Everton's players must "listen to the truth" as Marco Silva sifts through the wreckage of another defeat.
The Blues boss accepts he is under pressure after a run of eight defeats in the last 14 games in all competitions and knows he needs to get to the bottom of their problems.
Silva saw his side lose 3-1 at home to Wolves on Saturday and says the players' reaction to the third goal was not "normal".
The 41-year-old has little time to re-organise Everton with title-chasing Manchester City the visitors to Goodison on Wednesday night in a rearranged fixture but has suggested his message will be straight and to the point at Finch Farm in the next few days.
“For us to improve and do the things better they have to understand," Silva said.
“If I have to blame them, I will, but if I have to go in a different way I will do that also.
“They have to listen to the truth because I didn't like our performance in some moments and more when we made mistakes."
Asked if getting angry with the players works, he said: “They have seen me many, many times this season angry with them.
“I am calm with you but when I am with them it is not always the same.
“Even after the third goal we have to react in a different way, it wasn't the normal reaction in that moment.”
Silva was then quizzed about his players' motivation and if he was struggling to get the right response from the squad.
He said: “But for me, motivation is an obligation. When you are a professional and working at a club like Everton, it is an obligation to be motivated and to be focused.
“When you are talking to me about motivation, focus it is something that is an obligation, it cannot come on Saturday and not the next Saturday.
But I agree with you, we are not being consistent this season and we are paying a lot for that.”
The Portuguese coach accepts that he is under pressure after a dreadful run of results but insists his focus is not on his job safety but on sorting out the problems in front of him.
“I know what you are asking me," he said.
“The most important thing for me is what we can do as a club and what we can do as a team, it's not about talking about individual things.
“It is not important for me to talk about this situation.
“My job is to work with them and to show them, clearly, what they need to do on the pitch.
“And to understand why, even when we prepare and plan, why we are always making the same type of mistakes."
“When everything goes well they talk good things about the manager but when some things go wrong it is normal they also speak about the manager," he continued.
"It is normal, it is a normal pressure when you have this kind of job.”
There is no let-up for Everton and Silva with Man City the visitors on Wednesday.
“At the moment we don't find easy games," the
Everton manager says.
"This game wasn't easy for sure but the moment is to not look at the opponent but look at ourselves.
“We have quality but for many reasons players are not handling theses situations in a normal way and it is my job to understand why."
And hes blaming the players, stick a fork in this fella.
