Dundee boss Gordon Chisholm questioned his players” professionalism and fitness after the defeat at Raith on Wednesday, which finally ended the Dark Blues” slim championship hopes.
The Dens Park gaffer was seething and although he chose his words carefully, his mood had not been improved by the sound he heard coming out of the home dressing room.
“I am angry and disappointed but I am still being careful about what I say,” he said.
“People are fighting for jobs, not just in football, but everywhere and I do not think the boys recognise that.
“A lot of players are out of contract here but there are others in contract as well who still have to prove I should keep them.
“To be honest, there is no one standing out and saying ‘keep me’ not with those sorts of performances.
“I just wish they would grasp the importance of it for the club and themselves.
“For instance, I came in here this morning and I could hear some of the players laughing.
“Maybe it is just me being old fashioned but if you get beaten the night before, you do not arrive for training having a laugh.
“If I ever suffered a defeat as a player, the last thing I would do would be to come in carrying on and laughing.
“I would reflect on the fact that we did not play well. The Raith keeper did not have a save to make for the full 90 minutes and that is not acceptable.
“We will try to pick things up on the training pitch but the players have to show that it matters, that it hurts.”
Despite the fact Raith had played three games in just five days on Wednesday, they looked the fitter and stronger side as the match entered its closing stages.
Chisholm said he has the scientific evidence to show his squad needs to sharpen up in the gym and training field.
“I hate saying this but often a new manager comes in and claims that the players he has inherited are not fit enough,” he said.
“It usually comes across as a slight on the previous manager. I am not trying to have a go at anyone but you cannot tell me that the team are fit enough…
“I give all credit to Inverness as they have deserved to win the title after going on a tremendous run.
“But the one thing that sticks in my throat is that they were able to sit in the house on Wednesday night and without moving a muscle, have won the championship.
“So I am looking for a lot of pride and commitment on Saturday.
“The team have to show the home crowd they have ability and to finish on a high.”‘Pitiful’Dundee benefactor Calum Melville also blasted the “pitiful” efforts of the players and is set to conduct an investigation with club chairman Bob Brannan into what went wrong, claiming that the directors are blameless for the way the season turned out.
Melville said, “The fans have been badly let down.
“They deserve better and, as a board, we will demand better because what we have seen, particularly since Christmas, has been nothing short of a disgrace.”
Meanwhile, Dundee keeper Tony Bullock will miss the rest of the season after tearing his hamstring against Raith.
Bullock was replaced by 49-year-old goalkeeping coach Bobby Geddes but Chisholm is hopeful Derek Soutar will have recovered from a sickness bug to take the veteran’s place between the sticks.
Midfielder Colin Cameron is also out for the season after breaking his arm in a collision with a team-mate during training on Tuesday.