By Ben Kosky HOGAN Ephraim believes the players must share the blame for QPR s excessive managerial turnover during the last two and a half years. Ephraim, who recently returned from a loan spell with Leeds, has played under eight different men – includin

By Ben Kosky

HOGAN Ephraim believes the players must share the blame for QPR's excessive managerial turnover during the last two and a half years.

Ephraim, who recently returned from a loan spell with Leeds, has played under eight different men - including caretaker managers - since joining Rangers in August 2007.

Paul Hart's tenure ended with his resignation last week after less than a month in charge and Ephraim told the Times: "It's crazy. If you keep changing you lose focus of where you want to go.

"Different managers play different styles and maybe sometimes it gets lost in translation, but at the end of the day the buck stops with us. I don't think so many managers in two and a half years could all have been wrong.

"We've got to be brave and admit we've not been good enough for a lot of that time. Maybe some people might not want to say it but that's the brutal fact.

"If you're winning games and you're in the top five or six in the league, I can't see the manager being changed. We're paid good money to work hard and we've all got to up our game."

Hart's exit, confirmed in a League Managers' Association statement that said he was 'very unhappy with certain situations', has ushered Mick Harford into the QPR manager's chair for a second time.

The former Luton boss - who succeeded John Gregory on a temporary basis in October 2007 and lifted the Rs off the foot of the Championship before making way for Luigi de Canio - is likely to remain in charge for the rest of the season.

Ephraim, who worked with Harford during his time as assistant manager at Colchester before the pair linked up again at Loftus Road, feels he is a strong candidate for a longer stint at the helm.

"I have unbelievable respect for Mick Harford," said the Rs midfielder. "I went on loan to Colchester when I was 18 and him and Geraint Williams, the manager, were superb to me.

"Mick's a straight, honest guy, he'll tell you how it is to your face and if you don't like it, so be it. He won't take any shit, to be honest - that's what we need.

"He's not scared to upset anybody, but he's also someone you can go to with anything - he's played at the highest level and understands what it's like.

"Hopefully if we work hard for him he'll stay in the job a bit longer. At Luton I thought he was superb and handled himself really well, and if he got the job here I'd be delighted for him."

And Ephraim is determined to force his way into the starting line-up after coming on as a substitute in the first game of Harford's second spell in charge, a 2-2 draw at Blackpool.

A month with Leeds enabled Ephraim to regain some match sharpness and confidence - but it was perhaps just as well for the 21-year-old Manchester United fan that he didn't stay at Elland Road any longer.

Leeds, of course, knocked their hated rivals out of the FA Cup just a few days after Ephraim's return to Loftus Road and the player admitted: "I'm glad I went there, but I'm glad to be back as well.

"I was devastated after watching the cup tie. I wouldn't have wanted to be around the Leeds lads after that!

"They're winning every week and that's one of the reasons I went there - I knew I'd be playing with some very good players.

"Now I want to give it my best shot at QPR. The coaches here know what I can do - hopefully if I keep working hard it'll be enough to get in the team."

QPR will be without a fixture this weekend after hopes of rearranging their postponed league clash with Plymouth were dashed.

With both clubs out of the FA Cup, Rangers had hoped to reschedule the match for Saturday but, under Football League regulations, the Pilgrims' home game against Barnsley - controversially abandoned in November - took priority and will be played this weekend instead.