SELIM Benachour is confident Oldham Athletic can turn their season around, but has warned it will take time.

Latics find themselves in the bottom two as they approach the halfway stage of the season, after winning just four of their 19 League Two games.

A run of one win in 10 in all competitions contributed to Keith Curle leaving the club by mutual consent last week, following a 2-1 defeat at Northampton Town.

A comeback win over Port Vale, who were second at the time, had kept them out of the bottom two. But a late win for fellow strugglers Carlisle United on Saturday meant the Cumbrians leapfrogged Latics and consigned them back to the relegation zone.

But Benachour believes there is enough quality in the dressing room to get them out of trouble, and the interim head coach is keen to play his part in bringing out the best in the players.

"We need to work hard and we need to keep going," said the 40-year-old, who has made the step up from the Academy following Curle's departure.

"We see that we have some quality. When we want to play we have some quality and we need to keep going and I'm sure we will turn it around."

Although disappointed with the goals conceded, Benachour was encouraged by other elements of their game.

"We started well and it was a very good first half apart from the goal in the last minute. But I think we were good, good counter press. We try to play in between the lines and try to overlap. We see a good team who want to play and to try to win," he explained.

"But in the second half I felt the intensity went down and we dropped back and it was more difficult for us in the second half.

"If Stobbs scored it is not the same game, we come back at 1-1, it is a different story.

"But the day was for Salford today.

"We need to work physically, improve our high intensity running but we will do it.

"I had just two days (to prepare) before the Salford game.

"I try to bring some new ideas and with time on the training ground I think we will turn it around."