Stanley a "disgrace"

Coleman blew his top after the Reds slumped to a 1-0 defeat against a side that was competing in the Nationwide Football League only last season.

And the demanding Accrington chief has threatened wholesale changes unless he sees an instant improvement in training this week.

"I'm absolutely distraught because I think that's as bad a performance as I've seen since I've been here - certainly at home," Coleman blasted.

"It's a disgrace. We've got 3,200 people here and we don't try. We've got to work on a few things in training, but you can't work on enthusiasm.

"If they're not as enthusiastic as I am then I'm wasting my time and I'll have to get other people to do it.

"They've absolutely disgusted me. That performance just wasn't acceptable to Accrington Stanley Football Club in any way, shape or form."

A strike from former Crewe hitman Colin Cramb was enough to see the Shrews inflict a rare home defeat on Stanley - their first since Emley won 1-0 at the Crown Ground in April 2001.

But that cut no ice with Coleman, who feels his side got exactly what they deserved.

He added: "I can't understand people coming up to me after the game saying 'unlucky'. I thought we were terrible.

"If the players think they're going to turn that in week in week out, they'll be doing it for someone else because they won't be doing it for me.

"We'll have to show a lot more enthusiasm in training for starters. It's not been a problem before, but we'll train twice this week and if I don't get the response I want, someone else will play next week."

Coleman was particularly disappointed with the manner in which his side appeared to bow down to Shrewsbury, who were relegated from the League's basement division in May.

"We didn't show enough passion or commitment. In the first 15 minutes it was too easy for us, we were so comfortable it was untrue," he said.

"I honestly thought Shrewsbury were there to be beaten. They're a good side and well organised, but they're nothing special and I think we were expecting more from an ex-League club.

"They got a foothold of the game and, give them their due, they've taken it. They've looked at us and thought 'these aren't going to do much more now' and they've stepped it up and made better chances.

"To be honest we were scared of them. We showed them totally too much respect and I thought we were a disgrace.

"We weren't together as a team, we didn't do enough things right and the amount of times we gave the ball away was shocking. For a team that's supposed to be as good as us that was terrible.

"I'd like to think it was a one-off and I certainly hope it was because if we play like that we'll get absolutely nothing this season."

Coleman did, however, reserve praise for central defender Robbie Williams, who coped admirably with livewire striker Luke Rodgers.

"The only good thing today was that we had Robbie Williams for us because everyone else didn't turn up as far as I'm concerned," he said.

"He played really well. He was head and shoulders the man of the match."