Steve Davis determined to succeed at Leyton Orient, but knows it will take time

New Leyton Orient head coach Steve Davis (left) with Director of Football Martin Ling (pic: Leyton Orient FC). (Image: Archant)

New Leyton Orient head coach Steve Davis is determined to bring the good times back to Brisbane Road and achieve success again like he experienced at Crewe Alexandra.

The 51-year-old faced the press for the first time this afternoon at Brisbane Road after being officially appointed on Monday.

Davis spoke about the glory he achieved at his old club Crewe and his disappointment at seeing the group which won promotion from League Two in 2012 and the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in 2013 split up.

He is determined to be a hit in east London and get O’s promoted out of the National League, but is aware it will take time and patience is required.

“I had a good team at Crewe and nine of them were academy lads, but we sold three and others moved on, so that team broke up unfortunately,” said Davis when speaking exclusively to this title.

“I would have loved to keep that team together and it would have been an outstanding side that would have taken us further. It was a great footballing group, but it happens.

“You lose players and things change, but I would hope not if we get out of this division, but when (we get out of this division) that we can go again.

“I wouldn’t want us to think that was it (after returning to League Two). I would want us to build and we would have a little bit more money to build and then bring in better players.

“Then we could have a plan moving forward because at the moment the plan is to stabilise and then get out of the division.

“While trying to achieve that, we need to look at the next two or three years after that and how we can get back to where we were, so that’s the plan.”

The initial challenge for Orient as a club is to have stability and it starts by having the same head coach in place for a significant amount of time.

Under the previous ownership, O’s went through 13 different managers with the longest-serving Ian Hendon and he only lasted just over seven months.

Davis revealed Orient should probably, on paper, finish 10th in the National League this season, but won’t settle for that.

He added: “The club has not had stability for the last three years with various managers, so I think they want continuity with that if they can.

“They want to go down the road of giving kids a chance because they have a dam good crop coming through, so I get that and that was an attraction for me.

“Putting the kids into the league is not going to be easy because the teams are all going to be fit and hard and scrapping for the ball.

“It is going to be a different game and it is not going to be straight-forward. You have to dig in and show some character and scrap.

“We need to think about those characters even though we want to play football and also what we are going to do without the football.

“I think realistically stability is the aim, but I won’t turn around and tell the players that. I can’t turn around and say I am happy with 10th.

“We want more than that, but realistically that is where we should be, although who knows what is going to happen.

“I wouldn’t rule out doing better than that and achieving more this season, so that’s what I want and that was the message to the players today.”

The last role Davis had was as manager of Crewe and his stay at Gresty Road ended in January as he was sacked following just over five years in charge.

With that in mind, the former central defender is eager to bounce back and show what he can do at Orient.

Davis believes he is a better manager now than he was at the Railwaymen and can’t wait to get going at Brisbane Road.

“I think every manager has that determination to succeed after failure. I had success and then it didn’t go how I wanted, but I have had six months of reflection,” said the new O’s head coach.

“I have looked back and thought about what I did at Crewe and what I could have done differently and there wasn’t a lot, but there were obviously some things, so I looked at that.

“I think every time you get a new opportunity you become a better manager and the hardest hurdle is getting the second and third job.

“The early parts of your career are very difficult and 70 to 80 per cent of first-time managers don’t get another job.

“I am delighted to get a job of this nature at a club of this size and I have something to offer and I have learnt from my period at Crewe.

“I want to become the best possible manager that I can be and I am just so pleased to be here. It is a great opportunity for me.”