After a performance as thoroughly underwhelming as the one we were unfortunate enough to witness on Saturday, all post-match discussion seems to centre on a familiar question: who is at fault for such total lack of desire?

It's often said that fans can forgive a defeat if the team have tried something bold that hasn't quite come off - but we tend to be less accepting when the attitude of the players is so unexplainably poor.

General opinion seems to place the blame at Ardley's door: it's certainly notable that we always seem a bit unfocused immediately after half-time, and often pay the price with by conceding a soft goal.

But while criticisms of selection or tactics may sometimes be reasonable, I certainly don't think the coaching staff deserve to be blamed for the lack of passion that has marked a couple of dreadful performances this season.

Surrey Comet:

Neal Ardley: Getting his point across.... or is he?

PICTURE GALLERY: AFC Wimbledon 1 v 2 Cambridge United

If a youth team player ever dreamed of blaming a defeat on his coach, for failing to get him properly motivated, you can be fairly certain he'd be spending the next few Saturdays sat on the bench.

So why do we seem willing to accept such excuses from the first team? If a professional footballer - particularly one as experienced as many in our side - can't get himself fired up for a game, then I might suggest that he pursue a different career.

Like any young manager, Ardley will sometimes fall victim to tactical naivety or inflexibility - but the idea that he, or Cox, or Bassey, are at fault for the Saturday's spineless showing, is one that is surely completely unjustified.

We have some talented players, and I genuinely believe we get the tactics right more often than not. Our defeats are invariably down to mental fragility or simple apathy, and that's something that even the best managers struggle to address.

The only way our form will take a genuine turn for the better is if the players pull their socks up, and start working for each other.

For me, the onus is on the likes of Fuller, Bulman, Barrett and Moore to give the rest of the squad a kick up the backside; if they were all as enthusiastic as those four, we'd have a lot less to complain about.

We have the personnel (if not the squad depth) to do better than we are currently - I really believe that if the players can get their act together and put in the effort demanded of them by coaching staff and fans, we'll be able to put performances like Saturday's behind us.