KEITH Curle insists any criticism of his players will always be constructive, and he has no intention of curbing it.

The Latics boss did not pull any punches with his post-match analysis after below par performances led to a disappointing end to the season.

But the former Manchester City defender says that while he does not want to adopt a “blame culture” at the club, he feels it is important to speak openly and honestly.

And that is a policy that he intends to stick with after moulding the squad into more of his own, having entered his first transfer window at Boundary Park.

"I don't like losing games so I make sure when I lose games the players understand what they haven't done,” said Curle, who this summer signed a two-year deal to remain as head coach after initially arriving at Boundary Park on a short term contract.

“That's standard practice because what you can't do is me be angry, frustrated, annoyed and the players unaware of the reasons why.

"You do it in the right way because we want to create that environment where it's not a blame culture but if players need to improve, develop and not make the same errors as they have done, they need to be told.”

And Curle says he was pleased with the way the Latics players dealt with the rough and the smooth of his performance analysis last season.

"The pleasing thing is the players take on board criticism as well as they take on praise,” said the former Carlisle and Northampton boss.

"You speak to any coach and the best thing you can ever say to a players as a coach is 'well done' because that means the player's done what you wanted him to do, and I love giving 'well done's to players.

"The flip side of that is when players don't do what you want them to do you've got to be able to communicate that with them.

"There's a receptive group (at Oldham) that take on board criticism but like praise.”