Hogan Ephraim believes newly-promoted Queens Park Rangers will need to be on top of their game week in, week out if they are to survive their first season in the top flight for 15 years.
The west Londoners have been busy preparing for what will be a massive year at Loftus Road, and started their pre-season schedule in quite remarkable fashion.
Neil Warnock’s side certainly looked sharp in their pre-season friendly against Tavistock on Monday - beating the part-timers 13-0.
Ephraim contributed four goals to that impressive total and insists that even though it was against lowly placed opposition, it was a very positive result for the club.
Speaking to QPR’s official website he said: “It was a good team performance - some good movement and a good work-out. It looks like the rustiness has gone.
“It was nice for us to score some goals. Goals in any game will give the boys confidence. Some of the goals were very good, no matter what the opposition was.”
The 23-year-old will certainly be expecting much tougher opponents to come in the season ahead but says the team will fear no one.
“For all the boys, it's the biggest season of their lives," he added. "We're going to go out there, give it our best and we won't fear anyone. No-one wants to let themselves down. We all want to do ourselves, the manager and our families proud."
The Hoops welcome Bolton to Loftus Road on the opening weekend of the season and Ephraim expects the team to be ready to go.
"The boys have come back really fit this season,” he continued. “There's a great professionalism within the team. I think we realised that we needed to come back at our sharpest."
