Harry Redknapp yesterday vowed to axe any QPR player who did not pull his weight as he faced up to the “toughest” challenge of his managerial career.

Redknapp insisted Rangers’ “nice” owners had not been given the results they deserved for the money paid for their squad in fees and wages.

New QPR boss Redknapp has only been in the Loftus Road hot seat for two days but it took him little time to assess what had led his new side to make the worst start to a season in Premier League history.

“We’ve got four points from 13 games, which is an incredible low total. We’ve got to do better to give ourselves an opportunity to get out of this mess. I need people that are going to work. When they lose the ball, chase it . . . If they don’t, they’re not going to play to start with and I’ll find another 11 who will run about and work hard.

Survive

“I’ve got no time for people losing the ball and throwing their arms up in air . . . We’re in a relegation battle, we’ve got four points. It’s their fault, it’s nobody else’s fault.”

Spurs and Portsmouth were also in dire trouble when Redknapp took charge and he transformed both club’s fortunes in spectacular fashion.

But he said ahead of his first game in charge against Sunderland tonight that this is “much tougher than those two jobs”.

Redknapp was set to be reunited with former assistants Joe Jordan and Kevin Bond after revealing QPR’s board were close to agreeing a deal to bring them on board.

He added of his new bosses, who sacked Mark Hughes on Friday: “They don’t deserve to be where they are because . . . they’ve invested, and they are nice people. That, for me, was important. I think they found it very hard last week to let Mark go, that’s for sure. They’re not ruthless people . . . I would love to bring some success to them. They deserve it.”

On the possibility of bringing in David Beckham, he said: “I got a lovely text from David the other night, just wishing me well . . . but we’ve not discussed anything.”