Ever since Red Sox Manager Bobby Valentine took an unwarranted shot at the beloved Kevin Youkilis early on in the season, it’s been downhill for the skipper. And it just got worse for him. The proverbial writing is on the wall.

A group of Red Sox players were highly critical of manager Bobby Valentine, some even stating they no longer wanted to play for him, at a meeting with team ownership on July 26, according to a report by Yahoo! Sports.

Irked by Valentine’s decision to leave Jon Lester in a July 22 game in which he surrendered 11 runs, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez reportedly texted his displeasure to ownership on behalf of himself and other players. That message led to owner John Henry and team president Larry Lucchino meeting with a frustrated group of players at a New York hotel before a series against the Yankees.

“That guy’s (Jeff Passan from Yahoo) never been in the clubhouse so what does he know,” Gonzalez said before Tuesday’s game against the Orioles.