Shez's fury - boss wants 'five or six players' after third straight loss

Photo: Alan Howarth

John Sheridan turns in disbelief after Walsall score the winner

FIVE or six new players - that's what John Sheridan wants, after branding members of even his starting XI at Walsall as "not good enough".

Athletic's manager, who has still as-yet been unable to recruit a second goalkeeper and a midfield general despite weeks of searching, was left furious after Walsall responded to Ryan McLaughlin's first-half opening goal by hitting back to win at the Banks's Stadium.

The result, a third straight defeat in league and cup, leaves Athletic second-bottom of Sky Bet League One, ahead of a home clash with a Wigan side who thumped Bury 4-1 yesterday.

PROMPTED

And even at this early stage of the campaign, Sheridan was prompted to lay into his side.

"I pick the team and the players," said Sheridan, who was without Paul Green and Ryan Flynn (both Achilles) and who named Gyamfi Kyeremeh as an unused substitute after he received international clearance. "But I need five or six players.

"I need to change the system. I am going to have to say it. They are not good enough at this moment to get in the team - and that's even a couple who are in the team. I don't like saying that, but they are not going to go where I want us to go.

"I need to sort it out very quickly.

"The performance in the second half was probably like a team that's been seen early in the season over the last couple of years."

Sheridan labelled the winning goal, scored by diminutive Walsall forward Erhun Oztumer, as "scandalous" and hinted at financial constraints that could make adding new players difficult.

"The games come thick and fast," he added. "It's a difficult game against Wigan, one of the favourites for the division.

"We have lost three games on the spin. You don't win matches by playing in patches.

"We should have been stronger and pushed on for a second goal.

"Their little number 10 (Oztumer) was winning headers in the middle of the park. What's that all about? He won them because he timed them and read the situation quicker than we did.

"REQUIRED"

"I have to sort it out.

"I know what's required - it's whether I can get those type of players I need.

"For the second goal, I had four or five people trying to win that header in the penalty area. Surely only one or two need to compete and then be wary of the second ball, which nobody was other than Oztumer - who wasn't in the game until the last 10 minutes.

"Credit to him. He has read the situation. It's scandalous to me, to make that decision.

"I have to get a grip of the players. We have to roll up our sleeves to try to win the game. We should have won at Walsall, after the first half. Because I didn't see any danger.

"I take the positives I can, and we see where it leads to for next week's game."