CHRIS WISE Summer signing Lee Croft spoke of his devastation after being part of the Norwich City side that slumped to a humiliating home defeat against Burnley yesterday.

CHRIS WISE

Summer signing Lee Croft spoke of his devastation after being part of the Norwich City side that slumped to a humiliating home defeat against Burnley yesterday.

Croft had started the season well, scoring in the home victories over Luton and Barnsley which helped propel the Canaries up to second place in the Coca Cola Championship after five games.

But since then things have taken a distinct turned for the worse, with a niggling calf injury limiting his effectiveness and City slumping to a series of defeats that ultimately cost manager Nigel Worthington his job.

Speaking before the axe fell he said: “I am just devastated - I can't believe the result.”

“The annoying thing is that we made such a good start to the season. Now we are looking like a different team. We are not playing with confidence.

“It's up to us now to keep our heads up - and pick ourselves up for the next game.

“Fans have got the right to say what they want to say and now it's up to us to try and put things right on the field. That is all we can do.

“I can't put really put my finger on where we are going wrong. But we need to pick ourselves up, and we need to do it quickly.”

Croft said the players should take the blame for another below-par display.

“We said in the changing room beforehand that it is down to us. We are the ones who have to perform. We are the ones who have to go out there for 90 minutes. We feel bad for the manager because he has given us all he can give us. He is really passionate and it's up to us to go out and perform. If we are not doing that then it's us who should take the flak.”

“I just think we are conceding goals which we can't afford to concede.

“They were two sloppy goals which gave them a head start. We seem to be making a bit of a habit of that at the moment.

“We put ourselves on the back foot and when Doc (Gary Doherty) got sent off it opened the game right up for them and things started going from bad to worse.”

Croft was replaced by Andy Hughes after 70 minutes and revealed afterwards that it was down to the pain he was feeling in his calf.

“It just felt like I couldn't sprint, which is a big part of my game, so I couldn't really continue,” he said.