QPR boss quizzed on his future in verdict on 'very harsh' Sunderland defeat

Critchley's future is under growing scrutiny as a side that began the season in outstanding form continue to drift into midtable.

The club's poor form predates Critchley's arrival after Michael Beale's decision to leave for Rangers, but they have now won just once under the former Blackpool head coach.

Critchley said after the game that he still believed he was the right person to take the club forward, and insisted his players had shown they were still together in what was for large parts a battling performance.

"I believe I'm the right person, I believe in my ability to get the best out of these players," he said in his post-match press conference.

"I didn't see a team that wasn't together or that isn't fighting tonight. I saw the players having a go but it's mistakes that are killing us, sloppy goals.

"For large periods of a lot of these games, we are very competitive and I think 3-0 was very harsh tonight. But it is what it is - we're making too many individual errors and giving away poor goals.

"I know what I want to do and how I want to do it, but it's my responsibility to get the best out of these players."

The home side had started the game well but Sunderland were improving when Seny Dieng failed to gather a Dan Ballard header, allowing Luke O'Nien to score from close range.

Critchley's side responded well after the break but missed a golden opportunity to level when Ilias Chair's penalty was superbly saved by Anthony Patterson.

With Tony Mowbray turning to some of his key players on the bench, Sunderland then broke regularly in the closing stages and added two goals through Jack Clarke.

Mowbray himself said he thought 3-0 was harsh on QPR, though he added that his side had also spurned numerous other opportunities to score.

Critchley felt there were positives on show but admitted that he 'has to do better'.

"I thought we started well, we didn't really show any nerves in the first 20 and we took the game to them," Critchley said.

"They came back into it and it was an even game, but at around half an hour I think it's then a good football game that we've possibly just shaded. We then concede a really poor goal, such a soft goal to concede and that's not good enough - it's not acceptable and I have to look at that myself, whether the set up is right.

"We started the second half well again, I asked the players to show heart and character and I think we did that. We played with energy and got the ball into the box, we win the penalty and if we score that, who knows what then happens.

"That's the moment that we're in. We have to take responsibility for what we're doing, at the moment it is not good enough."