Tuesday 1 March 2016 16:41, UK
Leeds manager Steve Evans was told not to speak to the media by owner Massimo Cellino after his side were handed a 4-0 thrashing by Brighton on Monday night.
Assistant Paul Raynor was left to answer questions after what he termed a "shambolic" display in which Leeds conceded four times in the space of 20 minutes.
Owner Cellino did not stay for the second half and subsequently told Evans to skip the post-match interview.
Leeds are now 17th in the table, having won just one of their last 11 matches.
Asked why Evans did not speak to the media following a fifth game without a victory, Raynor told Sky Sports: "We know you are going to ask questions and we know you want answers.
"We are trying to give answers to the players on what we think of that first-half performance which was absolutely shambolic, not good enough, and certainly not good enough for Leeds United.
"We can't worry about the chairman. If I was him I would have gone as well to be fair, because he doesn't want to see his football club playing like that and I don't blame him for that."
The defeat was Leeds' heaviest since Evans took charge in October and Raynor was frustrated by the display, despite an improved effort in the second-half.
"Our defending was atrocious and the manager is going to dissect it with the players," he added.
"We only had 15 minutes at half-time to try and put a shape together and to show a bit of pride and commitment and heart out there, and I felt we did that in the second half.
"But the first half was absolutely shambolic and it simply was not good enough."
Some Leeds players took to social media after the game to apologise to fans for the side's first-half performance.
Winger Mustapha Carayol tweeted: "I want to apologise to the fans 2night that was totally unacceptable 1st half performance..Wish all the travelling fans a safe journey home!"
His team-mate Toumani Diagouraga also apologised, saying Leeds players intend to bounce back when they welcome fellow strugglers Bolton to Elland Road on Saturday.
He tweeted: "That 1st half performance wasn't good enough sorry to everyone who travelled all the way down we be looking to put it right on Saturday."
