Galway footballer manager Padraic Joyce says the only way is up after his side was humiliated by rivals Mayo in their return to inter-county action at the weekend.
"Probably the most embarrassing day I have been involved with"; "we had too many passengers"; "after 15, 20 minutes we were trying to climb a mountain we shouldn't be climbing", "the only way is up because we can't go lower than that" said Joyce after Galway's 0-17 to 3-23 loss in Tuam.
However, the 43-year-old All Ireland winner also took responsibility for this defeat in the restarted Allianz League.
"It was like men and boys all day and I take responsibility for that as the manager of the team. I am not going to throw the lads under the bus. I got them onto the pitch and I take full responsibility."
Joyce said Galway had known what Mayo could produce as the second best team in the country after Dublin, but any opposition could also have beaten his charges on Sunday.
"They have pushed us very close over the last couple of years. We knew it was coming, but no matter who were were playing today, anybody would score the way Mayo did - the way we stood off them and didn't get involved, didn't make any contact, didn't show anything. There were lads at half time who hadn't even broken a sweat.
"When you are playing your rivals, if you need to motivate lads, then they are in the wrong game. Mayo were up for the game, we couldn't get up for it. When you go so far behind early on, no matter what you do, you are playing catch-up all day long, and the other teams grows in confidence.
"They punished us every time. We handed them kick-outs, we didn't contest ball in the middle of the field. We just got well beat all over the field in every department. Two or three fellas, in fairness, when they went on worked hard, tried hard and didn't let the jersey down, but we had too many passengers there."
Joyce says Galway must now learn and re-group.
" We've trained really hard since we came back, but look it, we've had good days, but it's my first year, and there was going to be a down at some stage, but I didn't think it would be a down-down, but look it, I'll learn a lot from it, the lads will, and we just have to regroup."
Last week there was much speculation of Jim McGuinness' involvement with Galway after attending a training session, and Joyce said he would be more than happy for him to help out.
"I'd say Jim would have the phone off, so I can't contact him after that. If he's available, we'll take him; we'll have a word with the Pope as well if he can come over to us."
