Everton host QPR on Monday Night Football with the visitors looking for an away point at the eighth attempt. History suggests the Hoops are up against it and need to address their away form sooner rather than later...
Monday 15 December 2014 10:49, UK
Queens Park Rangers travel to Everton for Monday Night Football aiming to end a sequence of seven away defeats in seven attempts on their return to the Premier League.
QPR are only the second side in Premier League history to lose their first seven away games of the season.
The omens aren’t good either. The only other team to fail to pick up a single point from the first 21 available was Bolton Wanderers in 1995/96 – and they finished rock bottom of the table.
Bolton went on to lose their first nine away matches that season so Harry Redknapp’s still have two chances to avoid that ignominy. Indeed, delve a little deeper into the history books and there is some hope for the Hoops.
There are 19 additional teams since the advent of the Premier League that have managed just one point in their first seven road trips. While 11 of them failed to finish among the top 17 as QPR will need to do come May, the other eight did avoid that fate. Some of them in style.
For example, Blackburn were the defending champions in 1995 but still began the campaign dismally away from Ewood Park. And yet, they were able to recover to finish in seventh spot.
The last team to survive the drop after having only a draw to show for their first seven away games was Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2010/11. However, Mick McCarthy’s side had to rely on help from elsewhere in order to stay up on the final day of the season.
More worryingly for Redknapp and his players is the example of the last side to start a Premier League season so badly on the road. That team was QPR just two seasons ago. Their final position? Last in the Premier League.
Watch QPR in action at Everton on Monday Night Football live on Sky Sports 1 HD
