Peter Grant has apologised to Dunfermline supporters following the Fifers’ dismal 5-0 defeat against Rangers, insisting he barely recognised his own players at Ibrox.
And the Pars boss has told his under-performing stars they better be ‘hurting and suffering’ following a second chastening defeat on the bounce.
The East End Park outfit failed to muster any sort of response to their 3-0 home reverse against Partick Thistle on Saturday, conceding to a John Lundstram goal after just two minutes.
The Pars were four-down by the interval, with Scott Wright, Ianis Hagi and Kemar Roofe getting in on the act.
John Lundstram smashes one in off the bar for his first Rangers goal! 💥
Just the start that the home side would have been looking for as they try to put their last few games behind them 🔵#PremierSportsCup pic.twitter.com/UX9sKcTwEt
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) August 13, 2021
While always underdogs going to the home of the Scottish champions, the first-half showing was woeful; littered with sloppy errors and baffling decision-making.
Roofe made it 5-0 from the penalty spot after the break but, mercifully for the Pars, Rangers seemed content with the damage they had inflicted as they cruised into the Premier Sports Cup quarter-final.
“We were poor for the whole game,” said Grant. “If you give the ball away to good players, then that is what is going to happen. We just made so many wrong choices.
“Some of the decisions made were mind-blowing.
“I get annoyed because their approach has been excellent after the weekend and then: this.
“Our reaction to going behind was very poor. We didn’t do the basics well, we made the wrong choices and rushed things.
“That looked like a team I didn’t know. You need to do the basics well and we were a million miles away.”
Derby day
The upcoming Fife derby against Raith Rovers now looms large for Dunfermline and Grant.
Asked about the importance of that clash in Kirkcaldy to a hurting fanbase, the Pars boss bristled: “The supporters are hurting? What about the players?
“They are hurting — and they should be.
“If they weren’t hurting after that, they wouldn’t be playing for me, that’s for sure.
“I hope they are hurting and I hope they are suffering. There’s a face you can put on — but hurting means really learning from it.”
Grant added: “I feel for the fans because they come to support the team and we didn’t give them a chance. We can only apologise. I don’t care if it’s at Ibrox — we should be much better.”
