Micky Mellon fears his hands could be tied when it comes to reinventing and reinvigorating his Oldham Athletic squad over the summer.

The Latics boss said his side needed "an overhaul" after a lacklustre goalless draw at already-relegated Oxford City all but ended any play-off hopes this season.

Despite a nine-game winless run Oldham are still, remarkably, not entirely out of the running going into their penultimate game of the campaign - the twice re-arranged game against Halifax Town, which will now be played at Chesterfield tonight (kick-off 7.45pm) after the pitch at the Shay Stadium was deemed unplayable.

But Mellon said he was left deflated by their latest missed opportunity to gain ground on the top seven against part-time opponents at the weekend, and said change is needed.

"There's a saying you either change the player or you change the player, so you change them by making them better or you change them by bringing in better. It's as simple as that," he said.

"We're probably now at a stage where we're saying some people need to be changed. How easy that's going to be I don't know because a lot of players were two months into two-year contracts when I arrived. It isn't over yet but I'm so deflated by Saturday. I'm tired of it. I keep seeing the same stuff."

Mellon said the board were fully aware of his position, adding: "We meet every two weeks so they've known my feelings since board meeting one. Of course we need to sit down at some stage and say 'Right what can we do? Because let's be honest something needs to be done and we'll see what we can do.

"There's a lot of stuff our hands are tied with but we'll try and see what we can do.

"I love my job and I love this football club and I love its challenge. I know what good looks like and I crave more and (Saturday) was just another one of them where we didn't show enough quality or didn't have enough quality at that vital time or enough spark or fire or enough character that was needed to get us into a better position.

"You learn a lot about people at this time of the season. This is where you have a look and you go 'right, okay, it's all on now, what have you got?' You learn a lot and you trust your eyes."

After being held to a goalless draw by a team returning to National League South next season, Mellon described the job at Boundary Park as the toughest he has experienced in his 16-year managerial career, adding that defeat at Fylde in only his second game in charge highlighted the scale of the task.

"I do genuinely believe, and I would say the same to the players, this needs an overhaul. It needs specialist players in different positions to bring it together," he said.

"It's been really, really tough, I won't lie. We've scrapped and battled and tried to get the most out of what we have and it's been tough at times.

"It's a fantastic club with unbelievable owners, the nicest people that you could meet.

"That's what makes it so difficult and hurt so much more. We have a brilliant fanbase, desperate for some kind of success because they haven't had it for 25 years or so. So I feel the frustration for the football club.

"If I get what I need I know where to go and get it.

"But we're halfway through a lot contracts here so it makes it difficult for any kind of wriggle room, so a lot of tough conversations have got to be had. We need to sit down and see where it's all at. But I'm so angry and so deflated, and kind of tired of it.

"It's been a teeth grinder and a toe curler for a while now, and it's deflating."