In a passionate interview, the manager outlined his confidence that the Shakers will finish in the play-offs and said he will shake hands and walk away if that does not happen.

Johnson’s squad has been depleted by injuries and illness as they deal with a hectic fixture list due to progression in the cup competitions.

“I need every single person pulling in the same direction,” he said. “We are in a moment as a group - not as a football club, as a group - we are shattered.

“I was dreading today’s game (the 2-2 draw against Avro). The last 24 hours, lads ill, flu, Owen Robinson had to miss out completely. Massive loss to us.

“Other players are playing injured and getting through it. That’s on me, I pick the team. I’ve got two subs on the bench who can’t come on.

“It’s tough at the moment in time. I think I’m right in saying we’ve played as many teams in the whole country, at any level. We have essentially played half of a league season, our 21st game.

“It’s not me trying to buy an excuse, I know what the league table looks like. I said when we beat Wythenshawe we would end up being a victim of our own success. You have to win to win cup games because we get prize money from it, we get home draws, we get good crowds, we get television.

“But now the players who should be resting – we’re already into our fourth midweek game in five weeks, we’ve got another four to go – they are broken.”

Bury are 10th in the table - with a couple of games in hand on most of the sides above them – after dropping points against Workington and Avro.

“It’s really important everybody gets back to where we were two weeks ago with the togetherness,” Johnson continued. “Maybe people think I am going overboard and I know people look at the league table.

“I promise you we will finish in the play-offs, we will be right amongst winning promotion. If we don’t, I will shake everyone’s hand and I will go. That is how much I back this changing room.

“But there will be more times that are tough. The way things are at this moment with injuries and illness, it will probably be around the corner unfortunately. But we have just come up against two really good sides above us in the league.”

He added: “I need people to understand where we are at this moment in time. I have never, in all my nearly 20 years of management, gone through what I’m going through now as a broken group.

“Does that mean I’m not disappointed with the first half (against Avro)? Of course I’m disappointed. Does that equally mean the guts, determination and desire they showed in the second half to get back into the game against a quality side, of course I am proud of them.”