STAND-IN captain Billy Turley said he and all the Oxford United players should take responsibility for Darren Patterson's dismissal.

The U's goalkeeper, who is one of their most experienced and outspoken players, said he had a lot of respect for Patterson as a manager and felt he'd been badly let down.

The players Patterson brought in during the summer, who have not done the business, are the ones who should take a large share of the blame, though Turley preferred to refer to the culprits as "the ones who have played this season".

"I'm absolutely gutted for Darren," said Turley, who has taken over the armband from club skipper Joe Burnell in recent games. "I like him as a person and respect him as a manager.

"It's never a nice time when a manager gets the sack.

"I feel responsibility and all the players should feel responsibility because the results this season haven't been good enough.

"With the finish we had last year, everyone was looking at us achieving this year.

“But the people who have come in – or perhaps I should say the players who have played this year – haven't done well enough and have let him down badly. Our league position's not good enough "The players have got to pull their finger out.

"We know money's tight at the club, but we do need a few more players to add to the squad."

In any group of players, there are always some that have grumbles about the boss, especially if they're not in the starting XI, but Turley said Patterson was always honest with them.

"One thing you could never say about Darren is that he'd tell you one thing and then do another,” he said.

"I think he's going to go on and be a very good manager, it's just that maybe Oxford United now wasn't the right time for him.

“I wish him all the best for the future and I'm absolutely gutted for him."

Turley said it was time for the players to now get their act together under caretaker manager Jim Smith.

"We've got a hell of a lot of points to play for,” he added.

“Look at Morecambe a couple of years ago, they were in about the same position as us and they went on a great charge up the table and got promotion.

"We have to take the positives and move on because this is a big club and we shouldn't be where we are in the league."