Forest Green’s Jili Buaybu offered a heartfelt apology to the supporters after a 3-1 defeat to Carlisle United in the National League’s evening kick-off.
Rovers fell to their third successive league defeat after goals from Stephen Wearne, Morgan Feeney and David Ajiboye in an emphatic first-half performance from Carlisle.
“From the players and from myself, I would like to apologise for the first-half,” the on-loan Sheffield United left-back said. “We started off poorly, being a footballer is all about getting the fundamentals right like clearing and passing the ball. We come in every day and we have got a manager that wants us to win and wants us to succeed, but us as players have got to want it. You can tell the rivalry between the two managers; the players didn’t have that rivalry.
“We were soft in our own ground, taking too many touches, it was a terrible performance from us. We have to keep fighting and everyone might think it is the gaffer saying, ‘play like this and play like that’. No, it is us players, everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but we have to get the behind the club and the players. We are going to make mistakes as well.”
Rovers have lost to each of the top three in the last week, but felt they deserved more from the games against York and Rochdale prior to Carlisle.
“A game like that, you have got to play in their half, we were too relaxed. We can’t start off that slow, the players have to learn. It is a tough league to get out of, that is why I am disappointed. I am not just disappointed because of how we played; I am disappointed for the fans watching and supporting us. I said it in the changing room and so did the manager, ‘we have got to put in a performance, they (Carlisle) can’t come to our ground and play like that’.”
However, Rovers did respond well in the second-half after Stockport loanee, Jay Mingi’s 52nd minute goal gave Robbie Savage’s side a degree of hope.
“We are good enough, the second-half we were good enough. The club is going through a different direction, it is forward-thinking. We have got a manager and owners that want us to win, Asif (Rehmanwala) and Dale (Vince) want us to win. Us as players, we have got to look at ourselves. I apologise to the fans who came out in the cold to watch us play and support us.”
Despite the response, the damage was already done as Mark Hughes’ side apply pressure on both Rochdale and York as the season rapidly heats up.
“Teams like that, you can’t start off calm and sloppy because they want to beat us. We just let them run all over us. The second-half was better, but it doesn’t take until then to realise that we need to play this way and get balls in the box. The second-half, we killed them.”
The 23-year-old is on loan from Championship side, Sheffield United, but expressed the importance of playing for the shirt and the opportunity to try and earn a promotion while on loan in the National League.
“The Forest Green family have been good to me, I think the manager and the owner have been good to me so I will always give back. If we see things like that, then we have to speak. I know I am not the captain, but I am still going to speak because it was poor from us and the players need to know that. All of the blame can’t go to the manager; it was us individually.”
Rovers travel to Luke Garrard’s Boreham Wood next week in the league, who currently sit fourth, adding to what has already been a difficult February in terms of games against teams who sit around them in the table.
“I think these are the moments that are very key for us,” Buyabu said ahead of facing the Hertfordshire-based side. “I understand the fans are frustrated, but the manager wants the best for us. We are sorry for our performances. It takes time, the likes of Rochdale and York have spent two or three years together, we need you guys to be with us and fight with us.”
