QPR boss Harry Redknapp believes "a gulf in class" makes it almost impossible for this season's relegation battlers to compete with the top sides in the Barclays Premier League.

Rangers secured a well-deserved 2-2 draw at home to Manchester City last month but have failed to earn another point against teams currently in the top half of the table.

The three promoted sides all find themselves in the relegation zone ahead of this weekend's fixtures, with QPR sandwiched between Leicester, who are bottom, and Burnley.

"Leicester beat Man United in September and you thought they would finish in the top half, that's how it goes in this division, it is so hard to win games, there's a gulf in class," Redknapp said.

"Man City have beaten Sunderland 4-1 and Southampton 3-0 (in the last week) – they're on another level, they can go away with 10 men and win 3-0.

"That tells you the difference in quality between Man City, Chelsea, even Arsenal – they've got massive budgets and top players.

"It is hard for clubs like Leicester, Burnley and QPR.

"Eight players that played for us against Swansea on Tuesday played in the Championship last year and came up through the play-offs."

Thirteen points separated sixth place from eighth at the end of last season but the likes of West Ham, Swansea and Southampton are all threatening to upset the established elite.

Redknapp believes the bottom half will remain tight throughout the campaign but expects the usual suspects to fill the top spots come May.

"At the start of the year you can predict those challenging for the Champions League and I think it will still be four from the seven we expected to be there," Redknapp said.

"There's not much in it at the bottom, if you look at the teams – Burnley are very much the same team that came up last year and we're the same.

"Leicester were definitely the best team in the Championship last year and they're down with us as well.

"We're going okay, we need to pick up some points away but our home form has been excellent.

"It's going to be tight, it'll be a tight bottom third of the league this year."

QPR are the only team in England's top four divisions who have failed to pick up a point away from home this season.

Rangers have fared far better at Loftus Road, where they host fellow newcomers Burnley on Saturday, but Redknapp admits his side's away form must improve.

"It's been difficult, we've played good teams and we've found it hard – there's not too many teams down the bottom who have got results away from home," Redknapp said.

"The games we've played have all been against good clubs who have been up there in the top eight.

"Maybe we have to find a system that will get us a result somewhere but we've tried everything, every system in the book.

"You have to keep going, it'll turn, we'll pick up a result away from home when you probably least expect it.

"First and foremost though we have to concentrate on our home form this weekend and get a result against Burnley."