SOUTHEND United manager Phil Brown called for collective responsibility after Blues’ 101 year long stay in the Football League was ended.

The Shrimpers will be lining up in the National League next season after suffering back to back relegations.

And Brown feels everyone now needs to evaluate their own performance.

“It’s not time for tears,” said Brown.

“It’s time for looking back at the season and asking yourself if you could have done anymore individually and collectively.

“We all go home and have those dark hours staring at the wall or looking at the mirror when you think I’ve let myself down, my team-mates down, my family down and the club.

“How many of them will do that I don’t know and they’re the only ones I’m interested in.

“They’ve got to look at themselves not dust themselves down and say they’ve done a half decent job.

“They’ve got to take responsibility for what this club hasn’t achieved.

“We’re all responsible, I feel responsible.”

Brown, who had previously spent five years in charge of the club, returned for the final six games of the current campaign.

But he has been unable to keep the club up.

“I’ve had five games and I thought six was going to be enough but it’s proven not to be,” said Brown.

“I’m not going to blame Bradford, Scunthorpe or anyone else.

“I’m blaming us in that changing room and myself.”

The Shrimpers ultimately paid the price for an awful start to the season.

But Brown feels only the players will know what went wrong.

“If they weren’t doing enough before I arrived then that’s their responsibility,” said Brown.

“If they were giving their all and, only they will know that, then quite simply we might not be good enough.

“But having witnessed them for five games I do think they’re good enough."