ARMAND Traore admits he is playing for his wage packet and his Premiership future as QPR bid to avoid the drop.
The left-sided defender already has experience of a struggling campaign with Portsmouth nearly three years ago when on loan from Arsenal.
But the honest player reckons this is the real deal, and is determined to avoid relegation, starting at home against Everton tomorrow (Saturday).
He said: “To tell the truth, when I was at Portsmouth, I always knew I would be going back to Arsenal.
“And although I always did my best, it wasn’t the same for me as it was for the contracted players at Portsmouth.”
Traore signed from Arsenal on an undisclosed three-year deal in August, and is only too aware of the fall-out from a plunge to the Championship.
He added: “Wages will be cut if we go down.
“But just as important, no-one wants to play in the Championship when they have been used to a first tier of football.
“We have a very good squad on paper and Mark Hughes has got us training the right way.
“I was very glad when Neil Warnock showed faith to bring me to QPR. But the new manager has made the training very fast, very intensive and technical – and everybody has warmed to it.
“What we must do is somehow get points.”
