Motherwell boss Steven Hammell blasted his sides' sorry showing in their defeat to St Johnstone after the Steelmen made it 10 Premiership games without a win to stay joint-bottom of the table.
The Fir Park gaffer had branded the game the "biggest of the season" ahead of kick-off, but his side failed to turn up and found themselves 1-0 down after just five minutes when Drey Wright fired home the opener.
An injury to recent signing Shane Blaney didn't help matters as he hobbled off midway through the half.
The Steelmen were powderpuff in front of goal and Saints sealed the three points in the 69th minute when Melker Hallberg doubled their advantage.
Hammell, whose side haven't won a game at home since August and haven't tasted success in the league since October, said: "It was nowhere near good enough, especially the way we finished the game, we went out with a bit of a whimper, in fact more than that.
“This season we have had a lot of good stuff and come out and said we didn't get what we deserved. Today wasn't like that.
“We spoke about it at length, they are under no illusions.
"It was a big game for us, we could have pushed on and gained a bit of momentum, but it was nowhere near good enough.
“We could have made many subs at half-time. Shane (Blaney) going off injured took away one of the subs or we would have made more.”
The Steelmen went into the game on a high after a stong deadline day recruitment drive yielded three fresh faces, with strikers Jon Okia and Jack Aitchison and defender James Furlong adding to Riku Danzaki, Olyy Crankshaw, Michael Mandron and Blaney who had joined earlier in the window.
Another new addition is expected before the weekend trip to Aberdeen as they seek to move away from 11th spot in the table, where they sit just ahead of bottom side Dundee United on goal difference.
Hammell added: "We are playing and starting boys who have just met the players.
“It's not an excuse but that's where we are at. It's not ideal.”
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