Neil Warnock apologised to the Crystal Palace fans on Saturday after his side were humiliated 4-0 by Scunthorpe United at Selhurst Park.

The Eagles boss refused to speak to his players after the game and hauled them into the club's training ground yesterday after goals from Jonathan Forte, Paul Hayes, former Palace trainee Sam Togwell and Michael O'Connor condemned Palace to their worst home defeat since losing 6-1 to Liverpool on the opening day of the 1994/1995 season.

"All you can do after a performance like that is apologise to your fans," he said.

"I thought they were fantastic, I would have crucified the manager if I had been one of them.

"It's the most embarrassed I have ever felt in my career, particularly in the second half.

"I've got to look at what I think, that's why I stood on the touchline for the rest of the game after the second goal to have look at certain characters and my team when things aren't going well.

"Our defending hasn't been great this year, we have not had a clean sheet and we have to start at the back us.

"It's not rocket science, we have to defend better.

"We have got to get back to the basics and that means going back to the drawing board.

"If you are a professional footballer and you are involved in game like that in the second half you can only be embarrassed.

"I hope the lads went home as embarrassed as I did."