Linfield boss David Healy says the buck stops with him for Saturday’s crushing 3-0 defeat to Coleraine at the Ballycastle Road Showgrounds.
Not only did the Blues fall to their heaviest league defeat of the season, they were also leapfrogged by Big Two rivals Glentoran at the top of the table.
It was a day to forget and Healy told the media he took full responsibility as the champions stumbled to only their second Premiership loss of the season.
“I’ve got to take my full share of the responsibility for this performance and result,” said the former Northern Ireland striker.
“It was a disappointing performance and I’ll take full responsibility because I probably set us up the wrong way. I wanted to pick two players for a little higher up the pitch and it didn’t work.
“You’re always hoping, with the quality we have, to get a wee bit more.. but there’s no point blaming the players or whatever else, I’ll take that one. I got it wrong.”
Coleraine broke the deadlock thanks to a contentious penalty call when referee Steven Gregg pointed to the spot after Matthew Shevlin’s shot struck Ethan Devine’s elbow.
Lyndon Kane fired home the resulting spot-kick before Shevlin and Jamie Glackin added further goals, the second a superb breakaway after Linfield had hit the woodwork, in the second period.
“I’ve seen it back and I didn’t think it was a penalty,” said Healy. “You see things in the league and you wonder how and you wonder why.
“I thought it was a poor call but we have to move on.”
Asked how ‘damaging’ Saturday’s defeat at Coleraine is in terms of the league title race, Healy said: “Damaging? No, I don’t think it’s damaging.
“There’s still a helluva lot of games to be played and I’d imagine there’ll be lots of twists and turns along the way. We had it tough today, but we’ll take it and move on.”
Linfield’s cause at the weekend wasn’t helped by the absence of a number of key players, including Chris Shields, Niall Quinn, Cammy Palmer and leading scorer Christy Manzinga.
Five players on Healy’s bench were teenagers, including Jack Montgomery, Josh Archer and Ewan McCoubrey who have only a handful of senior appearances between them.
Chris McKee (19), a recent loan signing from Rangers, and Andrew Clarke (19) were also sprung from the bench as Linfield chased an unlikely lifeline.
“The sooner we have a full squad of players because we’re missing players who can be very influential at both ends of the pitch,” said Healy.
“It always feels as if we get one back and then another two are out injured, but hopefully we’ll get a few back and do what Linfield have always done, bounce back.”
Linfield are next in action on Friday night when they face Larne in the last-16 of the Irish Cup at Inver Park.
