Steve McClaren wants his QPR players to show resilience as they look to overcome their current nine-game winless run in the Championship

The R’s boss has been through the wringer as his team’s unwanted streak was extended following a 2-0 defeat to Middlesbrough.

McClaren’s men are without a win in the league since a 3-0 triumph over Ipswich Town on Boxing Day and the Loftus Road chief puts his side’s form put it down to a lack of time on the training field to fix the problems as they prepare to welcome title-chasing Leeds United on Tuesday.

“We’ve had seven games in 21 days and another two coming up, and that’s not allowing us the time on the training field to iron out the mistakes,” McClaren told www.qpr.co.uk.

“We’ve Leeds on Tuesday and then we have Brentford. Then, there’s a week before the next one and personally, I can’t wait for that to get back on the training field because that’s where we can correct these mistakes.

“Every team in the Championship can have this sort of run but it’s not nice. It’s horrible going through it.

“It will be the making of character for us though and generally, the players have shown resilience in the face of adversity. But we have got to do it again now and not doubt ourselves.”

The QPR boss thought his side were poor in the opening stages at the Riverside as Jonny Howson took advantage of a ricochet inside two minutes before Ashley Fletcher crashed a second home on 32 minutes.

QPR were without talisman Luke Freeman for the trip to Teesside, with the midfielder nursing a slight hip problem.

But McClaren is hopeful of having him back in time to face Leeds, as well as a west London derby with Brentford on Saturday.