Dundee United full-back Kieran Freeman admits they are struggling to find answers to their alarming slump in form – but need to reverse it quickly.

United suffered a record home defeat on Sunday when they went down 9-0 against Celtic at Tannadice to make it five consecutive defeats ahead of Wednesday’s Premier Sports Cup second-round tie at Livingston.

Freeman and his team-mates have conceded 23 goals in their last four games and look like they are still suffering the after effects from their 7-0 Europa Conference League capitulation against AZ Alkmaar.

When asked what has gone wrong, the 22-year-old said: “None of us know. We are working hard to fix that.

“Nobody wants to be on that pitch – or even watching that. It was horrible. We just need to work hard and slowly get things right.

“No one has had the answers recently and that’s what we need to do quickly.

“It was a terrible day. I don’t think there is anything we can say now that can change that or justify that. Everyone in there knows that was shocking and for fans to pay their money and watch that, we are wasting everyone’s time producing.

“We have got a game now on Wednesday and the only way we can even begin to put that right is by getting a win and staying in the cup.

“I don’t think any game is easy after that but the minimum we can do is show that we are fighting and at least put some effort in and hopefully we can get a win and pay back the fans a little bit.”

Manager Jack Ross has taken responsibility for their form, while calling for his players to work harder and show more hunger to win the ball back.

Freeman said: “It’s us on the pitch. He can’t do anything on the pitch. It’s us that have produced that 9-0. You can’t deflect it on to anyone else apart from us.”

The United academy graduate dismissed suggestions the players were not playing for the manager.

“It’s easy to say that based on that performance but I think everyone is playing for the manager,” he said.

“I can’t say everything is perfect because of what we produced. We need to work harder than we have done and put things right on Wednesday.”