MANAGER John Barnes admits he is under pressure after Tranmere subsided to a fifth defeat in six League One matches since the start of the season.
The former Liverpool and England winger blamed lack of effort and commitment from his players for a 3-0 reverse at Carlisle United that saw Rovers drop to 23rd place in the table.
“Of course you are under pressure when results don’t go your way,” Barnes said. “But I have not got a choice but to keep working. So that is what I will do.
“I said to the players in the dressing room ‘we are in this together until I am told otherwise.’
“I said to them ‘if you are waiting for someone else to come in, then someone else may come in and none of you may be playing. I have more belief in you than maybe you have in yourselves – but you are not showing it out there at all’.”
Barnes, who succeeded Ronnie Moore as manager in June, says budget restrictions mean he is not in a position to refresh the squad of players he put together during the summer.
“We can’t change anything because we don’t have the money to change anything,” Barnes said.
“Maybe the players know that, so maybe they are comfortable in the fact they know they are going to be there or thereabouts, because we can’t bring people in.”
Barnes added: “I understand if players don’t play well but they have to show the right desire and they have not shown it.
“Maybe in the games against Leeds and Charlton their confidence was low but there was no reason for them to play like they did (against Carlisle).
“We have to lift the confidence and keep going. Change is not an option for us so we have to work with what we have.”
The efforts of teenage centre-back Ash Taylor, a second half substitute, provided one of the few positive aspects of the afternoon for Barnes. He said: “Every time Ash has played he has shown the kind of spirit and desire I want in my side. We just need more players to have that attitude on the field.”
Barnes refused to use the dismissal of Shaleum Logan just before the interval as an excuse for the three goals Tranmere conceded in the second half at Brunton Park.
Logan was dismissed for two bookable offences within the space of a minute. Barnes said: “We don’t know what the outcome would have been without the sending-off but there is no excuse for the way we defended in the second half. We did not show effort or commitment in the second half. We were second to everything.
“Too much is made of the way we want to play and the tactics. It has got nothing to do with whether we play long balls or short balls. It’s got to do with showing the right desire and commitment in difficult circumstances when you’re down to 10 men – to run around and tackle.”
Tranmere have lost the services of Irish youth international defender Gavin Gunning, who returned to Blackburn after completing a month-long loan at Prenton Park.
Barnes said Grenada international striker Kithson Bain is due to join the squad any day.
