JACK Ross compared his Dundee United players to “mannequins” during their record defeat to Celtic at Tannadice today – but vowed to halt their slump in form and survive as manager.
Ross spent an hour in the changing room with his squad following a humiliating cinch Premiership loss that keeps United in bottom spot in the table and issued a public apology afterwards.
The former St Mirren, Hibernian and Sunderland manager, who took over from Tam Courts during the summer, felt that his players, who only picked up one booking during the 90 minutes, had been brushed aside too easily by the Scottish champions and need to show more fight.
“I suppose yellow cards are not always the most appropriate measure of how competitive you are in a game,” he said.
“But were we physical enough and competitive enough? No, we weren't. We conceded goals that were akin to training-ground exercises against mannequins. That's an accurate description.
“It's not a good description to have against your team or players individually but that's what it was like. It's a fair point to make.
“We owe the supporters an apology because of the manner of the scoreline and the manner of the goals we conceded. Large aspects of the performance were not reflective of wearing a jersey in professional football. My determination to put this right will remain consistent.”
Asked if he was confident the United board would give him time, Ross said: “I suppose you would have to ask other people at the club that.
“Just because I can only affect the bits I am in control of, which is getting more from the players. How other people perceive it I don’t know as yet.
“I can understand them not being happy, I have no issues with that. What the last few weeks have given us as a football club is miles short.
“It’s a period I have never experienced at all in football, so I can understand any heat or speculation.
“I have got to find a way between now and Wednesday (United play Livingston at Almondvale in the Premier Sports Cup) to raise them individually and as a team.”
