MIKE Fowler slammed his ‘passive’ Redditch United side after the Reds started the season with a 2-0 defeat at AFC Sudbury.
Goals from Kyran Clements and Liam Pearce either side of half time condemned the Reds to defeat on the opening day of the season at the Elite Travel Stadium.
The result leaves Redditch 20th in the Southern League Premier Central table.
And Fowler, who managed the Reds in a competitive game for the first time, felt his side were far too reactive throughout the contest.
Fowler said: “We weren’t good enough in the first half-hour. First game’s of season’s are normally chaotic, everyone is trying too hard and overzealous.
“We were passive and we haven’t been passive all pre-season. I don’t really know what to make of it. It was pretty much the whole team apart from Ty in goal.
“I’m really disappointed with the start we had. Just the basics of winning headers and tackles, we were giving the ball away cheaply. We just weren’t competing.
“You can’t legislate for that as a manager. You don’t really think about what if my team decide not to go and compete? There the minimum standards.
“It was one-way traffic in the second half but we couldn’t get the goal. Then we concede a second because we switch off and we don’t do the basics again.
“It was very reactive, not proactive. There wasn’t enough synergy in the group.”
Sudbury broke the deadlock on 16 minutes when Clements guided a header into the net via the aid of the post following a corner from the right.
And the home side doubled their lead on 66 minutes as Pearce fired a shot through the legs of Reds goalkeeper Tyrese Warmington.
Redditch are next in action against Stratford Town on Monday, August 11 with kick-off at 7.45pm at the Valley Stadium.
