John Sheridan said he would take a step back and “not do his job properly” rather than lambast his Carlisle United players after their FA Cup exit.

The manager said some of his squad could not cope with the home truths he would prefer to dish out.

Instead, after Saturday’s 2-0 second round defeat at Lincoln, he said he would not allow himself to get wound up.

“I won’t beat myself up,” he said. “I’ll go home with my missus, have something to eat. My lad was here watching, I’ll take him home.

“I hate losing. I don’t like getting beat at anything. I hate us being poor, people miscontrolling the ball, people crossing the ball out of play…

“But I’m trying to just chill out, because some of them [the players] can’t take me. I’ll just take a back step, and not do my job properly, actually.”

United’s frustrating exit at Sincil Bank saw Sheridan lament a “nearly” performance as United again failed to take chances.

The Blues manager also admitted his team started in the worst way possible, conceding to Matt Rhead after just 28 seconds.

“We knew [Lincoln] were gonna come out quickly, and we fell for it,” he said.

“All week we’ve worked on it. We trained [on Friday] at Doncaster, telling everyone they started very quick.

“We weren’t ready, which is a bit of a joke. We switched off. Everyone was ready two minutes before they came out. They were talking a great game in there [the dressing room].

“But not when we were out on the pitch for the first 10 minutes. It’s cost us the game.”

Sheridan admitted United grew into things and could have levelled before sub John Akinde’s late clincher for the hosts, who secured £54,000 prize money and a place in tonight’s third round draw.

He also again accused his team of being too quiet both on the pitch and after the game.

“We had chances, but it wasn’t to be,” he added. “We nearly did this, nearly did that. It’s been the same throughout the season. We should be more clinical when we get chances. We don’t work the keeper enough.”

Sheridan will also this month turn his attention to the transfer market with United’s hopes of holding onto loan striker Ashley Nadesan appearing increasingly remote.

The News & Star understands at least one other League Two club is considering a January bid for the frontman, who was denied permission to play for United in the cup by parent club Fleetwood.

Sheridan said: “I’d like another five or six players, obviously. I don’t want to be bringing it [United's budget limitations] up. I just want to try and get on with it, with what I’ve got, and do the best I can with what I’ve got.”

He added: “If it’s not there I can’t do anything about it. You’ve just got to work hard, pick yourself up, and the players more than anyone have got to turn it around. We’re out of the cup, it’s back to league action, and we’ve got to try and get back in the mix of teams above us.”