kick on and start getting wins rather than draws. The other thing is that as nice as it is when you're top, a lot of teams raise their game and make it harder for you. Teams have been sitting back a little bit when they come to Loftus Road. Let's not forget that it's the top two who go up and that's where we'd like to be by the end of the season. Being top would be an absolute bonus, but there's a big reward for second place.”

Norwich City are another side targeting QPR and Russell Martin says the Canaries are not in the mood to give up the chase despite a 3-1 set back at Cardiff at the weekend. Martin said: “It is a massive gap between where we were and where they are. The fact that they can sign someone like Craig Bellamy on loan shows the financial gap between both teams. But we have gone to QPR away now, with the financial power they have got and the squad they have got, and to Cardiff, and if you take away 10 minutes from both of the games I don't think you have seen a massive difference in the teams."

Elsewhere today Neil Warnock has spoken out in support of Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp. The Spurs gaffer had been threatened with an FA charge for criticising referee Mark Clattenburg in the wake of the farcical Man Utd goal at the weekend and Redknapp had said that he would no longer give post match interviews if a charge was brought.

Neil Warnock told the Victoria Derbyshire programme on Five Live: “In this particular case I don’t think Harry was bad – he wasn’t personal in his attack he just thought it was a bad decision. They should just drop t and warn him to be careful. I thought he was remarkably restrained in what he said.”

The FA announced this afternoon that Redknapp would face no action.

Loan watch

Young full back Aaron Waters has rejoined his hometown club Thurrock on loan. The former Tottenham junior is yet to make a first team appearance with Rangers and spent time on loan with Fleet earlier this season. He will stay with the Conference South outfit until December 6 after signing a six month professional contract with QPR in the summer.

Former R’s

Peter Crouch scored the second goal as Tottenham ran out 3-1 winners against European Champions Inter Milan in the Champions League this evening. In a rare entertaining group game Gareth Bale was again the stand out performer as Spurs carved Rafael Benitez’s men apart – laying the second and third goals on a plate for first Crouch and then Roman Pavlyuchenko. Crouch has now scored five goals for Spurs this season – all of them in the Champions League – and Spurs will progress to the knock out round if they beat Werder Bremen in their next match.

Championship Shorts

- Palace boss George Burley is said to be skating on thin ice with the club’s new supporter led board after the Eagles sank to the bottom of the Championship with a 3-0 home defeat by Swansea on Saturday. Burley was only appointed in the summer but former Eagles favourite Alan Pardew is waiting in the wings to take over.

- Hull are hoping to finally give a debut to midfielder James Harper when they face Scunthorpe this weekend. Harper broke his foot during the summer, a week after joining on a free from Sheff Utd and is yet to start for the Tigers.

- Sheff Utd captain Chris Morgan has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a cruciate knee ligament injury picked up against Coventry at the weekend. Manager Gary Speed said: “It's a massive blow for Chris and the club and realistically we won't see him in action until pre-season training. The lads we have that can play in the central defender's role will miss his experience and spirit.” LFW usually wishes players a speedy recovery at this point but on this occasion we’ll pass.

- Pre season promotion favourites Nottingham Forest will not be adding loan players to their squad unless exceptional talent becomes available despite languishing 13th in the Championship table. Following a weekend defeat by Portsmouth manager Billy Davies said: “Unless they are exceptional, we will not be filling jerseys for filling jerseys' sake. We have a squad with a great spirit and a great dressing room dynamic."

Parish notice board

Serving members of the RAF in Northolt were put through their paces by kevin and Steve Gallen and Marc Bircham recently. The footballers play local Sunday League Football in the Hayes and District League and the squad is made up of service personnel. The team recently changed its name to Northolt Shepherds FC in tribute to one of their squad members Dan Shepherd who was killed in an explosion in Afghanistan last year.

Manager and QPR fan Warren Ringham asked Rangers if they would be interested in a 'Help for Heroes' coaching session and the R's were only too happy to oblige.

Warren told the club's official website: "It was such an amazing experience to be coached by these professionals. There was great banter, superb tips and coaching and getting to play with and against them at the end was a dream come true. Sharing a beer with them afterwards in our NAAFI was a surreal moment and I personally hardly slept a wink that night. I want to extend my deepest thanks to the lads for coming down, everyone is buzzing after the session and even the non-R's have pledged to watch out for QPR results after the tremendous show of generosity from Steve, Marc and Kevin."

Elsewhere Reading have sold their initial 2,000 allocation for Saturday’s clash at Loftus Road and have taken a further 700 tickets on for sale. The away end at Rangers holds 3,100 and a decision will be made later this week on whether to permit sales of visiting seats on the day.

Photo: Action Images

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