'Unacceptable on all fronts' - Williamson on Blues display at Tranmere
Mike Williamson admitted Carlisle United’s showing at Tranmere Rovers was “unacceptable on all levels”.
The Blues’ 1-0 defeat at Prenton Park saw their relegation fears grow – as fans chanted for Williamson’s removal.
Carlisle are now six points adrift of safety at the bottom of League Two and showed little against their fellow strugglers to inspire hope of a revival.
Cameron Norman’s first-half goal proved enough for Nigel Adkins’ side.
Williamson said Carlisle need more new players to lift them, whilst also saying the “weight of the world” was on the current side.
“We’ve lacked conviction, quality and a belief,” said Williamson.
“I think at the minute we've got lads who are struggling with the weight of the football club and the expectation, and I think that's translated [in this game].”
Norman’s goal, and United’s shoddy defending of it, summed up their latest bad day.
Assessing the decisive moment and Carlisle’s sub-standard response to it, Williamson said: “We were just a couple of yards off – a long ball, [not] tracking the runner, and then a hopeful ball into the box.
“It was a very scrappy goal on all fronts, but then what is hard to accept is the reaction to it.
United's players also faced stick from travelling fans at full-time (Image: Richard Parkes)
“I think that just shows you the weight that the players have got on their shoulders, because we never really recovered from that.”
On how to lift that “weight” given the urgency of Carlisle’s predicament, Williamson said: “The only way is winning football games – that's it.
“We'll get back to the training field, we'll watch it back, but ultimately the fact is we made really hard work of very simple things [in the game].
“There were potentially a couple of uncharacteristic performances out there, and then when we got our chances, we didn't take them.
“So, on all fronts, it was unacceptable.”
United did not create enough after Norman’s goal, with their best second-half chances seeing Aaron Hayden have a header cleared off the line and substitute Daniel Adu-Adjei denied by a save from keeper Luke McGee.
“I think it was about 18 shots and 11 inside the box, and I don't think we really laid a hand on the goalkeeper, but I think what was more disappointing for me was the lack of quality before getting that,” said Williamson.
“The amount of times that we broke our own rhythm and attacks down just by a lack of detail and quality.
“But yes, obviously that's the position – what we're talking about is the weight of the expectation when we get these chances.
“We need that cool and calm head to be able to put them away.”
The head coach said there would be plenty of soul-searching as Carlisle try to respond ahead of next weekend’s home clash with Williamson’s former club MK Dons.
“We are going to need help, first and foremost. I'll make no secret of that,” he said.
“But we just need lads to have a day or so now…a lot of self-reflection. Just asking themselves, are they doing what we can?
“Are we, as coaches, from top to bottom? Never take us out of it, because that was unacceptable off the back of two relatively positive performances.
“The consistency is just not there.”
