Manager Mark Hughes has demanded relegation-threatened QPR stop hitting the self-destruct button by keeping their discipline in their vital Barclays Premier League clash with Everton.
QPR have dropped 13 points from winning positions at Loftus Road this season and had five players sent off at home, three in their last four fixtures.
As a result, only goal difference separates QPR from the relegation zone and they face an ominous run-in, including facing six of the top seven teams in the league.
Hughes believes QPR have the quality to win their battle against the drop - providing they stop shooting themselves in the foot with red cards.
"We haven't helped ourselves because we haven't managed to keep 11 players on the field and that has hurt us in too many games," said Hughes, who will be without the suspended pair Samba Diakite and Djibril Cisse.
"In three of the last four home games we have gone down to 10 men and it is very difficult to overcome those differences at Premier League level.
"We want to keep 11 on the field of play, that will help us significantly. We need to start getting points on the board.
"I remain convinced we have enough quality in the club to stay up. We have to make sure we emphasise that fact by getting the points on the board.
"We need to be competitive in the league but we need to keep people on the field of play. If we do that in our home games we will pick up more than enough points."
Everton head to Loftus Road unbeaten in seven and a model of consistency compared to QPR, who are still finding their feet after Hughes was brought in to replace Neil Warnock.
"They are a very well-established Premier League club," Hughes said.
"We are working in a different way, a more structured way than they are used to (under Warnock) and it takes a bit of time to understand what is required.
"They have really embraced that and it is only a matter of time before we see the fruits of that labour."
Luke Young could return from a hamstring injury against Everton but Fitz Hall and DJ Campbell are set to remain absent despite being on the comeback trail.
Everton manager David Moyes believes QPR may have to wait to see the benefit of bringing in Hughes but he is backing their opponents to survive their first season back in the Barclays Premier League.
Since Hughes replaced Warnock in early January the Loftus Road club have taken just four points from six league matches.
Moyes said not every new manager could have an instant impact and R's fans would have to be patient.
"When a new manager comes in you can sometimes get the instant effect of winning a few games like Martin O'Neill (at Sunderland)," he said.
"But in other situations it takes time to get results and bed in what you are trying to do.
"But there is no right way and wrong way because if that was the case chairman would be changing managers every three months just to get an instant hit.
"It is one of these things: I am sure in time Mark Hughes will prove his ability as a manager at QPR. I am maybe not surprised (at their league position) because you wouldn't expect a promoted team to be much further up.
"But I've said from the start of the season I expected the newly-promoted teams to stay up and I still believe that.
"Norwich are almost a certainty and Swansea are close to being safe and the only ones who are in any difficulty are QPR but I've always had a feeling they have enough to get out of trouble.
They have spent well and they will fight all the way to the end."
Midfielders Jack Rodwell and Leon Osman played for the reserves in midweek while striker Nikica Jelavic also had a run-out for Croatia.
Everton will be missing midfielder Darron Gibson, however, as he has been ruled out with a knee injury.
Source: PA
