Callum Kennedy knows hard work will get Leyton Orient reward

Callum Kennedy believes Leyton Orient must work harder to stop their horror start to the 2016/17 campaign turning into a nightmare season.

The full-back played the full 90 minutes on Sunday at Bramall Lane when O’s suffered their heaviest defeat since 1982.

Sheffield United won 6-0 in the first round of the FA Cup, but the east Londoners can start to claw back some pride when they face Brighton & Hove Albion’s under-23s in Southern Group G of the EFL Trophy tonight.

“If we don’t go away and put new things in place to work harder and rectify these problems then nothing is going to change,” said Kennedy.

“We have to work hard, like we have all been talking about, and address the situations that at the moment are our downfall. Even if we have to work hours on end, I’m a firm believer that you get out what you put in.”

Kennedy, who won promotion with AFC Wimbledon from League Two last season, knows all about putting the graft in to get reward.

The 26-year-old initially joined the Dons before the 2013/14 campaign, but was released just one year later.

Wimbledon boss Neal Ardley allowed Kennedy to train with the south Londoners during the summer of 2014 and the defender eventually did enough to earn another deal.

Orient’s left-back is one player that certainly will be putting the work in and the rest of the squad need to be doing the same.

Kennedy revealed they had a long chat in the dressing room after the thrashing at the hands of Sheffield United.

But talk means very little to the O’s supporters who are sick of watching performances where there doesn’t seem to be 100 per cent effort.

He said: “We had a long meeting in the changing room where a lot of things were aired. I don’t need to go into what because you can imagine what was said.

“But it is a case of when morale is low and confidence is low, you are not going to get both back without putting in the hard work to have something to rely on and believe in.”