Brisbane Road boss discusses bringing players to the club on loan, new signing Joe Maguire and needing to add to midfield

Leyton Orient head coach Ian Hendon is happy to use the loan market to strengthen his squad with the summer transfer window shutting tomorrow (Tuesday) at 6pm.

The O’s have brought 10 players to Brisbane Road this summer with nine permanent deals and the last, the loan signing of defender Joe Maguire from Premier League outfit Liverpool.

Although the Orient boss has backed the talented youth at the club, it is felt that they need to add a couple of bodies to the squad to boost numbers.

While Hendon may not bring anybody to E10 on a permanent deal before the transfer window shuts, he could use the emergency loan market throughout September, October and until the end of November.

He said: “I have said all along about the size of the squad. Yes it is slim, but if we need to add players we have got plenty of contacts and we are out there watching players and lots of games.

“Joe has come in and we know what he is about. If we need to use him then we have no qualms about doing that. He is a good player and we can use the loan market whenever we need to.

“We have seen Joe play and he is a talented full-back. He is comfortable on the ball, has a good delivery and gets forward.

“He is a young lad so do we expose him straight away to a game? Probably not, because he is a young lad making his debut, but I am confident that when he gets his chance and he plays that he will be fine.”

Hendon went on to discuss the need to add another player in the midfield department with Lloyd James, Sammy Moore and Bradley Pritchard the three central players that have started every League Two match this season.

Alan Dunne and Freddy Moncur can also line up in a central role, but the Orient boss would like to sign another player in that area.

“It is not a case of strengthening. It is having another body in the building that can step in and do as good as the boys are doing that are out there at the moment,” said Hendon.

“You could say strengthen but we need another body in there because if we have an injury, sending off, suspension or anything like that. We need someone the way we are playing because we have got three in there so we are going to need another one.”

With the transfer window shutting tomorrow evening, it remains to be seen how busy Orient will be before the 6pm deadline and also whether Jobi McAnuff will still be at Brisbane Road.