OLAWALE Ojalabi breezed back into the Waltham Forest hot seat this week, boldly declaring he will ‘resurrect the club’ after it had been left to ‘die’ by his predecessors.

The former Stags defender has been sworn in for his second spell in charge following the removal of Tony Mercer as manager last week, and he pulled no punches in slamming those he views as responsible for letting the club slip to the foot of the Ryman One North table.

Incidentally, Mercer will stay on at the club as youth development director.

Ojalabi, pictured, insists he will oversee a complete facelift of the squad, claiming the current crop of players ‘lack commitment’, and plans to boast a team capable of remaining in the division by the end of next week.

“The club have had a lot of poor results recently but I’m looking forward to the challenge,” the 29-year-old told Guardian Series Sport.

“Hopefully I will be able to bring in committed players that can help the club stay up. I’ve already brought in around five new players and I want to completely regenerate the squad.

“The squad I walked in to was not capable of staying up and was not committed enough. I’ve spoken to the players and told them. Some of them walked off and some have told me they want to stay and help.

“Those players that played on Saturday (against East Thurrock United) will stay with me. They are the soldiers that I want on the pitch.

“I’m confident that once I get the right players in we can stay up and at the latest I want the squad ready by next week.”

Ojalabi, who helped the club beat the drop last season after assuming a role as player/manager, is adamant the path to survival is far more treacherous this time around.

However, he was critical of the way the team was handled after he left.

“It is a worse situation than the one I had last season,” he said. “I have come to resurrect the club. They have let the club die. I left them with a good squad of players that were capable of winning the league, now I have to rebuild that side.

“I have not slept for days because we have no time. If we leave it a month we will be gone so I am working hard to get the right players.

“There is a lot of pressure on me and the team but we can do it.”

The new manager endured a baptism of fire in his first game back with the Stags, going down 4-1 at the weekend to Ryman One North leaders East Thurrock United, which leaves them anchoring the division with just eight points from 21 games.

The task that faces him this weekend is a far more manageable – although no less vital – one, as local rivals and fellow strugglers Leyton are the visitors to Cricklefields.

“It is a big local derby and hopefully we can start our season with a good performance,” added Ojalabi.

Leyton’s home game against Romford was postponed at the weekend.

Elsewhere, Waltham Abbey started the new year with a bang as they blasted five goals past Brentwood Town at Capershotts on Saturday.

Tyler Campbell bagged a brace and Steve Cawley, Emmanuel Osei and Kieran Ogunkoya were also on the scoresheet in the 5-2 rout.

The Abbotts travel to mid-table outfit Heybridge Swifts this week as they bid to make a surge towards the play-off places.