Declan Devine offers fan apology as he delivers scathing assessment on 'broken team'

Declan Devine did not hold back in his assessment of Glentoran's 2-0 defeat at Cliftonville branding it "embarrassing".

Devine was less than impressed with his side's display as goals in either half from Stephen Mallon and Ronan Hale condemned the Glens to defeat extending their winless run to five games. Speaking to BBC Sport interim boss Devine said it was "not surprising" adding that the team "is broken".

"Over recent weeks it has become quite evident the team is broken," he said. "I'm embarrassed about the performance, the [lack of] intensity and quality, everything about it, but it’s not surprising."

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"It was quite evident in the performance levels that this squad is broken. I didn’t think Cliftonville had to do anything to win the game, like Coleraine last week, and it was totally unacceptable.

"Whether we win another game between now and the end of the season remains to be seen, but you certainly won’t with that application and lack of intensity we played with in a really important game. To have fans pay to come and watch that, I can just apologise to them because that is not the way I can lead a team out it is just horrendous.

"I’m not taking the blame away from myself because I have put the team out there, but they can’t perform in the way they performed out there, at Coleraine last weekend, and in the semi-final of the Irish Cup. This club has to mean more than that," he added.

"The young players who came on gave us a hell of a lot more than we had in the first half. The first team panel isn’t pulling enough weight. I know there is talent there, and I know there are people already looking at where they will be in the coming months, but there is so no excuse for that performance.

"The play-offs, we need to have a good look at ourselves because we don’t have a chance if we play like this. The last two Saturdays have been nothing short of abysmal. Now it is back to the drawing board to see who wants to play and to fight for the club."

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