Graham Coughlan: 'Cornered' Newport County boss wants player backing
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Newport manager Graham Coughlan looks on glumly as his side fall to a 3-0 loss at Notts County
Newport County manager Graham Coughlan says he is "in a corner" and has asked his players to "fight for him".
Newport's 3-0 loss at Notts County on Tuesday was their sixth defeat in 10 League Two matches, a run Coughlan has described as "not acceptable".
The Irishman says he has asked his players to back him as they try to turn the form around.
"They need to roll their sleeves up and they need to fight, they need to find a little bit of self-pride," he said.
"They need to find a little bit of professional standards.
"I've stood in front of the media all season for them and I've batted away questions. I've gone to war with people and I backed them.
"I backed them all day long, 100%, and I wouldn't let anybody say anything bad about them or come down on top of them or have a go at them.
"I'm telling my players I'm in a corner now and I need their backing and I need their help.
"I want to see how many of them are willing to back me the way I've backed them all season."
County's defeat at Meadow Lane left them 19th in the League Two table, five points above the relegation zone.
They next travel to seventh placed Gillingham on Saturday.
"The players need to step up to the plate and need to take responsibility because I'm not daft, I know the rules of football. I know the rules of management," Coughlan added.
"Maybe they're lacking a little bit of confidence, maybe they're lacking a little bit self-belief but this can't continue, this is not good enough, this is not acceptable.
"It's not acceptable and I'm certainly not going to accept it from them.
"You need quality, you need good players, but we can't do anything until January so it's work I suppose.
"I have to ask them how many of them are hurting and I have to ask them how many of them will come out of the traps, how many of them will roll their sleeves up and how many of them will represent me on Saturday and the following weeks?
"How many of them really want to go in to the trenches with me. How many of them want to fight for me?"
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