YORK City boss Jackie McNamara has suggested that some players have shied away from the challenge of preserving the club's Football League status.

Anything less than a win against promotion-chasing Portsmouth at Bootham Crescent tomorrow night will see City relegated back to the National League.

If that happens, McNamara has reasoned that those who have remained on the squad's periphery this season will be just as much to blame as those who have featured regularly.

He said: "You need people who want to be in the firing line and risk taking the flack because they want to fight and battle. Some haven't and that's been a big problem for us.

"There were three strikers here when I came in. Vadaine (Oliver), Reece Thompson, who wasn't here for four months, and Jake Hyde, who has been unavailable for most of the season. When we look at recruitment for next season, we will be asking people what they want from their careers and finding out about them as people, because they need to give everything for York City."

Oliver's fight and desire was questioned by McNamara following Saturday's 2-1 defeat at Hartlepool, in which the former Crewe striker was sacrificed after Dave Winfield's first-half dismissal.

Whilst insisting that he doesn't want to make a habit of delivering public dressing downs, he argued Oliver's display gave him little choice.

"I don't like giving players stick but what I was talking about was there for everybody to see," he reasoned. "As manager, everything falls at your door and you have to take responsibility because you pick the players and they represent the club and yourself.

"You're hoping you can change players, but he has told me now that he was feeling his calf on Saturday, which I didn't know, so maybe that played a part and he's doubtful for Portsmouth now."

McNamara cited midfield pair Russell Penn and Luke Summerfield as examples of the pride and commitment needed from all the team during the remaining four games.

"The captain covered 12.5 kilometres at Hartlepool, as did Luke Summerfield," he revealed. "They gave everything they had and I expect that from everybody.

"People are paying good money to follow us and you must have pride in yourselves and what you do as a profession. Relegation isn't something you want on your CV and I have never experienced it as a player or a manager.

"We're hanging by a thread now and that hurts me personally and the chairman, so hopefully it's hurting the players just as much."

With the team having scored from a corner for the first time during McNamara's five-and-a-half month reign at the Victoria Ground, questions have arisen about the attention paid to set-pieces at the club's Wigginton Road training ground, but the City boss also countered that Kyle Cameron's headed equaliser was borne from a willingness to put his neck on the line.

"It doesn't matter how many times you practice corners," he declared. "It's all about wanting to put your head in where it hurts."

With Winfield serving a one-match ban and Femi Ilesanmi doubtful due to a recurrence of his hamstring injury, McNamara has a left-back dilemma ahead of the Pompey match.

Cameron would normally fill in for Ilesanmi but is required in the centre of defence with Will Boyle likely to be ruled out as the four other permitted loan selections are required in other areas of the pitch.

Former Manchester City youth-team captain George Swan, who has not featured since the 5-1 home defeat to Accrington in November, would be another option at the heart of the back four but McNamara looks more inclined to field Josh Carson at full back.

The ex-Northern Ireland international has only started three games all season with the City boss admitting: "I wish I could use all seven loan players, but we could look at Josh Carson there and, then, it's a case of how you can react in pressurised situations and showing you're up for a fight."

Midfielder James Berrett is back in contention after the birth of his baby son and, despite the spectre of relegation looming large, McNamara claimed City are now in a better position to produce a more competitive performance than November's away trip to Portsmouth, where Jonathan Greening's red card led to a 6-0 drubbing.

"We were going well in that game before the sending off but it was probably the lowest point of my time here because it was embarrassing how we capitulated in the second half," McNamara confessed. "I think we're a better team that that now, though."

Pompey will give a late fitness test to Gary Roberts after he suffered a head injury during Saturday's 2-1 home defeat to Plymouth.