Manager Dean Smith has hit out at his underperforming Aston Villa players following their 3-0 defeat at relegation rivals Watford, who played the final 30 minutes with 10 men.
The loss, in a lacklustre performance, means Villa have earned just one league win in seven, losing five of those.
Smith was left frustrated at his charges showing in the first period at Vicarage Road, where Nigel Pearson's side could have found themselves three or four goals to the good rather than just the one at half time.
The Villa boss will be alarmed that his players failed to take advantage of Watford being reduced to 10 men on the 57 minute mark after Adrian Mariappa picked up two yellow cards in the space of six minutes.
Instead Watford went on to score twice more to wrap up the 3-0 victory.
Smith said: "I'm angry with my players. I was angry at them at half time because we hadn't played well enough and that's where we lost the game.
"I'm even more angry with them after the game, because it didn't get much better.
"We've conceded two comical goals that haven't helped my mood either.
"My players were not good enough today. Watford's players looked more committed, more desire and effort. We hardly played and we never dealt with their threats.
"Then in the second half we had a chance to get back into it when their lad was sent off, but we never used that advantage. We weren't clever or cute enough to create the chances we needed today
Smith was also left fuming at Watford's second and third goals, believing VAR was incorrectly used in both.
The visitors were angry Watford did not kick the ball out of play to allow Matt Targett to receive treatment, instead breaking forward to win a penalty. The anger was fuelled by VAR not reserving the decision for which Smith felt was a fair challenge.
"My take is that Matt Targett goes down with a hamstring injury and Jack Grealish didn't know he was injured in order to kick the ball out. But then Watford win it back and can see him down and they play on and go on and win a penalty.
"I've seen the replay back and it is not a penalty. It is a shoulder-to-shoulder challenge and Troy Deeney goes down very easily.
"The referee (Simon Hooper) has made a mistake in giving it, but then VAR just seems to automatically back him up.
"However if the ref was allowed to go to the TV screen by the dugouts and look at it I'm sure he would hold up his hands and admit he made a mistake and change his decision. But we aren't allowed to do that are we, so what can we do?
"Then the third goal there is a clear foul on Grealish right in front of me, where their player goes straight through the back of him. Those fouls were given all day but not this one. Then they go and score.
"But then we have VAR but don't go back that far to check it. Why don't we use VAR for something like that?"
Villa are now two points from safety after suffering their 12th league defeat of the campaign, conceding 36 goals in the process.