Head Coach Paul Warne admitted that, collectively, Derby County just 'weren't good enough' in their 1-0 home defeat to Bradford City in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy on Tuesday evening.
The Rams exited the Bristol Street Motors Trophy at the Round of 16 stage following the defeat to the Bantams and Warne was quick to admit that Derby simply weren't at it.
Speaking to RamsTV after the defeat, the Head Coach gave his verdict on the performance.
On his reaction to the defeat...
We made some changes to freshen the team up which didn't really have the outcome that I wanted. It was still a really strong team that should have been good enough to win, but it wasn't. To concede off a set-piece is really frustrating to say the least.
I was more disappointed that, when we went a goal down, we didn't show enough character on the ball. It just went panicky. You can go a goal down in any game, but you've just got to keep playing the same way and you'll create chances. For the last half and hour, it was just chaos-based.
I'm disappointed, a little bit embarrassed because I don't think we were anywhere near the levels we've shown lately. You can't just turn mentality on and off, you're either all in or you're not and tonight it felt like we didn't have enough players that were all in.
On whether he saw any signs of poor mentality beforehand...
I know how footballers think sometimes, so it's not that you can see it but you can smell it in the dressing room sometimes. The lads on the periphery were desperate to come in and impress, so I didn't really see any signs though I did warn the lads of it. I wasn't expecting it, put it that way. Fair play to Bradford though, they played well and took their chance. We had a few scrambles off set-pieces and didn't take them. For their goal, a man got free and that is very unlike us.
I do understand the psychology of players and sometimes it's not the physical attributes, it's the mental ones. I'm not saying the players didn't try tonight, but I don't think some were fully focused on the task ahead.
On players not taking their chances...
I'm disappointed for them. You have an opportunity to step up and impress the fans. Fundamentally, you're either a winner or you're not. You either step up and take your opportunity or you may not get another - that's the sad reality of football.
You're judged every week, as me and the staff are on the performances. You could argue they maybe tried too hard and it didn't come out the right way, sometimes you get that with younger players. We'll show the lads the disappointing bits and I think the lads are prepared for that already. Collectively, we just weren't good enough.