Italian boss keen for Cox to stay

Leyton Orient boss Fabio Liverani was delighted with the reaction he got from his side after a 4-1 home win against Crawley Town on Boxing Day.

The O’s had come into the match on the back of a disappointing 2-0 loss at Barnsley, but a double from the returning Chris Dagnall and one each for Dean Cox and David Mooney saw them pick up an important win.

And the Italian was pleased with the manner of the response from his side following the defeat in Yorkshire.

“Barnsley was a big disappointment for me to be honest but I am really pleased with the reaction of the players,” said Liverani.

“Regardless of the fact we scored four goals we wanted to win this game. We were aggressive and determined to win the game from the off.”

Cox had a big role to play in the win, scoring the first and setting up striker Chris Dagnall for the second.

The club’s current longest-serving player hinted after last week’s loss at Barnsley that his time at Brisbane Road may be up in January, and while the O’s boss would love to keep him he admits the decision is ultimately down to the player.

“Cox has been here many years. People love him and we like him as a player so the fact whether he is staying or not depends on him,” said Liverani.

“It’s not just for Cox, but for the other players as well. We believe in our squad and we want the player to stay. It’s up to Cox and the other players whether they want to stay or not.”

The win moved Orient out of the relegation zone until today’s games, and while delighted with the win, Liverani knows it has to be the start of a good run from his side.

“I am very pleased, especially for the players,” he added. “I arrived here and found a team of really good players and people. I am really pleased for them.

“We have done nothing yet, it’s just a win but this will give us confidence going into the next game.”