DAVID Hunt expects a frank exchange of opinions at training this morning as Oxford United look for a way out of their slump.

The side’s winless run was extended to six games by a 3-0 defeat at Chesterfield on Saturday.

It has turned the U’s from automatic promotion contenders to feeling insecure about a place in the play-offs, which looked virtually guaranteed a month ago.

Hunt was intending to analyse the game yesterday at home and believes now is the time for players to speak up and express any concerns.

He said: “We have the technology to watch the game from home on Sunday, so we will go over it.

“It’s easy to say it was a bad day at the office and we’re going to go again next week.

“We’re not, it’s something where people need to air their opinions.

“We need to say what’s wrong and what’s right.

“We need to tweak little things that we were doing at the start of the season, but we’re not doing as well now.”

It was a mistake by Hunt which began the torrid afternoon for the U’s.

The full back misjudged a cross from Jay O’Shea and when he failed to make contact and head the ball clear, it fell for Ollie Banks to open the scoring.

Hunt acknowledged the error, saying: “I always look at myself if a goal comes down my side and definitely I thought I was going to be there.

“The wind definitely was a factor, but at the same time you’ve got to do better.”

One common theme in the barren run has been United’s tendency to concede goals in batches.

It happened once more against the leaders, who were gifted a penalty by Deane Smalley’s push just eight minutes after the opening goal.

Hunt said: “If players make mistakes everyone knows. I know about the first goal and Deane knows about the second.

“We’re not a group that’s going to say ‘it’s your fault’, everyone knows if they’ve done wrong.

“You try to rectify it and it’s something we definitely need to work on.

“Everyone’s together, that’s the main thing and everyone is hurting at the moment.”