Peterborough manager Mark Cooper slammed his players for letting the club down in the 2-1 defeat at fellow strugglers Sheffield Wednesday.
Cooper said his players once again "lacked bottle" as they failed to hit top gear until going two goals behind, in similar circumstances to recent matches against Coventry and Cardiff.
"We've prepared as if it was the World Cup final this week," he said. "I drove to Blackpool and watched Sheffield on Tuesday, prepared for three days solid on how we were going to play. So, as staff, we did our part but the players let the club down."
He added: "I've been sat here I don't know how many times after we've gone behind. Against Coventry we were down 2-0 and came back to 2-2. Cardiff we go 4-0 down and get back to 4-4.
"It seems we have to go behind before we start playing.
"Well, if you're 2-0 down it is easy to play because there is no pressure on you. But it is at 0-0 that you've got to go and earn your corn.
"That's when it matters, and that's why we're struggling - because people don't have the bottle to go and do it when it is 0-0."
While the result prolonged the visitors' woes, it stretched the Owls' winning streak to three on the trot and propelled them five points clear of the Coca-Cola Championship relegation zone.
However, Wednesday manager Alan Irvine admitted he had been concerned this form would hamper his side heading into the match.
"I hope (the momentum) is really valuable and I hope it keeps going," he said. "The danger, certainly from my point of view, was that, having won at two very difficult places in Barnsley and Blackpool, everyone assumed we would win. And obviously you can't go into any game in the Championship thinking in that way."
Copyright (c) PA Sport 2009, All Rights Reserved.
