Michael Flynn today jumped to the defence of under-fire boss Stuart McCall, stating: Blame us, not the manager.

The pressure is mounting ahead of the trip to fifth-bottom Torquay as City look for their first win since beating Darlington on December 5.

But Flynn insists the players, not McCall, should be the ones in the firing line over the worrying plunge down the table.

He said: “We feel responsible. The manager can’t go out on the pitch and play for the fans. People can pick faults in him picking the team but he can’t legislate for individual errors week after week. It’s happened too many times.

“If players go out on a Saturday and don’t do what they’ve been prepared for then what can he do? I don’t think Jose Mourinho could do the job like that.

“As a group of players we should be having a good look at ourselves, instead of the manager taking the flak.

“The gaffer gives everything. People know how much he loves this club.

“That loyalty isn’t always enough but if all the players felt as strongly as Stuart McCall, I don’t think we would be 16th .”

City’s victory over the basement side was also the last time they kept a clean sheet. They have let in 15 goals in the six games since – and only Crewe, Chelten-ham and Darlington have conceded more this season.

City have finished the last two games strongly but midfielder Flynn admits that is no consolation to anyone.

“I want to come off the pitch and hear the manager say we’re a lucky team,” he added. “A horrible 1-0 would be more enjoyable than playing brilliantly and only getting a draw.

“We need a win and I couldn’t care less if we don’t deserve it. I’m fed up of hearing how unlucky we are.

“We can go ten games unbeaten earlier this season so I don’t think there’s an excuse to go six without a win now.

"Yes, we’ve had decisions go against us but we’ve also shot ourselves in the foot with a few of the goals we’ve conceded. At the moment it’s like we’ve got to score three times to win a game which is nonsense.

“People ask why didn’t we take our chances at Bury and Lincoln. But if we hadn’t made the same mistakes we’d have won both games.

“Football is a game of opinions but obviously if you keep a clean sheet, you aren’t going to lose.

“Players don’t miss chances on purpose and they don’t go out to deliberately make mistakes. But it’s all too frequent and as a team we don’t seem to be learning.”

Favourable scores in midweek meant that City did not drop any lower. But they need a result of their own to check the slide and restore belief in the season.

Flynn said: “I don’t think for one moment that we will be dragged into a relegation fight.

“We’re 11 points clear of Grimsby with a game in hand. But we are going through a bad spell.

“The performances show we’ve got fight but we have got to be stronger as a unit.

“Whatever we say about the mistakes and results, one thing nobody can knock us for is effort.

“The effort was there in abundance in the second half at Lincoln. But we’ve got to start games like that.

“We can’t be 2-0 down and then decide we’ve got to roll our sleeves up. It has to happen from the first whistle.

“We are all right behind the manager but I can talk until the cows come home. It’s about action not words.”