Neil Critchley issues damning Queens Park Rangers verdict after Fleetwood Town defeat | OneFootball

Queens Park Rangers head coach Neil Critchley slammed his side’s performance as they were knocked out of the FA Cup by Fleetwood Town.

The R’s were beaten 2-1 by their League One opponents at Highbury Stadium on Saturday, continuing their poor record in the competition.

Critchley’s men took the lead in the 37th minute through Sam Field’s close range effort, but Toto Nsiala equalised just three minutes later.

The Hoops then failed to defend Danny Andrew’s corner in the second half and Promise Omochere volleyed home to secure an upset and send the Cod Army through to the fourth round for the first time in their history.

That was of little concern to Critchley though, with the 44-year-old was furious after the game, accusing his players of lacking focus.

“I felt our concentration and focus wasn’t there and when we scored it was almost like ‘job done’ or ‘this is going to be simple’,” the QPR boss told West London Sport.

“Our reaction to going 1-0 up was horrendous. They nearly scored from the kick-off because we weren’t ready, they then score from a corner three minutes later due to our shocking marking.

“I said to the players at half-time ‘if we carry on like this we will lose the game’.

“But there was no difference in the second half for the first 20 minutes and they deserved to score their second goal but it was handball from the corner and it shouldn’t have stood.

“But that is to take nothing away from Fleetwood, because they were better. It just wasn’t good enough from the start and we’re too inconsistent.

“I thought we took a step in the right direction against Sheffield United but we have taken a big step back today.”

Inconsistency has been a persistent problem at Loftus Road and after just one win in their last 11 games in all competitions, Critchley knows it is something he must rectify, as he added: “I suspected that when I came into the club having watched from afar and today has confirmed what I was worried about.

“We are so inconsistent and it has to change. I am so angry. It was a bewildering performance and not acceptable for this football club.

“If we are going to accept mediocrity then we are going to get performances like that on a regular basis. It has to change. Thursday’s training session concerned me and I told the group that.

“If we think we can just turn up, not be focused and concentrated then this is what we’ll get. I think we lost the game during the week and I will work tirelessly with the staff to change that.”

Start 2023 by testing your QPR knowledge – Can you score 16/16 on this quiz?

1 of 16

How many permanent managers have QPR had in 2022?

1 2 3 5

The Verdict

Critchley is understandably angry after being on the receiving end of a cup shock.

But is not just this game in isolation that will be of concern, their form has been in decline for some time now with their play-off push significantly stalling.

Critchley’s comments are worrying as they hint at potentially deeper problems within the squad and he will be hopeful that calling out his players publicly will act as a wake-up call, though it is a risky strategy which could have the opposite effect.

He has players in his squad who are more than capable on their day, but if they do not match that ability with effort and commitment, then their top six hopes will fade further.