Sean Dyche has called for some of his Nottingham Forest players to “have a look in the mirror” after an “unacceptable” first-half performance in their FA Cup loss at Wrexham.
Forest were the first Premier League side in third-round action and the first casualty at the hands of lower league opposition.
Having made eight changes from Tuesday’s Premier League win at West Ham, Dyche watched in fury as his side trailed their Championship opponents 2-0 at the break.
They fought back to make it 3-3 and force extra-time at Stok Cae Ras, but were beaten 4-3 in the penalty shootout after Igor Jesus and Omari Hutchinson had their spot-kicks saved by home keeper Arthur Okonkwo.
“The first half was completely unacceptable,” Dyche told TNT Sports.
“I let the players know and there are certain individuals that certainly know and they have to look in the mirror.
“But the strangeness of football, some players that came on in the second half were a credit and we went on and looked like a Premier League side.
“You can’t do that in the first half, it’s completely unacceptable. It’s unacceptable to me, but I said you have to look in the mirror because that’s unacceptable to the badge as well.
“They all knock on the door and say, ‘why aren’t I playing?’. Well the evidence is quite honestly there for some, not for all.”
While Dyche praised those who came off the bench – including two-goal Callum Hudson-Odoi – for acting as a “catalyst” for their second-half comeback, he continued to berate his side’s efforts in a poor first 45 minutes.
“I could have taken all of them off [at half-time],” he added. “The tempo, the mentality to take the game on was lacking so badly in the first half.
“Slow, methodical, we have done a lot of work on that. There was basically no intent, no real desire to make a difference. Second half, the changes were terrific.
“The facts of the matter are we’ve got to make changes. They showed their hand and won’t be knocking on my door saying, ‘why aren’t I playing?’ again, that’s for sure, that first-half group.”
The three goals at Wrexham meant Forest have now conceded 46 in all competitions this season, with bottom club Wolves the only side to have let in more among Premier League clubs – and only one more at that.
But with his side 17th in the league – seven points clear of the bottom three – Dyche’s focus will now be solely on keeping Forest in the top flight after an evening to forget in north Wales.
“Forest were nowhere near good enough in the first half,” former Crystal Palace striker Clinton Morrison told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“If they had played the whole game like they did the second they would have won convincingly, but full credit must go to Wrexham.
“Forest back to the drawing board and the task of trying to stay in the Premier League.”
Speaking on TNT Sports, ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid winger Steve McManaman added: “The story tonight is Wrexham and the journey they have been on with the new owners. Nottingham Forest played their part in this story.
“The first 45 minutes, they may as well have not turned up. That is really disappointing because Sean Dyche trusted some of those players to do a job for him and they didn’t.
“He had to rely on some of his big boys. They went to extra-time and that is something he didn’t want, so he will be going crazy in the dressing room.”
