Funk fury at player criticism

Scarborough Athletic boss Rudy Funk has called for unity ahead of Saturday’s Evo-Stik North home fixture against Burscough.

The Boro chief and his players have been hurt by scathing internet attacks on performances in recent weeks, despite the club sitting in the top five of the league standings and having booked their place in the second qualifying round of the FA Cup.

“I am the leader of this red army and I am absolutely delighted with how things have gone so far this season,” he said.

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“We are looking good in the league and we are pushing on in the FA Cup, which is a good start to the season in my book.

“Because of that I am struggling to get my head around how much criticism my players are receiving at the moment.

People are going on-line and hammering players individually, not only that but it is in a nasty way.

“You can see this in their performances and their mannerisms. We are all human, this kind of thing does affect you. The mood of the players changes, as it does when they are encouraged and given positive feedback.

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“The whole thing makes me feel uncomfortable. I shouldn’t have to put my arm around a player like Matty Plummer to keep him upbeat, especially when we have made the start to the season that we have.

“Just because somebody falls out of bed or has a bad day doesn’t mean that they should hammer the lads.

“We need to stick together and stay positive. If we win a game 3-0 and don’t play brilliantly in the second half, the focus should be on the win rather than our second-half performance.

“Our genuine fans are upbeat, I just don’t understand why the other people aren’t enjoying a good start to the season and the ride that comes with it.”