Players didn’t do their jobs - manager

THE full wrath of Athletic boss Paul Dickov was felt by his abject side after a five-goal mauling in which the visitors were lucky not to have conceded more.

While excusing defensive duo Kieran Lee and James Tarkowski, Dickov ripped into the players who started the game and those who came onto the field in a second half in which over-run, out-fought and out-thought Athletic let in four goals.

The rout, Athletic’s heaviest defeat away from home under Dickov’s watch, began in the manager’s eyes when winger Keanu Marsh-Brown – at best, a peripheral figure – was caught in possession in the build-up to the Dons’ opening penalty.

“After Keanu’s performance the other night, we said to him he had to play two-touch in the middle third,” said a furious Dickov, whose side will tomorrow have a Tuesday without a fixture for the only time until April 17.

“Whether it is because he is coming back here and wants to prove a point, we have spoken to him all week about it because people are going to close him down quickly.

“If he gets it and lays the ball back, the penalty doesn’t happen.

“We had a couple of decent phases of play, (in the) first half, by keeping it tight and picking men up. Then big Jean (Mvoto) lets his runner go and we are 2-0 down and chasing the game.

“You put people on the pitch and ask them to do their jobs and they didn’t do it.

“Whether I am giving out the wrong information or not, I will take the blame as well.

“As a unit, all of us weren’t good enough. Kieran (Lee) gives the same week-in, week-out. Tarky (Tarkowski) did well and there were a few others who worked reasonably hard.

“But too many switched off and did what they wanted.

“There are 1,200 players out of contract in the summer. A lot of the players think they are good enough to get another club, but on this performance I would doubt that.

“A few are saying it’s because we had to travel three hours on the day, but there are no excuses in football.

“The least you have to do is go out and give it everything you have got. Not everyone did that.

“Whether it is now or at the end of the season, they won’t be here if they don’t want to work hard.

“People didn’t want to work and track back – people who started the game and substitutes who came on and did what they wanted.”

Dickov was also keen to offer words to supporters who travelled to stadium:mk to witness what was arguably the worst performance of his two-year reign at the club.

“I apologise to the fans who came down,” he added. “It wasn’t good enough. If players don’t want to take on board what we tell them and what we work on from Monday to Friday, then go out and do what they want on Saturday, then they won’t have a career in football.

“That is what happened. We had a decent performance on Tuesday night (against Walsall) and won the game.

“Not all of them, but sometimes people want to go out there and think they are better than they are.

“That was the case here. If you don’t do your jobs properly against a good team – I think MK Dons are the best in the division – then you are not going to win the game.”