David Dunn has laid it the line for his players after a terrible run that has seen his side drop into the relegation spots in League One. He is demanding a more ruthless streak to drag themselves out of the hole.
Dunn commented, “Let’s be fair; this is not the last couple of weeks’ doing. It’s been going on for the last 12 months. The lads are really lacking in confidence, and when we got those back-to-back wins recently I thought that would kick us on again. We’re just papering over the cracks though, aren’t we? It’s like putting a plaster on a broken leg at times — that’s how I feel. We can motivate the players and do all we can, but when they go over that white line it’s up to them to roll up their sleeves and put in a strong performance.”
“I have to be careful what I say, because I need these players now, and do I think there's any bad lads in there? No, I don’t at all. Maybe that’s the problem. I've played with people who are nasty in the dressing room and as much as you might not like them on the pitch, they turn up on a Saturday. We’ve got nice lads who perhaps like the idea of being a footballer, but maybe don’t know what it really takes. They’ll coast through League One, and maybe next year they’ll be in League Two. Before you know it you’re out of the game. Maybe I’ve tried to protect people long enough now. There will be changes next week, that’s for sure.”