Joey Barton has admitted that Queens Park Rangers can have no complaints about their current predicament at the bottom end of the Premier League table following this evening's latest setback.

The R's fell 2-1 at home to Everton to remain four points from safety with just eight games left to play.

However, Barton, who returned to the side for the clash against fellow strugglers Everton following a three-game ban, remains confident that QPR can turn around their faltering fortunes in the final weeks of the campaign.

"The league table doesn't lie," BBC Sport quotes the Hoops skipper as saying. "Over the course of 30-odd games you deserve to be where you are - you can't complain every week about bad luck.

"It is an unforgiving league, no team shows you any empathy. We still believe we can stay up - that is a fundamental thing in our dressing room. Now we have got to go out and prove that. We were the better side today but have got no points to show for it."

Following the two-week international break, Rangers, who have now lost nine of their last 10 games, face West Bromwich Albion at The Hawthorns.