Monk Demands Strong Reaction from U's After Derby Drubbing

U's Boss Slams Players for 'Unacceptable' Performance

Birmingham City boss Garry Monk has demanded a strong reaction from his players after they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by local rivals Derby County in the Championship on Saturday.

The Rams raced into a 2-0 lead inside the opening 20 minutes at Pride Park Stadium, and added a third just before the hour mark to condemn Blues to their fourth defeat in five league matches.

Monk was furious with his team's performance, and said that they had let themselves and the club down.

'We Were Second Best All Over the Pitch'

"We were second best all over the pitch today," said Monk. "We didn't compete, we didn't create any chances, and we didn't defend well enough.

"It was an unacceptable performance, and I'm very angry about it.

"We need to show a lot more character and determination than we did today.

'We've Got to Stick Together'

"We've got a big game coming up against Hull City on Tuesday, and we need to show a strong reaction.

"We need to stick together and fight for each other.

"We need to show the fans that we care, and that we're not going to let this one defeat define our season."