Andy Hessenthaler says he has never known anything like the situation he is currently facing at Leyton Orient.

The 50-year-old was placed in interim charge of the League Two club last week when player-manager Kevin Nolan was relieved of his managerial duties after just 15 games in charge and told to just concentrate on playing.

Hessenthaler has revealed that his role as the O’s interim boss doesn’t give him sole responsibility for picking the team.

He says the side that beat Dagenham on Saturday and then reselected for the 3-1 home defeat at the hands of Plymouth last night was picked by a ‘committee’ that includes the club’s owner and the coaching staff.

Hessenthaler said: “There’s three or four [on the committee]. It’s coaching staff and the chairman likes to sit down and listen to what we’ve got to say so that’s where we’re at.”

When asked if he’d even known a situation like that, he said: “No, not in my lifetime in football, no.”

“The owner likes to have an input and have a chat and I think most chairmen do. All chairmen will have an opinion and rightly so but it does [usually] come down to the manager but he has asked us to basically take the training and have some input into the starting XI so that’s what we’ve done. We can only do our jobs that he’s asked us to do until the end of the season.”

He added: “It’s tough. I’ve found it very tough I’ve got to say. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that. It’s a strange situation but that’s the owner’s prerogative. He’s the owner and those are the decisions he’s decided to make. We are employed by him and we get on with our jobs.”

He admitted there has been a sense of bewilderment among the players surrounding events this season.

He said: “I think there is and you can understand that. It’s not easy. We lost a good guy in terms of a manager in Kevin Nolan and we lost a good guy in Ian Hendon who brought me to the club. The owner decided to make those changes and what will be beyond these next three games I honestly don’t know.”

Nolan was not selected for either game with Hessenthaler saying he was ruled out with an injury.

But the former West Ham, Newcastle and Bolton star was in the stands for both games.

Hessenthaler said: “Kevin has been here tonight. He’s been professional and that’s what you’ve got to be. It’s not easy. He’s injured which is a shame because he’s a big player.

"But he’s been around and he’s been supporting us and he’s disappointed we haven’t got a result again.”