FURIOUS Redditch United manager Rod Brown has told his players to buck up or get out!

And he slammed his side for throwing the towel in during Bank Holiday Monday's miserable 5-1 mauling at Northwich Victoria.

Brown kept the players in the dressing room for an hour at the end of the game for a 'clear the air' meeting.

"Things had to be said - I have asked every player to put their cards on the table in terms of what they think of the situation," Brown said.

"The display (against Northwich) was unacceptable, woeful. There is a lot of work and effort that goes in from the coaching staff and we are not getting back what we have put in.

"The expectations of the players should be that they want to go and win things but we are a team playing in comfort zones, happy just to be here. The players are taking a bit of a liberty at the moment."

And the Valley Stadium boss stated players had a choice.

"We can only go one of two ways really and I've told the players that," Brown added. "One is to work harder and we'll give them the opportunity to change things. But if in two weeks things are no better then we will change the players and I have told them that. It doesn't matter who they are - if they are contract players they will get listed, if they are not then they will go."

Monday's drubbing capped a miserable weekend for Reds following their 1-0 home defeat to Lancaster City on Saturday. It means the team have won just one of their opening five games ... and that was down to a last minute own goal.

"It is not about winning games, it is about throwing the towel in," Brown added. "I am looking at a team that doesn't look fit - neither mentally nor physically - and that is simply unacceptable.

"It is a test of our management at the moment because this is probably the most gifted set of players I've worked with.

"The team we had last year weren't half as good as the players we have now but at least they had self-belief."

Brown dragged the players in for extra training this week ahead of Saturday's match at home to Hednesford Town.

Striker Scott Rickards could be back in contention after recovering from a groin strain but it is unlikely that Sean Flynn will be involved.

"We will start from basics as though we are going to start the league on Saturday," Brown added.

"The people you feel sorry for are the fans who have paid their money to see the team. They may be happy to see Redditch lose as long as they see some effort."