Port Vale boss Jon Brady says his side's performance in their EFL Vertu Trophy quarter-final defeat by Stockport County was "unacceptable" and "nowhere near good enough".
Vale, bottom of League One, were hammered 4-0 by their fellow third-tier opponents with County scoring with all four of their shots on target.
Brady made nine changes to the side that drew 2-2 with Burton in their most recent league game and was left frustrated by what he saw.
"To crumble like we did - they had four shots on goal and score four goals - it's way too easy," he told BBC Radio Stoke.
"I can coach the players but in those moments they have to be better and it's nowhere near good enough.
"It's all right doing it on the training pitch when they free themselves up and play but to go out there, you've got to roll your sleeves up, win the battle and then try to play.
"It's almost as if we freeze at times and it's something we need to eradicate out of this team."
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'I'm in shock at some of the things we do'
Brady, who replaced Darren Moore as boss in early January, started his tenure at Vale with two wins - in the FA Cup and the last 16 of the Vertu Trophy - and has delivered one victory in his five league games so far.
Despite being pleased with what he has seen in his time working with the squad, he said he was at a loss to explain what sometimes happens during a match.
"The way they work and play on the training ground is sometimes totally different, at times, to what they represent out there - that's unacceptable," he said.
"I've got to find the best solution to get performances - forget results, you need performances.
"We're not giving teams loads of chances but it's the one, two, three chances we are giving they [opponents] are being so clinical because it's moments that are so poor.
"They are basics you probably learn in the academy. Sometimes I'm in shock at some of the things we do.
"If the level's above you, you do silly things in the moment and I'm seeing some of them, maybe the level is above them because this is the position we're in."
Vale have another home game, their fourth in a row, in the FA Cup against Championship side Bristol City on Saturday before they turn their attention back to League One survival.
Brady remains hopeful they can close the 11-point gap to safety over the remaining 18 games but knows he has to "find solutions".
"Other teams are being clinical against us and we're not being clinical in those moments," he said.
"If we can pull that together and start to fight better, which we had done in the previous games, I will still be optimistic."