CHRIS LAKEY Carl Robinson promises Norwich City's faltering players will take criticism of Saturday's Plymouth debacle on the chin.

CHRIS LAKEY

Carl Robinson promises Norwich City's faltering players will take criticism of Saturday's Plymouth debacle on the chin.

There were few smiles from the City players as they trooped on to the team bus after a 3-1 defeat against a team which had failed to win any of its five previous home games this season.

It was an abject performance which clearly left the players with the harsh words from under-fire boss Nigel Worthington ringing in their ears - adding to the angry reaction of fans who saw their team get worse and worse as the match went on.

"It wasn't good enough," said Robinson. "We have had a good chat in the dressing room.

"We have come to Plymouth and not performed, so you have to be man enough, honest enough, to hold your hands up. That is not acceptable, that is not good enough.

"The lads have done that in the dressing room - we have enough senior boys in there and we had a good chat and we have held our hands up."

Worthington accused his players of lacking passion - and there was little Robinson could do but agree.

"On today's performance, that 90 minutes was not acceptable," he said. "Everyone has to look at themselves in the mirror, which they will do, when they go home this weekend.

"Playing for Norwich City you have to perform week in and week out and we are very disappointed that we did not perform today as a group, as a whole. We should not be coming to Plymouth and losing 3-1.

"We look at ourselves now and start again."

The story might have been different had Dickson Etuhu's first-half effort not been ruled out for offside - and had Gary Doherty not gifted Argyle an equaliser when he put the ball past his own keeper.

"I think we started off quite positively in the first 10 minutes and then they got a freak goal off of Doc's knee, there was nothing he could do about it," said Robinson.

"We scored through Dickson - he thought he was onside and someone said after he was onside so that's not a break for us. We conceded then from another set-piece, but overall, take the goals out of it, it was not acceptable, not good enough and we know that.

"We are man enough and big enough to take that on the chin and that's what we have to do."