Royle starts the clean out

Joe Royle has strongly hinted that there will be a huge clear-out at the end of the season. After the last performance at Brighton he was quoted as saying, "There are players, more than one or two, that should not be here." Although Royle has yet to confirm whether he will be taking the Oldham job on a permanent basis he is still assessing the team and sorting out the deadwood at the club.

He said, "I quickly assessed which players are good enough to go on with the club and which ones aren't. Whether the finances run to that is another thing as the reality of football in this division is that most players get a chance because clubs cannot afford to replace them. There are one or two reputations in the dressing room that need restoring, and there is also mine as I don't like losing."

"We lost the game because we were appalling in the first half. We showed an ineptitude, a lack of desire and a lack of will to battle. The players didn't do what they were told and I couldn't believe what I was seeing. We scored one and at that stage I fancied ourselves strongly to go on and win the game. We were flying and were sharper at passing, turning and getting behind them. We could have scored further goals if we had a goalscorer who had more belief as three efforts came back off their 'keeper. We then gave another schoolboy goal away and that took the wind out of our sails."