Cliftonville boss Jim Magilton insists his side 'haven't done enough' in recent weeks after slipping to Carrick Rangers defeat
Cliftonville manager Jim Magilton offered an apology to the club’s supporters and admitted his side “haven’t done enough” in recent weeks after falling to a 2-0 defeat against Premiership strugglers Carrick Rangers.
Carrick came into the contest having lost eight consecutive matches – a run which resulted in boss Stuart King departing the club on Tuesday as players Curtis Allen and Mark Surgenor stepped in on an interim basis.
Goals in either half from Danny Gibson and Seanan Clucas helped mark a maiden league win since August 10 for the hosts while Cliftonville have now lost their last three on the trot and a sole victory in the last seven came against bottom side Loughgall.
The Reds are still adjusting to life without Ronan Hale, who continued his impressive Ross County form by scoring against Celtic on Sunday, Ben Wilson and Sam Ashford with the trio combining for 38 of 80 league goals last term.
They’ve netted two or more times in just three of 10 matches at the start of this season – that number was six at the same stage in 2023/24 – and Magilton believes his side “lost in a whimper” at the Loughview Leisure Arena.
"We lost in a whimper and it’s very disappointing to say the least,” he said. “They didn’t have to work very hard for their goals.
"We came here knowing we’d have the ball and it’s what we do with it that’s more important. We didn’t play with any real purpose and the goalkeeper didn’t have to make any real saves.
"There’s too many of these games that are just going by and it’s extremely disappointing for our fans. I have to apologise to them because we haven’t done enough in recent weeks and I take full responsibility because I’m responsible for bringing these lads into the club.
"I took strikers off and they never had a chance, which wasn’t because they were playing badly, they just never had a chance.
"If you’re not creating chances...it was a wing and a prayer hoping something might happen and that’s just not the way we operate or set out to play.
"We didn’t create any worthwhile chance and that’s really disappointing when you’re looking at the quality we have in the changing room. The only people who get us out of that are the players and staff and we have to work harder now.”