Justin Edinburgh: Leyton Orient are the only club I would've dropped out of Football League for

Orient boss: Justin Edinburgh
Getty Images
Giuseppe Muro21 December 2017

Justin Edinburgh had no reservations about dropping down into the National League to take on the challenge of getting Leyton Orient back up into the Football League.

Edinburgh was named manager in November, taking over a team that were three points above the relegation zone following a run of 14 games without a win under former boss Steve Davis.

His previous two jobs were in League One with Gillingham and Northampton but the former Tottenham defender is excited about what he can achieve at Orient, even though they are still rebuilding following the turmoil of the Francesco Becchetti era.

“This would have been the only club I would have stepped back into the National League for,” says the 48-year-old.

“I do not have to overachieve here because the ceiling is very high. There is a lot to be achieved and it is realistic — and with the history of the club it was a no brainer. There is a lot of success to be had here and, hopefully, I can be the man to do that.

“Long-term, there are a few promotions for us to achieve. That will not be easy but it is something we must aim for. Short-term, it is about getting some stability and structure in our play, winning some matches and getting away from where we are.”

Edinburgh took over at Newport County in 2011 when the club were bottom of the National League and two years later they were promoted to League Two. He has tried to change the mentality of the Orient players and got a reaction in their first home game two weeks ago when they thumped high‑flying Sutton United 4‑1.

“They were a bit clouded in their decision-making,” he says. “I’ve given them clear guidelines and simplified it, taking any risk out of the game. I have stripped it back and told them to take less risk in our half and to play more football in the opposition half, and be a bit more aggressive without the ball.

“What has happened over recent years here was sad to see. It was not the club’s fault. People have treated it like a game really. It has been a tough time but my job is to put a smile back on those people’s faces. Hopefully, we have some good times ahead.

“Away from the pitch, the club are in the best position they’ve been in for a long time. There are improvements to be made in the squad but there are also a lot of positives in the squad.

“Leyton Orient are the scalp of the National League and the fixture everyone looks for. It is trying to get the mentality right to embrace it and not fear it.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in