Mark Hughes admits Queens Park Rangers must secure maximum points against Reading on Sunday as the Hoops look to move clear of the relegation zone.
The west London outfit are still without a victory in the Premier League this season, leaving QPR at the foot of the table and three points behind 17th-placed Aston Villa.
The Hoops welcome a Reading side who conceded seven goals in a Capital One Cup defeat by Arsenal on Tuesday night, and Hughes wants his side to finally convert their performances into points.
“In recent weeks we’ve gone up against teams in the top half of the table and we’ve acquitted ourselves really well but haven’t got the points we felt we deserved,” said Hughes.
“Now we’re going up against teams in or around us and they take on real significance because we need to get maximum points.”
QPR’s start to the season has been blighted by injuries and sloppy goals conceded, while Samba Diakite and Stephane Mbia have both earned red cards at crucial moments in losses to West Ham United and Arsenal.
Hughes acknowledges he has been faced with a number of unforeseen problems this term, but the Welshman is adamant the issues that have hampered their displays have been addressed and his side are relishing this weekend’s must-win encounter.
“We can do everything correctly but you get a curve ball and the roof falls in and you can’t do anything about it,” added Hughes.
“We’ve lost soft goals and lost people to red cards, obviously against Arsenal last weekend that was significant.
“On occasion we haven’t helped ourselves either in terms of defending correctly.
“All those have contributed to where we are and why we haven’t picked up as many points as we should have.
“We need address that really, really quickly. The guys have been excellent this week and we’re really looking forward to the game.”