Lee Johnson offered a 'genuine and sincere' apology to the Sunderland fans who witnessed their side's 6-0 humiliation at Bolton, insising that any criticism that comes his way is fair and saying he will take it on the chin.
The Black Cats boss looked crestfallen when he faced the media at the University of Bolton Stadium and in the immediate aftermath admitted he was struggling to find the answers for what had just unfolded, saying that he hadn't seen this performance coming but accepting responsibility for it.
Sunderland were backed by more than 5,300 fans at Bolton, and that made the display even more hard to swallow.
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"Words are cheap, but first and foremost, I have to start with an apology - and it is a genuine and sincere apology," said Johnson.
"There was an unbelievable following today and they were right up for it from the start, but our players just didn't match it.
"It's the worst feeling I've had in football in a relatively long career - 20 years-plus as player and manager.
"I can't give you too many answers at the moment, to be honest.
"I felt we prepared well for the game, the pitch was good, but we played into their hands very early and we have to accept that their gameplan was extremely well executed right from the first action when we switched the play and Carl Winchester should have spun the ball in behind but he turned back.
"We were prancing, we looked posey, and it played into their aggressive pressing game.
"Both teams in the first 20 minutes didn't really get too much play going and it was a tale of two goalkeepers kicking the ball out of play, which was very frustrating.
"We do work during the week and I did say to the players that it's all very well having a great week, but you have to bring out your best when it matters most - and when it matters most is on a Saturday.
"We have fallen unbelievably short today in every facet of football.
"It's a big shock to me this performance.
"I genuinely didn't see it coming.
"I can only hold my hands up and accept responsibility for it."
Johnson knows he will inevitably come under scrutiny after a result such as this, and he admitted: "It's fair. Of course I believe in myself.
"A manager does have a big role to play but it is also a collective.
"I'm more than happy to take on the criticism.
"We're still in a really good position and I believe we can go on and get some important wins.
"We've lost the opportunity of three points, but we know we can bounce back very, very quickly.
"I do have to consider the effect that I had on the players today. I had a good effect last week, but today it wasn't enough and therefore that criticism is justified and that criticism is fair, and I will take it on the chin and try and come out a better man and a better manager."
It was put to Johnson that at times in the second half it seemed as though his players had given up as the goals rained in, but he disagreed.
He said: "I have stand in front of the players when I say I don't think anybody has given up.
"Everybody has had really poor games and I think we looked disjointed, we looked disorganised in terms of that last 20 minutes.
"I know it can sometimes look like that [as though players have given up] but it's three points, a demoralising three points for us.
"I still believe in my players: that hasn't changed.
"I have to take responsibility for that game today. I don't want to, if I'm honest, because it hurts to do that, but I have to because part of my job is to get the boys tactically right but also to get them mentally right and focused and despite believing I and my staff did that, we clearly didn't show it so that's on me.
"We go back to drawing board with the players on an individual and on a collective basis."
It is not the first heavy defeat Sunderland have suffered on the road this season, having lost 4-0 at Portsmouth, 5-1 at Rotherham, and 3-0 at Sheffield Wednesday.
"When we've taken a pasting, we've taken a pasting and that's happened on two or three occasions," he said.
"You might get one per season, but we've had three or four and that's been difficult to take.
"It was [a soft underbelly] today.
"We've had some great away wins but today I can't argue.
"The fifth and sixth goals ... it did look like we have a soft underbelly.
"It's up to me to call out some home truths."
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