By Neil Ashton
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After monitoring QPR's progress from Malaysia, Tony Fernandes will make a special trip to London for Saturday's game with Arsenal.
He communicates with Mark Hughes on most days, and his flying visit will give him the chance to show some public support for his manager.
QPR's flamboyant chairman expected a better start to the season after comparing the fortunes of his team to the grid of a Formula One race.
Stuck in first gear: Queens Park Rangers have yet to win a game in the Premier League this season
As the owner of Caterham F1, he knows all about competition. Right now, his team are last and Fernandes does not like being at the back.
The real race is run at the top, where teams such as Everton have their noses in front and are making a romantic play for the Champions League.
After eight false starts in the Barclays Premier League, QPR have coughed, spluttered and failed to turn the corner.
Even the editor of QPR's matchday programme is picking up on the fear, leaving out the league table for Sunday's edition after Rangers picked up two points in their opening seven matches.
They are still last, despite five changes from the team beaten 3-2 at West Bromwich on October 6.
The engine had been revving at the start of the season when Rangers recruited 12 new players and pushed 19 in the direction of rival teams.
There will always be a period of adjustment, particularly with a blend of players who arrived to earn big bucks at Loftus Road.
Fernandes has piled heavy-duty cash into the contracts for Julio Cesar, Samba Diakite, Park Ji-Sung, Esteban Granero, Jose Bosingwa, Junior Hoilett and Bobby Zamora.
For that, he expects a substantial return, but Cesar is still settling in after his high-profile move on loan from Inter Milan.
He allowed Ricardo Vaz Te's deflected effort to beat him in the previous home game against West Ham, and the Brazil keeper should have done better with Sylvain Distin's header.
Coming home: Owner Tony Fernandes will travel to London to watch his QPR side face Arsenal on Saturday
It is taking time, a precious commodity in an era when all that counts for clubs such as QPR is staying in the Premier League.
They have undergone major surgery, refurbishing the club's training ground at Harlington and giving the offices at their west London stadium a facelift.
If there are doubts beginning to creep in about Hughes, then the record of David Moyes should give Fernandes some comfort.
As manager of a team that once competed for league titles, Moyes hasn't always been chasing the Champions League.
Misfiring: The likes of Bobby Zamora (centre) have failed to impress so far this season
He finished 15th in his first season at Goodison Park (2001-02) and narrowly escaped relegation when they ended the 2003-04 season one place above the drop.
But he has turned Everton into a formidable team, finishing in the top half of the table in each of the last six seasons.
The challenge for Moyes is to turn them into Champions League material, by finishing in the top four.
The opposition is taking Moyes seriously - Brendan Rodgers made the trip south ahead of Sunday's Merseyside derby.
It has taken on added significance as Everton's manager becomes accustomed to questions about his team's top-four potential.
He wants them to be judged after 10 Premier League games, but Rodgers was making his own assessments in the directors' box on Sunday.
Liverpool's manager will have been surprised by Moyes' decision to tuck Steven Pienaar inside and sacrifice his electrifying partnership with Leighton Baines down the left.
Pienaar was sent off, harshly, for a second yellow card in the second half, and will miss the visit of Liverpool. It's a big game for both teams, but Moyes is pleased with his position on the grid.
Not again: Fernandes will show his public backing for manager Mark Hughes (right) on Saturday
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