COLLINGWOOD coach Nathan Buckley knows his side must face the heat after Sunday's loss to Adelaide dumped the Pies from the top eight.
Even before the game was played, Melbourne's media were pouring over every detail of the team's progress and whether they would even make the finals in 2014.
Buckley could barely contain his anger at the treatment his side received in the Sunday newspapers and complained it wasn't "balanced".
Yet he knows all he can do is try to turn things around with another win, because winning changes everything.
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Buckley said the Magpies had given a much-improved effort on their previous outing in round 17 against Essendon.
Asked at his post-match media conference how that would sit with the fans, given they'd seen their side lose again, Buckley was blunt.
"They can only read the reams of space that had to be filled today with just the one Victorian team playing," Buckley said.
"We'll be able to share that with the other nine Victorian clubs beyond this result.
"The industry we're in, you're going to get picked apart and questions are going to be asked.
"They should be. Questions on where do you go from here?
"I can say to you that I don't think it's fair. I don't think it's balanced.
"But that's irrelevant."
Talking points: Collingwood v Adelaide
Buckley refused to be drawn on what the loss means for the club's season with a meeting with fifth-placed Port Adelaide at the MCG next on the agenda.
"We've played some good footy, we've played some poor footy. Today was closer to the good footy that we've been able to play, but we didn't get the result," Buckley said.
"We go in, seven days into Port Adelaide with a much improved effort on what we've seen in the last two or three weeks, in particular, but we just need to sharpen up on our execution."
Although industrious, the lack of polish – particularly with their forward 50 entries – was a major sticking point for the Magpies coach.
Missing men no excuse for slumping Pies
Collingwood pipped Adelaide in inside 50s (48-47), but there was a giant chasm in how both sides were able to convert their chances on the scoreboard.
The Magpies scored 46 per cent of the time from their forward 50 entries, while the Crows were far more efficient at 60 per cent.
He said key forward Travis Cloke was caught grappling opponent Daniel Talia too much and was unlucky to receive just one free kick.
"He got caught in the wrestle too much. He didn't get any help from the umps at all," Buckley said.
"He has got to keep going to attack the ball in the air and that will be more obvious when the defenders have a handful of his jumper."
