David Artell has told the club’s official website that the players have to take greater ownership of their own performances after we suffered a heavy 6-0 defeat at Colchester United last night. The Alex started slowly, conceding two goals inside the opening 10 minutes and we failed to really recover.

A double substitution at the interval and a dressing down from boss David Artell did inspire some reaction at the beginning of the second half, but it didn’t last as long as we would have wanted on a miserable night in Essex.

David told the club’s official website: “We rallied a bit after half-time and had a go. If we could have got a goal at the time then it could have been a passage back into the game, but we didn’t. We had that ten minute spell but that was after I shouted at them at half-time.

“It shouldn’t take that. They are professional footballers and have to have that pride in their performance. We do the work with them, they have the information but when they cross the white line they have they take those body shots and show some real fight and stay in games.

“We didn’t do that enough and when we went in at half-time it was too quiet. They didn’t say anything and that summed it up. “