Soccer-Quick return would be hard if QPR relegated, says Ramsey

LONDON, May 8 (Reuters) - Queen's Park Rangers will struggle to make an immediate return to the Premier League if, as seems almost certain, they succumb to relegation, interim manager Chris Ramsey said on Friday. The London club managed it last time they dropped out of the Premier League in 2013, gaining promotion via the Championship playoffs -- but Ramsey believes a long rebuilding job will be needed if they fail to stay up. "I think it will be difficult to come back (straight away)because we have obstacles that weren't there before," Ramsey, who replaced Harry Redknapp in February, told reporters. "If it ends up negatively we need to have a rebuilding period and people need to be realistic about how long that will take. Having said that, everyone wants to bounce straight back." With three matches left, starting with this weekend's game at Manchester City, QPR are seven points behind 17th-placed Hull City and even a maximum nine points would be unlikely to save them from the drop. In March the club announced a huge cut in losses to 9.8 million pounds ($15.1 million), compared to 65 million pounds the previous year, although 60 million pounds of loans were written off by owner Tony Fernandes and other shareholders. Clubs falling foul of the Football League's Financial Fair Play rules can be hit with heavy fines, points deductions and transfer embargoes, all of which would leave QPR facing the prospect of a wholesale clearout of players such as leading striker Charlie Austin. Until relegation is confirmed, however, Ramsey is saying all the right things as he tries to convince the owners that he is the man to oversee the rebuilding process. "As long as there are points to be played for you have to believe you can do it," he said. "The mood of the squad is good but we understand we have a very big task ahead. But we will go out with the same energy and enthusiasm. "City are a good team on their worst day...we hope they don't turn up at the weekend and we do." Of his own future, he said: "A decision will be made at the end of the season. We've had discussions but nothing has been put in concrete at the moment. "I'm hoping I will be here. It's important that everyone around the club realises we need stability and the foundations in place to make the future bright for QPR." ($1 = 0.6482 pounds) (Reporting by Martyn Herman, editing by Ed Osmond)