Blyth Spartans Manager Alun Armstrong pulled no punches in response to his sides humiliating 4-0 defeat at Boston United.
Coming into the game on the back of a four game unbeaten run, Armstrong was irate at the final whistle, describing the performance as the ‘worst he’s ever seen.’
Armstrong said: “That was abysmal from start to finish. I can’t understand the thinking of the lads, I am a little bit shell shocked, I never saw that coming.
“The last three weeks you think we have turned the corner, you think we can stick with the same team.
“It might be my fault for sticking with the same team, but it was baffling today.
“The biggest thing that we got them to recognise was that we need to work hard to earn the right to win a game.
“There wasn’t any workrate there today, it is whether they had next week’s game on their mind, Which is no excuse. We shouldn’t even be looking like that because we are in a really precarious position and we have got to make sure we get clear of it because confidence is a big thing in this group.
“That is why I am really surprised with what I saw today. It wasn’t just one out there, it was the entire eleven, everyone was abysmal. Not one of them can put their hand up and say they gave 100%, and that’s worrying.
Spartans mustered just two efforts on goal all afternoon, with neither challenging the Pilgrims goalkeeper.
“We could barely muster three passes together, and we started playing long diagonal balls that just weren’t on.”
“I guarantee you we did not tell them to play that way. The back four will say that no one was coming to get the ball and make things happen, and I’d tend to agree with them.”
“You don’t mind a player having a bad game, I can accept that, but I will not accept players who go hiding, and today we had eleven of the out there.”
With the likes of Connor Oliver and Jarrett Rivers on the bench and Michael Liddle and Lewis Horner not even in the squad, Armstrong has given those who started yesterday a stark warning.
“I’ll have Lidz, Horner and Oliver knocking on my door this week, and who can blame them, they are chomping at the bit to get a chance in the side.”
“Everyone has given me a reason to drop them on today’s performance, they’ve let themselves down and the club down.”
With an FA Cup fourth qualifying round tie against York City on the horizon, the former Middlesbrough and Ipswich Town striker set it was clear to see what was on the players minds today.
“Too many out there had the FA Cup next week on their mind when quote frankly we are in a dire position in the league.
“I absolutely hate the mindset, the FA Cup is a massive distraction and has been a determent to our league form. Everyone knows Blyth Spartans love the FA Cup and it’s a big deal to everyone up here, but we can’t have performance like this.
“I have no doubt everyone will show up next week in the FA Cup game, and that’s baffling.”