QPR players still believe they can put a run of results together which will see them beat the dreaded drop out of the Premier League, according to midfielder Joey Barton.

The R’s are four points from safety and sit second from bottom in the Premier League and with many having written off their chances of survival with just nine games left, they are now priced at 1.14 to go down.

Chris Ramsey’s men have lost their last three Premier League encounters whilst Barton sat watching, courtesy of a three-game ban he picked up after being sent off at Hull, but he still believes they will beat the drop.

The skipper told the Evening Standard: “It is far from over. If people want to write us off, that’s their opinion but we hope to prove them wrong.

“There are a lot of positives. I was looking through the fixtures and there are a lot of winnable games. For example, Everton have to play Thursday night at Dynamo Kiev [in the Europa League] and then have to come to our place on Sunday.

“Everyone in the game is doom and gloom. You lose a couple of games and it’s bad. I do admit it doesn’t look great for us at the minute.

But I believe we can do it and I think I speak for everyone in the building when I say that.”

QPR are next in action against Everton on Sunday before trips to both Aston Villa and West Brom and Barton and his team-mates are aware that they have to put an end to their slump and start winning.