Centre-half George Edmundson admitted that the players let down interim manager John McGreal during last night’s woeful 2-0 defeat at Charlton.

McGreal, also a centre-half in his playing days, took temporary charge on Monday following former boss Paul Cook’s sacking on Saturday.

Asked whether it was a difficult night, the 24-year-old, who was still in his kit following a lengthy post-match dressing-room post-mortem, said: “It was. We’ve had a long old talk in there. We knew we weren’t good enough tonight and it’s something we need to really go home and reflect on and look at ourselves in the mirror.”

Did the weekend events take it out of the squad? Is that an explanation for the under par display? “We said before the game, that’s not an excuse. Things like that happen in football. We’re all professionals.

“We’ve just got to move on from it and can’t use it as an excuse. We know we weren’t good enough tonight.”

He added: “You’re kind of wondering what’s going on but, like I said, you can’t use it as an excuse, I’ve been in this situation before, I’m sure all the other lads have.

“We all know how it works and what happens. We’re professionals and we’ve just got to be professional.”

Why does he think the display was so poor? “A few things really. I thought we started off well in the first 25 minutes, were growing into the game and then I think the goal killed us, we could never recover from that really.”

Edmundson, who joined Town from Rangers in the summer, was asked whether he felt the players let down McGreal.

“Massively,” he admitted. “Fans, they travelled in their numbers. It’s obviously hard for John because he’s only been in for a day trying to get his point across to us. I think you could see it in glimpses but we have let him down tonight massively.”

The one-time Oldham youngster says McGreal hadn’t had time to tweak too much before the visit to the Valley.

“He’s only been in for a day so he’s not tried to reinvent the wheel as such,” he said. “Like he’s said, he’s just tried to give us a few key pointers, which have come out in glimpses tonight but a game of football is 90 minutes and we’ve probably only shown it for 20, 25 minutes of the game.”

At the end there was an ugly confrontation between frustrated fans and players, and while some of the reactions were clearly over the top, Edmundson can see why supporters were exasperated.

“Obviously, if I was in their shoes, I would be frustrated if I was watching my team playing like that,” he admitted.

“I feel that frustration, we’ve spoken about it in the changing room in great depth, how we’ve got to be a lot better and show a lot more.

“I think everybody’s come across with valid points. I don’t really say much in the changing rooms when we have discussions like that.

“I feel like actions speak louder than words, so we can do all the talking we want in a changing room but we’ve got to go on to Wigan and put that into action.”

The result saw the Blues stay 11th but now nine points off the play-offs and 14 from the top two with a number of the teams above them having games in hand.

Edmundson is well aware that the current position and the growing gap to the upper reaches is a concern.

“We know that but in this league you’ve seen it year after year after year,” he said. “Teams go on a blip and then in the second half of the season they go on a mad run.

“Everybody in this league beats everybody, it doesn’t matter where you are in the league. We’ve just to keep going, listen to John and take every game as it comes.”

Photo: TWTD

Smithy63 added 12:46 - Dec 8 Also mcgreal take what fans are saying put 2 upfront As for playing the first 25 mins fine the game is 90+ so fans expect that from a team if not all of u that think that and getting paid for doing f***all go find another club
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Smithy63 added 12:54 - Dec 8 Yeah bring farke in and see the players face when they realise their time at the club is limited Don't care if they do bring farke in as long as he sorts this lot of useless dickheafs
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Jugsy added 12:56 - Dec 8 @Smithy63 - 'Even the women are doing betters than u'. Well I learned something today, dinosaurs aren't extinct. Thanks for your outdated comments.
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bedsitfc added 13:04 - Dec 8 Fizzy blue - that is brilliant 😂 not sure how the fragile players of today would take it tho 😂
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BromleyBloo added 13:29 - Dec 8 “We're professionals and we've just got to be professional.” 🦒🤣😂🤣
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Bert added 13:31 - Dec 8 Not sure what else he could say. Yes, we hear this stuff time and time again but it will be that way until the players do what is needed on the field. Silence from Morsy probably because he looks and sounds as if he does not want to be here. Whoever our new manager is he has to have the strength of character to call the shots and not see every player as a friend. It doesn't work well in business and it doesn't work well in football. Discipline is required.

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ImAbeliever added 13:34 - Dec 8 The next manager and assistant must surely be a retired US fire fighter and cop to provide a little match day focus.
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Steve_ITFC_Sweden added 13:37 - Dec 8 I reckon Edmundson got the job because he was one of the few half-decent performers against Charlton. Imagine the reaction if one of the many under-performers had had to face the press. We are in a mess and it's going to take some time to sort it out. Hopefully, someone will before the supporters lose heart completely and disappear.
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algarvefan added 14:04 - Dec 8 When will these players realise that, yes they let down the manager, interim and past, the fans but most of all they let themselves down!! How about a bit of self discipline and pride in their own performance, because we all know the players are good enough and lack of fight and effort is unforgivable. The bottom line is once they step over that white line wearing that shirt the responsibility is on ALL of them. I liked Paul Cook, his attitude was great, I feel so sorry for him having to watch that lot, who at times have been excellent, but who took their collective feet off the gas, the football was getting better but perhaps to play it the effort was a little to much for them. Please can we try and sign some players who can pass and tackle and finish this time.

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Stato added 17:05 - Dec 8 Edmundson all over the place for the 2nd goal but overall I rate him and I'm hoping the new manager might make him skipper.
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