New Oxford City manager Mike Ford says players will have to leave Court Place Farm after the club overspent during the summer months.

Ford has taken over from Justin Merritt - who resigned on Wednesday, and he says the City squad will need to be cut to reduce their budget.

"We've spent money on players that frankly we can't afford, " said Ford.

"There will be players leaving, but they'll have an opportunity in the next four games to show they should stay.

He added: "We heavily spent in the summer. To be honestly we have overspent."

Former Oxford United players Lee Steele and Matt Day were amongst a number of high-profile acquisitions at the Southern League side.

City have lost their opening two fixtures in the division and Ford - who was previously assistant manager - says he is relishing the challenge of turning the club's form around.

"We have got four games coming in the next eight or nine games, and we have to make sure we take a lot of points from those games."

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