FORMER Newport County AFC manager Warren Feeney has broken his silence and spoken out about the Exiles’ struggles under his successor Graham Westley.

County are 11 points from safety at the bottom of League Two with 12 games to play after Saturday’s devastating 4-0 home defeat to 23rd-placed Leyton Orient.

And, after a run of just one win in 20 games in all competitions under Westley, Feeney argues that the team has got worse rather than better under his replacement.

“I look at the results and you have to say they’ve not improved, they’ve got worse,” Feeney told the Argus.

“Look at where Exeter and Wycombe were earlier in the season and how they’ve turned it around.

“I believe I would have turned things around as well.

“There were teams worse than us and it wasn’t as if we were getting beaten by three or four – we were competing with teams.”

County were bottom with six points from nine games and a record of one win, three draws and five defeats when Feeney was sacked on September 28.

Four of the five defeats were by one goal, with the only exception being the 2-0 loss at current league leaders Doncaster Rovers.

“I was disappointed [to lose my job] and I think it was down to a little bit of a lack of experience on the football side on the board,” added the former Northern Ireland international.

“The new manager is now saying that the squad wasn’t good enough but when he was appointed he was saying ‘I’ve got good players’ and they were good enough.

“And he’s got people like Ben Tozer with all his experience – who he said was a Championship player – and Mark Randall, who is a Champions League player, on the sidelines.

“He let Jon Parkin go and he’s scoring goals for York and he said they’d be challenging for the play-offs by Christmas.

“Sooner or later you’ve got to stop talking and you’ve got to produce the results on the pitch.”

Feeney kept the Exiles up after replacing John Sheridan in January 2016 and he believes Westley must take the blame if they do go down this season.

“When I took over from Shez last year I managed to keep the team up without my players,” he said.

“We got over the line and that’s all that matters.

“I know it is very difficult with the budget and you can’t get the players you want.

“But he’s had the money for drones and GPS systems – do they win you football matches?

“When I was there I could hardly get money for new shorts!

“He’s won one game in 20 and he’s got no excuses.

“He’s got his own players in and it’s going to take a massive turnaround for them to stay up now.

“I had a great time there and met some good people and I know how hard the players work so I want them to stay up but I just can’t see them getting out of it.”

Feeney has been out of work since leaving Newport and he says he is ready to get back into management.

“There was a job up north recently but it wasn’t right for me,” he said.

“I’ve still got the appetite to get back into the game when the right club comes along.”