Brisbane Roar coach Rado Vidosic has questioned whether his players are as hungry for more A-League success as he is, after a thrashing from Melbourne Heart sent them into bottom spot.
The back-to-back A-League champions were thumped 1-4 at AAMI Park last night in a performance that prompted skipper Matt Smith to publicly apologise.
Vidosic calling the Roar's efforts "garbage", saying it looked like players didn't want to be there.
"There was no heart in our play," he said. "It was just the game that individuals didn't want to play in, didn't want to perform.
"It was probably the worst performance we've seen from this lot in two-and-a-half years."
It was the Roar's third straight loss, leaving them with just four points from six games under Vidosic.
But the coach, who took over after Ange Postecoglou left to join Melbourne Victory within days of last season's championship, was not taking the blame.
"I'm not questioning my ability, because I've been at the club for seven years and I've been part of the last few years of our success, the same as the players," Vidosic said.
"I'm hungry, I want to achieve even more. Can they match my hunger?"
Vidosic said if motivation was ever a problem, four defeats in six matches ought to be enough of a spur.
He said the players were getting the same support and training that had made them the competition's powerhouse in the past two seasons, yet at times, were struggling to even string basic passes together.
"This year, it looks like it's just not happening for whatever reason," Vidosic said. "We are working exactly the same as we worked in the past.
"They are getting exactly the same information, the training sessions are exactly the same, everything is exactly the same - apart from performances."
Smith said the players had let down the club and its supporters.
"We need to apologise a) to our coach, b) to our club, c) to our fans," he said. "Tonight was, to me, probably the lowest point I've had at the club."
But Smith denied motivation was an issue.
"We're just as hungry as ever," he said.
The Heart's win lifted them from the bottom, at least temporarily, into sixth spot, pending other results.