We carried too many players - Redfearn

Redfearn admitted the 2-1 loss at the Ricoh Arena had hindered his chances of getting the manager’s job full-time and was unhappy with the performance as well as the result against the side that started the night at the bottom of the Npower Championship.

He said: “I don’t think we turned up. No disrespect to Coventry, but they’re bottom of the league, they’re lacking confidence and they’re struggling.

“The last thing you want to do is give them a leg up which is what we did.

“We came in 1-1 at half-time and we’d been poor if I’m being honest. We didn’t get about them and we carried too many players.

“It’s difficult for me because this is on a caretaker basis and I’ve got to be careful with what I say and how it comes across but home truths had to be told at half-time.

“It wasn’t just the result - I thought the performance was poor.

“We’d got ourselves back in it after conceding, albeit without playing well, but I thought Coventry looked the most dangerous side and in the second half it’s about not getting beat and trying to pinch something.

“We had a bit more of the play early on in the second half, but it was a poor performance.

“We should be going to places like that, getting at least a point and beating teams like that, with no disrespect to Coventry. But when teams are scrapping if they get a foothold and a sniff they will get after you. For me it was the worst performance while I’ve been in charge.”

Redfearn had no complaints about the two penalty decisions which ultimately sealed United’s fate.

He added: “The first penalty was a penalty. Darren O’Dea’s let him turn and run at him then it’s about being thorough and defending well and not being beat easy and we didn’t do it.

“The second was a penalty as well. We’d lost shape and discipline at an important time. You can say we’ve conceded too many goals all season and that’s a fact.

“You start defending from the front, with your strikers and your midfielders, and if there’s no protection there it kills you. It’s something that has to be addressed by whoever takes over before it can get better.”