Carlisle United's Jon Mellish: We've got to sort 'mess' out

But the defender is adamant that there is enough quality in the squad to get United out of League Two danger.

Saturday’s 4-0 defeat at AFC Wimbledon sent Carlisle to the foot of the table and Mellish admitted the way they conceded was “criminal”.

He also said fans had every right to boo the performance in south London but added that he has belief that United, under Mike Williamson, will turn things around.

“Losing 4-0 away, you can’t hide from that and we’re bottom of the league now,” Mellish said.

“We've really got to look at it now. We've got a whole week before Harrogate and we've just got to sort this mess out.

“I've got no doubts that all the plans are there to do it right. We've just got to keep doing it. It's a process and it'll come good.

“I'm sure we'll look back on this as a moment in time where it wasn't going well for us, but it'll come good.”

United’s first half showing at Wimbledon was their worst in recent memory and Mellish admitted Carlisle’s approach to the game was not right.

“I think we probably just turned up and thought, ‘If we play we'll be alright’, but Wimbledon are a big, horrible team and to let them score from three set plays is criminal,” he said.

“You can't do that against a team like that because you're not going to recover from it – and then they sit back and you don't really look like you're going to score because it's easy for them.

“It's easy to do it when you're 4-0 down. You need to do it from the start. It's as simple as that.”

Carlisle’s travelling fans jeered the performance at full-time and Mellish had no complaints about that reception.

Mellish and his team-mates suffered a heavy defeat in south London (Image: Richard Parkes)

But he also appealed to supporters to stick with the team and club.

“They’ve got every right to boo, when we’re bottom of League Two. We shouldn't be there,” he said.

“[But] I would say [to them] keep coming in your numbers, keep backing, because I'm 100 per cent sure it's going to click and it's going to come good.

“It's a process and there's great plans there from the management for us, how we're going to play. It's going to take time. It's hard at the minute, but it'll come good.”

United’s predicament will require fighting spirit, whatever style of play Carlisle are attempting, Mellish admitted.

“Yes, it's all good playing, but you need to turn up and show that you want to play,” he said.

• READ MORE: Carlisle United fans have their say on Wimbledon thrashing

“You need to get on the ball and if that's how you're going to play, you've got to be brave. That's what we need right now. Pull our sleeves up and have a good go at it.

On his belief in his fellow team-mates, the defender added: “I think if you look at the squad on paper, it should be nowhere near the bottom.

“We’ll get [injured players] back as well. It's good to see Cal [Guy] and [Taylor] Charters back, I think they made a massive difference when they came on. I think we've got more than enough to do well.”

Mellish, who has been at United for more than five years, said he is desperate to be part of a turnaround that helps deliver better times again.

“The club's a big part of me now,” said the 26-year-old. “I want to give as much as I can, everything.

“I want to see us do well. We got promoted two years ago and we want that back again.

“I know we’re capable of it. It's a big club, really. You can see everything going on. We need to start doing it on the pitch now and showing everyone how good we are.”