A clearly hurting Flynn Downes spoke to the media following last night’s 3-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon and the midfielder admitted the result and the performance were far from good enough.
Asked to put a tough night into words, Downes said: "Obviously the result stinks, 3-0. It isn’t good enough from us, we know that. We knew their game plan, two big strikers in the box, put balls in, but we didn’t deal with it. That was the story of the game.”
The 22-year-old says he gets why fans are losing heart regarding the play-off push with the Blues now ninth, five points off the top six with only six games left to play.
"That’s understandable,” he said. "We should be winning games like this easily, and we’ve lost 3-0. It’s not good enough. I don’t know what to say really.
"We’re not out of it yet. Obviously it’s harder now but we’re not out of it. We’ve still got that in the back of our heads and we’ve got to put it right.”
Asked why things are going so badly, Downes admitted: "If I knew the problem I’d sort it. Honestly, I haven’t got a clue. I haven’t got a clue.”
Are the players feeling the pressure? "No, I wouldn’t say it’s that. Honestly, I don’t know what to say, it’s not good enough, that’s all I know. The boys are trying but it’s not good enough.”
The Brentwood-born schemer says the players are hurt by the criticism they have been faced as a second successive League One campaign drifts to a mid-table finish.
"Obviously it hurts a lot, you want to be getting praised and winning games and doing all that,” he said.
"But it’s not happening for us at the minute. We’re drawing, obviously losing tonight. It’s not good enough, we should be winning these, we should be winning these comfortably, but it’s not happening. There’s something wrong.”
Downes was very evidently hurting: "Yes, I ain’t sleeping tonight. It is what it is, that’s the industry. But we’ll go again on Saturday.”
He added: "Honestly I’m speechless. We’ve lost 3-0. We knew what they were going to do - two big geezers in the box, put it in there and we didn’t deal with it.
"That’s cost us the game. We’ve got to go back, watch it all back and sort ourselves out really.”
Downes says his team-mates are similarly hurting: "I suppose everyone deals with it in different ways. It’s hurts me a lot. It shouldn’t be happening. It should not be happening.”
Manager Paul Cook was also evidently feeling the same way: "He’s very passionate and we want to play like that. It’s not a fair reflection on him either.”
He added: "Losing 3-0 is not good, it’s going to damage the confidence. But we’ve got to go in tomorrow and try and put it right on Saturday.”
On a more positive note, Downes is pleased to be back on the field after just under a month out with a hamstring problem.
"I’m happy to be back out there but I want to help the team. Losing 3-0 isn’t doing that,” he reflected. "I’m glad I’m back playing, getting my fitness back.”
Looking back at his season as a whole, the former England U19 and U20 international says he has had a frustrating time.
"For me it’s been horrible,” he continued. "Injured, I’ve just been injured basically. I did my knee and that’s basically it. Got back to fitness, then got injured again. Touch wood it doesn’t happen again.”
A plus for the Blues at the weekend was fellow academy alumnus Tristan Nydam making his first senior appearance in two years following his lengthy spell out injured.
Downes was pleased to see Nydam make his return: "Big time. He’s been putting in the work over the last year. It was good to see him back and he did well when he came on, he did really well. He’s a good one to have back.”
He believes the midfielder could have a big season next year: "Definitely. You saw it in the Championship under Mick he was playing week in, week out. He’s got unbelievable quality. Once his fitness comes he’ll be a standout player for definite.”