Andy Sinton reveals AFC Telford dressing room 'poison'
Furious manager Andy Sinton has revealed there are problems within the AFC Telford dressing room following his side's shock 3-1 FA Trophy defeat at lower-league King's Lynn on Saturday.
In a strongly-worded post-match interview, the Bucks boss spoke of a 'cancer' or 'poison' within the camp which would continue to undermine results and performances until it was dealt with.
He declined to elaborate on the exact nature of the problem but he also indicated that he may not be able to take the action he wishes to.
Sinton said: "I am not looking for scapegoats. I am responsible (for the result). It's my team.
"I pick the players but I can tell you there is something not quite right within the dressing room that I haven't got to grips with yet.
"I think I know where it has come from. And until that cancer or poison is eradicated I think it is going to drag us down, not out of the division, but in terms of results and performances.
"I don't want to set it out in stone. I think that is wrong. It will be dealt with internally but there is something not quite right and it needs to be shifted."
"But sometimes you can't do what you want to do because of employment laws and contracts and stuff like that," he said.
Sinton added that he felt let down after indiscipline again reared its head with striker Steve Jones's having been sent off in the second half.
The dismissal, for two yellow cards in a minute, was the team's eighth of the season and it left them a man short for the remaining 28 minutes of normal time.
Jones was booked for simulation and then shown a second yellow after barging into King's Lynn defender Jordan Yong.
Sinton said: "My players are told week after week to leave referees alone, they are told week after week that if a decision goes against you they are not going to change it so walk away.
"My players are told week after week not to retaliate to tackles and yet I get it almost week after week."
Goalkeeper Ryan Young issued an apology on behalf of the players following Telford's defeat.
Young also admitted that there was a problem in the dressing room at the moment and called upon the players to pull together.
He said: "I have just got to apologise really. As players we have got to man up now.
"We aren't together at the moment and at times like this you have got to be together."