Ryan Edwards accepts that he and his Dundee United team-mates must shoulder their share of the blame following a poor run of form that resulted in manager Liam Fox and sporting director Tony Asghar departing Tannadice earlier this week.
Last weekend’s 4-0 humbling away to Ross County proved to be the final straw for Fox and Asghar, who have been relieved of their duties with the Arabs glued to the bottom of the cinch Premiership table.
Jim Goodwin has been handed the reins until the end of the season and in a twist of fate, the Irishman will face former club Aberdeen in his first match in charge this afternoon.
Edwards admits that that the decision was taken out of the players’ hands but even still, the centre-half feels a little culpable. Quite simply, if the team were winning then both Fox and Asghar would still remain in their posts.
“We take responsibility and even the Tony Asghar thing [him leaving] — none of that happens if we are winning and getting results,” Edwards reasoned.
“The way football works, unfortunately, is if the players aren’t providing, then the managers and coaches who suffer. There’s nothing we can do about that now. But there are 12 games to go in terms of what we can control.
“But we’ve been saying it for too long. When it was 15 games left; 18 games left. Now we’re down to 12. If we don’t [start winning] the season could pass us by.
“If the club thinks something isn’t working then they will change something. Unfortunately, Foxy has lost his job and that’s the players’ responsibility. The Tony [Asghar] one as well. It’s not our decision, but we haven’t helped them. You can say that.”
The United players came under fire for their abject display in Dingwall and Edwards was no exception. He says the team’s performance that afternoon was unacceptable but he disputes the notion floated by Neil McCann, the former Dundee manager and pundit, that he had “chucked it” against County.
“That’s fine,” Edwards said of McCann’s criticism. “It’s their job to sit an analyse the game. If they think I chucked it, they think I chucked it. It’s their opinion. Obviously, I didn’t, but the ex-Dundee manager is entitled to his opinion.
“I don’t think any professional players should do that [“chuck it”] and, other than when you start the game or come on as a substitute, it’s unacceptable to do that. But I can’t control what he thinks.
“It was hard to watch and it’s not for the first time this season that it’s been a hard watch. It was sore, there’s no hiding from it.
“I don’t think he crossed a line. If that’s what he thinks, then speak his mind. Fine by me. That’s what he is getting paid for. Any of us could have got it [criticism] after that performance, but I’m the one taking it. That fine. It wasn’t good enough and it hasn’t been good enough.”
Edwards continued: “It was a bad one and sore one to take. You speak to people and stand in front of cameras and apologise. Fans will be sick of players coming out and saying that stuff. They want to see it on the pitch. We’re no different.
“We are trying. People will say ‘try harder’ but we are working hard as we can every day. There’s a new voice and a new face so we need to look forward.”
