The O’s stayed one spot outside the bottom four in the National League after losing 1-0 at Solihull Moors, but they are now four points off Eastleigh in 19th

Justin Edinburgh was in a defiant mood despite watching Leyton Orient fall to a 1-0 loss away to fellow relegation rivals Solihull Moors in the National League this afternoon.

If the 47-year-old didn’t know the task at hand before today, then he does now, but the former Gillingham boss was honest in his assessment of the match.

Moors won following Liam Daly’s second-half header and it could have been more than by one goal, but Edinburgh is confident he will turn things around.

He said: “I need more aggression, more physicality and for them to understand the league they are in.

“This is the biggest club in the National League and what we have to do is embrace that, not fear it.

“I feel we probably have to make one or two additions to give us that edge and physicality we’re missing at this level.

“We’ve got some very good footballers and young players with huge potential, but is it right for them to be learning their trade in the position we’re in right now? Probably not.

“There is a lot of hard work to be done, but I’m fully aware of the job I’ve been asked to do and I will do it.”

Orient’s new head coach went on to praise the efforts of the supporters with O’s nearly making up half of the attendance at Damson Park.

A total number of 1,118 spectators were present at Solihull with 533 away fans coming up to the Midlands.

Edinburgh added: “We have to hit the challenge head on and I’m hurting because I expected to come here today and get a result and that has to be our mindset. Not because of who we are, but because of what we want and we want to make sure this club doesn’t continue to suffer.

“We had over 500 supporters here and not many clubs at this level will take that number away and they stuck with us for long periods of time, but they are hurting.

“We as players have got to understand that and embrace that, but eventually we will get there, there is no doubt about it.”

At the end of the match there were some chants of ‘you’re not fit to wear the shirt’ before Jobi McAnuff became embroiled in a war of words with one supporter.

But the new gaffer, when discussing the fans, admitted: “They expect better and they deserve better and there is no doubt this club should not be in the position it is in right now.

“I think the fans have been very patient and very supportive and I can only go off what I have seen. I’ve seen two home games with Dover Athletic and Chester and I saw today and they were fantastic again.

“What we need to do is take responsibility for our performance and what we can affect and I know they are waiting for that to happen, so that has to happen and when it does this club will take off.”