Adelaide United defender Mark Rudan has admitted the teams performances of late have been simply ‘not good enough’.

The former Sydney FC captain today launched a scathing attack on the club who have dropped to the bottom of the A-League table, saying the players have to learn from the criticism and move on and become men.

The 34-year old veteran only joined the Reds this season but already feels strongly about the club and is determined to pull them out of the rut they currently find themselves in.

"It hurts a lot," Rudan said.

"I might not be an Adelaide boy but I've become very fond of this city and I've become very fond of the players and the club and the supporters, who have been fantastic.

"I almost feeling like saying (to the supporters), 'I know you guys are hurting but don't think it's good on this side, either'.

"It's not good, it's on the point of almost being disgraceful; it's a strong word but we as players have to put our hands up and say, 'it's just not good enough'."

Rudan, who skippered Sydney to the inaugural A-League championship in 2005/06, urged his teammates to step up this weekend against the Newcastle Jets and take the onus on themselves to get the right result.

"We need men this Friday night," he added.

"We really need to stand up; we can't have this kid mentality - and that's almost what it's been like.

"It's a kid mentality; it's childish, some of the things that's been happening. It's pathetic, as far as I'm concerned. We've got to grow up.

"And the sooner we grow up and become men and learn to take criticism front-on and do something about it and prove people wrong, and learn that it's criticism coming from a good place and not a bad place, the better we will become as a team."