Port Vale midfielder Anthony Griffith believes the Valiants' youngsters have no time to gain experience and must mature instantly.
Of the matchday squad that lost 3-0 to Bury at Gigg Lane on Saturday, 12 Vale players were aged 23 or under.
Griffith, 22, told BBC Radio Stoke: "We're young players but now is the time to become men.
"You can't buy experience and we can't take it game-by-game because this is a results business."
Saturday's defeat left the Valiants, who were relegated to League Two last season, lying 15th in League football's bottom tier.
The Burslem club are nine points off the play-off places, and Griffith said that inconsistency has blighted Vale's season.
"You can win one week and play fantastically and then go out and lose the next," said Griffith.
"There are a lot of teams like us in League Two and League One, but inconsistency gets you nowhere."
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