David Healy wants to see a reaction from his side in tonight’s Co Antrim Shield following Friday’s defeat to Portadown
David Healy was quick to voice his frustration at Linfield’s disappointing performance and defeat by Portadown on Friday, but now he wants to see a reaction from his players.
Healy pulled no punches after the loss at Shamrock Park branding the display as “unacceptable”.
Now the Blues head to Cliftonville this evening with a place in the last four of the Co Antrim Shield up for grabs with Healy reminding his players that they need to show an appetite for success.
“We spoke to the players in the dressing room after the game, I was in shock in terms of the level,” he said.
“We had one or two chances in the first half and didn’t take the lead, however we probably gave up more chances than we have done probably in three, four or five games.
“And then we basically capitulated, you go a goal down, which is not the be all and end all, you’re going to lose the lead, you’re going to go behind.
“We never recovered, we didn’t have enough. I know I’m the manager, it’s my team, my selections. I’ll assess that, I’ll assess it very quickly like I normally do as we’ve got a game now on Tuesday.
“But we’ve 14 or 15 players out of contract in there. Basically, given that level of required, desired standards tonight, it’s not acceptable. And as I say, I’m the manager, I pick the teams. I get the criticism, of course, but I can’t cross the line.
“We prepared as best we could with no game. They worked hard, the numbers were good in training, etc. All the crap that people don’t want to hear, they just want to see a team.
“I’ve said this to the players so many times in my tenure here over the 10 years here, you can be as good in training but supporters want to see you perform. Supporters want to see you play with a little bit of pride in the jersey.
“I wear my Linfield stuff with pride, and I have done from day one. We wore the shirt on Friday night and there was no pride in it. Which is gutting for me, it’s absolutely gutting.
“So there’s absolutely no excuse, we were ready to go. We should have been chomping at the bit and we weren’t.
“We need to realise that Linfield winning a league title last year or Linfield winning five or six doubles in a row during the early 2000s or whatever else is not going to help us win the league title this year.
“You do not win trophies, you are not successful with the tradition of the football club being successful.
“You have to work at it. You have to work harder. You have to have an extra bite, an extra appetite, and at the minute, with the level of performance we got, we’re not there.”
Elsewhere tonight Ballymacash Rangers hosts Larne in the last remaining quarter-final tie.
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