DARREN Edmondson ordered his Barrow AFC players to toughen up after blasting them for ducking ‘ugly’ duties during Saturday’s humbling 5-0 loss at Bromley.

In the aftermath of Barrow’s worst defeat of the season, the Bluebirds boss said: “We definitely didn’t do the hard things in the game properly.

“We didn’t win enough tackles, watch enough runners, and we didn’t win enough headers or second balls to the point where we couldn’t get any tempo in our game.

“We had a lot of possession in the first half without really hurting them.

“We got into some good areas and didn’t put the correct crosses into the box, but collectively we didn’t do the ugly things well enough.”

He later added: “I don’t think it was down to a lack of quality.

“As I said, we didn’t win enough tackles, that’s the be all and end all.

“If you don’t do that the opposition will gain momentum, get the initiative and we didn’t do that well enough.”

Barrow failed to build on last Tuesday’s 3-2 National League home win over Chester, while they have yet to achieve back-to-back victories this term.

The manager has told his men to stand up and be counted ahead of tomorrow’s tricky encounter at Tranmere Rovers (7.45pm kick-off).

When asked how his squad can achieve more consistency, Edmondson added: “Mentally, I think we’ve got to be stronger as a group.

“But, at the same time, as an individual you’ve got to take more onus with regards to your own responsibility for the team and your own performance.”

Pushed on whether he believes his squad possesses sufficient quality to achieve consistent positive results, Edmondson said: “Time will tell on that, individuals will also tell that.

“Individuals will either stand up now and be counted or they will fall by you, and then we’ll find out quickly.

“So that’s a time thing.”

Barrow were felled by first-half goals from Jack Holland and Anthony Cook, while Reece Prestedge, Moses Emmanuel and Louis Dennis struck after the break.

“In possession in the first half we were very good, but without creating anything,” added Edmondson.

“In the second half, we were not too bad in spells again, but again, we still didn’t make tackles.

“That’s when you show passion, when you dig in and that’s when your pride should come in. And we didn’t show it.

“When you’re 3-0 or 4-0 down it’s difficult as a player then to keep that going, but that’s what you’re paid to do.

“That’s why 200 fans have followed you the length of the country to come and watch you do that.”

Edmondson chatted to some of Barrow’s die-hard travelling fans after the final whistle.

“When you travel so far across the country you want to see some passion, and they didn’t see passion and they felt let down and that’s right,” said an apologetic manager.

“That’s what happened today, we let them down and we didn’t produce anywhere near the performance that we produced against Chester.”

There is currently no suggestion that Edmondson’s job is under threat.

Barrow have shown plenty of encouraging signs this term, and only last month AFC owner and chairman Paul Casson reiterated his faith in his manager, by saying: “I expect Edmo to be manager of this club for the next 10 years.”

So with Barrow sitting 15th in the National League table but only six points adrift of the play-off zone, after 16 games, does Edmondson believe Casson will afford him the time to iron out any on-field issues?

“He can probably only answer that question, I can’t answer that,” said Edmondson.

“All managers need time and want time to bed their philosophies, etc, into the football club.

“It’s a results-based industry but what I can’t do is answer questions for him or sort of make judgement calls by what we think the chairman is going to do.

“I will just get the team ready on Monday for Tuesday and take it from there.

“What me and the chairman talk about will remain between me and the chairman. I’m paid to be the manager of this football club.

“Today, we didn’t do our job properly.

“We now have to do our job properly on Monday, Tuesday and so on.”