Manager Michael Flynn admitted “performances like that get you the sack” after Cheltenham went down 3-0 at home to Oldham to leave them rooted to the foot of the table.
Will Sutton opened the scoring for Latics and Luke Hannant’s penalty made it 2-0 before Joe Quigley rounded off the scoring as Micky Mellon’s side made it three wins in succession without conceding.
“It was nowhere near good enough,” Flynn said. “It was unacceptable and performances like that get you the sack; I can’t be any more honest than that.
“I can take responsibility for certain things, but I’m not going to just blame myself for that performance today from that group of players.”
Cheltenham are left with four points from nine games and when asked whether he is now fearing the worst, Flynn said: “I don’t know. I hope it’s not as I really love this club and enjoy working here, but it’s a results business and I’m not stupid.
“I’m somebody who is going to come out here and speak quite open and honest with you, whether that’s good or bad. Things have to improve. If I am still here, they need to improve quickly.
“We lacked fight, heart to get on the ball and we had players hiding today. Their players were sprinting first half and we had players jogging.
“If that group of players think a new manager comes in and they can turn a switch on and all of a sudden be world beaters, they will have a rude awakening.”
Oldham controlled much of the opening 45 minutes and the only surprise was that they only scored once.
Michael Mellon hit a post in the fourth minute and Hannant also saw an effort rebound off the woodwork in the 33rd minute after being played in by Tom Pett.
The breakthrough had been coming and it arrived in the 38th minute when Donervon Daniels surged to the byline and delivered a low cross that Cheltenham failed to clear, allowing Sutton to fire home.
Cheltenham nearly levelled when Arkell Jude-Boyd’s shot was turned around a post by Mathew Hudson in the 70th minute.
But Oldham extended their lead 15 minutes from the end when Daniels was fouled by James Wilson in the box and Hannant sent Joe Day the wrong way from the spot.
Quigley added the third in the 90th minute, following up after Day parried Pett’s shot.
“We played really, really well and did everything we needed to do to get a result,” boss Mellon said.
“I’m really pleased and we probably could have had more goals, but a good all-round performance and we professionally saw it over the line at the end.
“We started well and played some really good football, hitting the post twice, but at 1-0 at half-time they are still in the game so you have to come out second half and make sure you keep going, which we did.
“The boys who came off the bench carried everything forward for us as well, so it was a good day for us.”
