JAKE Wright admits he is among the Oxford United players whose future at the club is on the line after their play-off ambitions all but vanished during a wretched Easter weekend.
The chances of a top-seven finish are solely mathematical after 1-0 defeats to York City and Scunthorpe United left them five points adrift with only six available.
While the top-seven looks out of reach, the United captain believes the final two games are vital for everyone in the camp to avoid being labelled as “losing footballers”.
United have picked up just eight points from 13 games, meaning there could be a bigger restructuring of the squad this summer than previously expected.
Around half the squad is out of contract this summer, including Wright.
Although the U’s have an option to extend the deal by another season, they have left it late to activate the clause and the centre back concedes the future is unclear.
He said: “I’m the same as everyone else who is out of contract, we have two games left to prove we want to be here and earn a contract.
“It’s not just here, it’s anywhere, because if this club doesn’t want you, (others) are going to look at our record and see that in the last 12-15 games we haven’t been good enough.
“Other managers aren’t going to want losing footballers – and that’s what we are at the moment.
“If you’ve already got a contract, you are playing to get into the gaffer’s starting line-up for next year.
“If you’re not good enough and you have a contract, he will want you to leave.
“He has been honest with us and that’s what we want.”
Gary Waddock blasted the squad during half-time at Scunthorpe on Monday.
The head coach, who has lost five of his six games in charge, was critical of the first half performance at Glanford Park.
He admitted that since taking over he had been wary of the side’s fragile confidence, but made it clear it was not just those out of contract who should be worried.
Waddock said: “Nobody is safe, why should they be?
“If they don’t perform, they will be told – and they were told (at Scunthorpe).
“I know what needs to be done now. “Previously I’ve been treading a careful path because I knew the confidence was low, but they knew how I felt.”
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