Mark Warburton is calling for a rapid response from his players as they prepare to take on Charlton Athletic at Loftus Road this weekend.

The Rs went down to a disappointing 5-3 defeat against Barnsley last time out, succumbing to three second-half goals to leave them lingering four points adrift of the Championship play-off spots.

But a busy festive period is looming for Warburton’s side, doing battle with the Addicks, Reading, Hull and Cardiff in the space of 12 days and bidding to launch an assault on the top six.

And the QPR boss is acutely aware of the need for improvement, demanding a quickfire bounce back from his players as they welcome a team without a win in their last ten matches.

“We gave a disappointing performance against Barnsley – the players are a very honest group and will be the first to admit that,” he said.

"We have to recognise we're a professional team and we were pushing on for the top.

"We need to be there around Christmas – we now face Charlton, Reading, Hull and Cardiff in the next block of games, and we've got a week to prepare but we have to be prepared.

"Every team you face in the Championship is fighting – if you're in the bottom half you're avoiding being dragged into a relegation fight and if you're the top half you're going for the play-offs.

"That's the nature of this division, but there's no excuses.

"We've had some really good performances and I'm delighted with the players after Wednesday (a 2-0 win at Birmingham) but as a group we all let ourselves down."

It’s been a turbulent season for Warburton and his players, lying fifth in October following their Eberechi Eze-inspired victory over Hull before going on a barren run of form where they failed to win in seven matches.

But that all changed this month with back-to-back triumphs over Preston North End and Birmingham, with the result at Oakwell last weekend taking the wind out of their sails heading into the busy Christmas period.

And with that hectic schedule just around the corner, Warburton knows just how important the role of good fortune can be in determining his team’s fate.

“We have to hope that the random aspects go our way in terms of injuries and suspensions and that we can meet the demands of a very intense programme,” he added.

“You always have to take one game at a time but appreciate that you have to plan for what is ahead – it is a demanding time for every club in the division.

“We have to respect Charlton, meet the challenge and be on the front foot ourselves.”