'Hard truths' needed at Burton - captain Watt

Captain Elliot Watt said "hard truths" need to be told at Burton Albion and accused a number of Brewers team-mates of lacking "personal pride" after they were beaten by non-league neighbours Tamworth in the FA Cup.

League One's bottom side were dumped out in the second round of the competition after losing on penalties at their Pirelli Stadium home ground on Sunday.

Burton's elimination, by a Staffordshire rival that plays two divisions below them in the National League, was the latest blow for a club that has badly struggled since being taken over and revamped by the Nordic Football Group in the summer.

"It meant the world to the fans today and it didn't mean enough to a lot of the changing room," Watt told BBC Radio Derby.

"The finer details in the game, we didn't get right. They ran harder than us and ultimately it wasn't good enough.

"We can tippy-toe around the situation we are in, but we need to get to the hard truths of the facts - there are a lot of people that need to step up to do more."

A summer of huge change at the Brewers saw new owners, a new manager and a British record 23 players signed in a single transfer window.

The upheaval also saw 24 players offloaded at the end of a previous campaign in which they narrowly avoided relegation.

But, after 16 league games this term, they sit bottom of the table with just one solitary win.

Watt began his scathing post-match interview with BBC Radio Derby by saying that he has "tried to stay upbeat and positive" and endeavoured to say "the right things".

But he continued: "It feels like a broken record going in there saying the same things after every match.

"There aren't enough people speaking up in the changing room and I get there are people learning on the job, maybe too many learning on the job, but ultimately we need to stand up, stick our shoulders out and be counted. At the minute it doesn’t feel like there are enough of us doing that.

"There is a core group who are doing everything they possibly can and the rest need to step up now."

Watt said it would be a matter for that core group to "drag people along" with them, and readily admitted "it's not looking positive" for the Brewers.

Burton's dismal start to the season led to the sacking of Mark Robinson - the manager hand-picked to oversee their footballing revolution - almost six weeks ago, and there has been little indication that a permanent replacement is incoming.

"It comes down to what is inside people and how much they want to improve, how much they want to do it for themselves and the fans," Watt said.

"And I don't think there is enough personal pride in the changing room at the minute."

Burton are next in action on Wednesday with a trip to Peterborough before they welcome high-flying Wrexham to the Pirelli Stadium on Saturday.