Tom Pope: Bury striker criticises attitude of players after 12-game winless run

Tom Pope has scored five goals in 16 appearances this season

Bury striker Tom Pope has hit out at the performances of the squad following their eighth league defeat in a row.

The Shakers sacked boss David Flitcroft after a run of 11 games without a win but lost 5-1 at AFC Wimbledon in their first match since his departure.

That result came four days after losing 5-0 to the Dons in an FA Cup first round replay and they have conceded 14 goals in the last three games.

"We've got no excuses now," 31-year-old Pope told BBC Radio Manchester.

"If the fans thought it was the manager and we weren't playing for him, then that performance has shown it has got nothing to do with the manager, coaching or what we do out on the training pitch.

"They're schoolboy goals as you can't concede a goal and then two within a minute, that can't be coached that's just down to mental attitude and at the minute we're crumbling."

Bury were second in League One at the end of September, but their winless run has seen them drop to 18th, with Chris Brass and Ryan Kidd now in temporary charge.