- Fans were full of praise for the non-league manager after his side’s latest defeat
- Horndean FC boss Michael Birmingham has gone viral for his post-match attitude
- LISTEN NOW: It all starts!available wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes every Monday and Thursday
An irate non-league manager has gone viral after attacking his players in a shockingly honest post-match interview, sending fans into fits of laughter.
In stark contrast to the often robotic interviews with Premier League managers, non-league football provides a glimpse of how fiercely competitive the local grassroots really are.
That passion turned to anger at the weekend as Horndean FC were beaten 4-0 on Saturday and team manager Michael Birmingham was later named in his squad after the match.
The head coach was reeling from another torrid match, which leaves his side in 14th place in the Isthmian South Central Division, with just 11 points from nine games, and he gave his side a wake-up call.
Birmingham said angrily after the defeat: ‘I hope our players have enough Sudocrem because they got a kick in the ass today.
Horndean FC boss Michael Birmingham (pictured) has gone viral for his post-match rant this weekend
‘Fair play to Raynes Park, they were by far the better team, the best team we’ve played this season, ruthless.
‘I thought the striker, number 20 at the top, was absolutely brilliant.
‘I wish I had one. Right now I have four symbolic gestures as a striker. Even four together can’t seem like anything related to him.
“The only positive thing that came out of that was that I had a lovely pasta before the match, so that was about it,” he added.
Birmingham later claimed his team fell short of his standards, adding: ‘To be honest it should have been more today. For me it’s the basics – they wanted it, the second balls.
“My whole destiny has no standards. They don’t care, they just show up and think, ‘Here we go, we’re going through the motions.’
“Today they were discovered, and you know what? “I hope it hurts and stuff, I hope they can’t sit for a week and they’re off Sudocrem,” he said.
The video has since gone viral with over 700,000 views on X and fans praised Birmingham for his refreshing analysis that has made him a non-competitive celebrity.
‘How refreshing to hear a manager tell the truth about his team’s poor performance.’ said a supporter on X.
Another similarly added: ‘I wish Premier League managers were that honest.’