HONEST Steve Cook admits “there are things not right all across the pitch”, adding “we’re going to have to get ourselves going and get the fans back on board” after the team were booed off following defeat to Watford.
Cherries slipped to 19th in the Premier League following their 3-0 home humbling by the Hornets on Sunday, a ninth defeat in their past 11 top-flight fixtures.
Fans voiced their displeasure at full-time of the contest and Cook admits the players have not given the crowd enough to cheer about.
He told the Daily Echo: “I think I’ve said it all season that they’ve got to stick with us, but we’re not giving them a reason to stick with us.
“That’s down to us. That’s down to the players in the dressing room now and we’re going to have to get ourselves going and get the fans back on board.
“We tried doing that second half (on Sunday). I think in the first 10-15 minutes we got them going a little bit. It didn’t quite happen for us.
“We try pushing them and then we get caught for the second goal.”
Cherries were highly criticised for the first goal they conceded against Watford, when a short goal-kick from Mark Travers was intercepted, before Abdoulaye Doucoure tucked in.
Speaking on Sky Sports, pundit and former Premier League boss Graeme Souness claimed Cherries should be “more pragmatic” instead of regularly trying to pass out from the back.
Responding to those suggestions, Cook said: “That is obviously going to be the criticism. At the end of the day we have to take that.
“We’re footballers, playing on the highest stage. If you can’t do what the manager wants, you’re going to be criticised.
“You always see teams that want to play and get caught and get criticised, but that’s the game isn’t it?
“If you’re giving balls away on the 18-yard box or giving balls away on their 18-yard box and then conceding two minutes later, you’re going to get criticised.
“We have to face the music.”
He added: “At the end of the day, we’re trying to bring our identity of playing football.
“I think 20 minutes in, someone played a backwards pass and it was ‘urgh’ (from the crowd). You kind of feel it on the pitch.
“Travs is an outstanding goalkeeper, he’s very good with the ball. We took a risk playing out from the back but that’s how we felt we would play through them.
“Obviously in hindsight yeah it goes long. It’s cost us but that’s not Mark’s fault.”
He added: “I’ve dived in twice (on Ismaila Sarr) for the second goal, I’ll take that, that’s my fault. I’m 28 years old, played a lot of games and I’m not doing my job.
“There are things not right all across the pitch right now and I’m putting it down to the confidence and we need a bit of excellence or to grind out a result to improve things.
“I think everyone inside the stadium bar obviously the Watford fans, belief disappeared. The small bit of confidence that we had through the game, it goes after conceding that first goal.
“It was a big anti-climax for us on Sunday.”
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