Simon Grayson warns Fleetwood players: You can't play beautiful game without the ugly side

READ MORE: Grayson hits out at unacceptable Fleetwood display.

That's Simon Grayson' s message to his Fleetwood players as the Town boss struggles to come to terms with the display against Accrington Stanley on Tuesday night.

That 4-1 defeat was the fifth in six winless games for the Highbury club, and although the head coach has taken many positives from recent performances he was clearly angered by this week's Papa John's Trophy setback.

He criticised a lack of work rate and of attention to the fundamentals of the game.

Grayson said: “It’s worrying for the players and from my perspective as well. I want players to be running through brick walls and running around, winning challenges, winning headers and second balls.

“Manchester City ran all over Manchester United at the weekend and they’ve got some of the best footballers in the world.

“We’ve got some good footballers but we have to do the other side as well - the ugly side of the game, the basics.

“If you don’t do the basics, then you aren’t going to get a chance to play your football.

“We need to make better decisions. We want to play in tight areas when it’s not on. We have to ask more questions of the opposition and go back to basics.

“There will be a lot of work done on the training ground before we play again, that’s for certain.”

Town won’t have to wait quite so long for an opportunity to avenge Tuesday’s defeat: their League One fixture away to Accrington in December has been brought forward from Tuesday 14 to Saturday 4 (3pm) as neither club is involved in the FA Cup second round on that date.

It’s the second move for a match originally scheduled for last month but postponed due to international call-ups.

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