Stuart King clear 'this can’t go on much longer' as Carrick Rangers look to end Irish League winless run against Ballymena United
Stuart King is clear Carrick Rangers’ current Premiership form “can’t go on much longer” as his side look to end their five-game losing run against Ballymena United.
King’s men, who created club history last season by finishing the campaign in seventh to set up a European play-off semi-final with Crusaders, began this term with a 2-0 success over Glenavon but have since lost consecutive matches to Loughgall, Glentoran, the Crues, Portadown and Coleraine.
That run of form means they enter Tuesday’s clash with Ballymena sitting bottom of the table while only Loughgall (16) have conceded more goals than Carrick (12).
King has previously displayed that he can turn the club’s fortunes around – the ‘Gers lost nine of their opening 14 league matches last season before going on to have a record campaign – and will hope to do so again, but knows that current results “haven’t been good enough”.
"I’m frustrated and I know a lot of people are getting frustrated,” he told the club’s media channel. “I’ll take the brunt of it and accept everything that comes my way, but there’s no one working as hard.
"I feel sorry for my staff at the moment...they are knocking their pan in as well. When they cross the line sometimes you have to take responsibility and to be fair they are in the changing room, but I’d rather they do it on the pitch.
"We have to get points – we have to get points on the board. Whatever we have to do, we have to get points...if we have to be physical, if we have to be in people’s faces, if we have to play a load of kids who will be energetic and get round people, then I’ll do it.
"I’m going to have to find a way of doing it. This can’t go on much longer...I’ve asked them the question in there about how we go forward and I liked the response, but it’s over to them.
"I can come up with game plans, but it’s over to them now. They have to take responsibility...they are an honest bunch and they do care. Results haven’t been good enough.”
Carrick have won their last three Premiership matches against Jim Ervin’s Ballymena, who enter this fixture looking to record a fifth consecutive victory across competitions having beaten champions Larne and Glentoran in recent weeks.