EMILE Heskey believes Wanderers’ players should shoulder some responsibility for the 3-0 loss at Middlesbrough.

While Neil Lennon asked fans to “blame him” for tactical decisions at the Riverside, the Whites’ decline was most certainly accelerated by some dire performances.

Heskey offered some explanation from the dressing room.

“The manager is there to shield us sometimes but you’ve also got to be brave enough to stand up,” he told The Bolton News.

“I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know I’ve got to go out there and perform.

“I guess you can say Boro were up for it, but we should have been too.

“We could hide behind saying they were a good side but we should be doing a lot, lot better.”

Three goals in the opening 32 minutes was not a good start.

Not since the infamous 7-0 drubbing at Reading under Dougie Freedman had Wanderers looked so vulnerable.

“It was a bit of a train wreck,” was Heskey’s honest assessment. “We picked up a bit in the second half but we can’t be pleased with that.

“It’s a tough time, it’s not easy but we have some good players here.

“Consistency is the key. You can’t be up and down as we are, playing the football we are one week and then looking like we don’t know each other the next.

“We’ve got a young squad, a good squad, but we need consistency.”

Lennon may have been willing to shoulder the blame but certain elements of his post-match assessment hinted at deficiencies within his squad.

The Whites boss believes part of his side’s problem early on was down to a lack of communication.

Heskey offered his own take on events.

“I think communication sometimes comes down to leaders – people who are going to talk on the pitch,” he said. “They get annoying at times but they’re a key factor in groups on a pitch whether it’s football, cricket, any sport you could name.

“They are a massive factor in the changing room too and we haven’t really got too many of those characters.

“But we need to try and put that behind us now and try to push on.”

Heskey also believes he and Gary Madine can provide goals for Wanderers despite drawing a blank in each of their three outings so far.

“We need to improve it, we know that,” said the former England striker. “I think me and Gary have got goals in us.

“We were a little unlucky against Derby and I think Liam Feeney was phenomenal in pre-season, so I think we can get back to that.

“It’s sometimes a bit narrow but width doesn’t always mean wide men, we do have full-backs who can push on.”

Wanderers now head to newly-promoted MK Dons, and a new stadium for the well-travelled front man to add to his collection.

“It will be a different type of challenge. We need to turn up.”

“I’ve never played there before,” he added, before giving away his age. “But I have played at Wimbledon.”