The 32-year-old calls on the squad to take responsibility for the recent results and urges everyone, including himself, to improve

Leyton Orient centre back George Elokobi has insisted the players are to blame for the mixed form of late which has seen the club go six games without a win.

This time last month O’s were full of confidence and some supporters were talking about the possibility of reaching the National League play-offs after a 1-0 win over Chester on February 20.

Orient had moved up to 15th after the victory at the Deva Stadium and they were only 12 points off seventh-placed Dover Athletic with 12 league fixtures remaining.

A small proportion of fans were daring to dream, but fast forward to the present day and O’s haven’t won since and are now 19 points off the Whites.

Elokobi, speaking after the 1-0 loss at home to relegation-threatened Torquay United on March 13, admitted the squad need to take accountability for the FA Trophy exit to Gateshead and the recent below-par results.

He said: “We players have to take responsibility for the results on the football pitch. The manager picks the best team to go out and win the game, so it’s up to us to win the game.

“It’s up to us to go out and show some pride and resilience. Of late it hasn’t been that way and we will look for answers – that’s why we are professional footballers and everyone is playing for their future, so that’s as simple as it goes.

“If it’s not good enough, I am sure the gaffer will bring players in during the summer and people will be out the door if that’s the case and that includes me, so there is no hiding place now.

“It’s all about performances and it has to be eights or nines out of 10 from everyone, so collectively we have to do better.”

Defensively Orient were improved on Saturday and picked up a creditable clean sheet against an Eastleigh team which had scored 53 goals in 36 league games prior to last weekend’s encounter.

It wasn’t always the case against Torquay, but more of a concern right now is the lack of goals.

O’s were creating plenty of chances during February and taking a large chunk of them with wins achieved at Dover, AFC Fylde and Chester.

March has been a slightly different story with Orient failing to score in three matches and only finding the net three times in their last five games in all competitions.

Elokobi refused to blame the recent form on a lack of goals though, instead pointing out the team needs to do its job better at both ends of the pitch.

“We can’t always create lots of chances in every game, so when we do create one or two, it might be easier said than done, but we need to take them,” said the 32-year-old defender.

“Against Torquay we created one or two and we didn’t get one goal. I don’t know how many they created, but they got one goal and that has been the pattern and we need to stop that.

“Whoever is selected in the next few games needs to make sure we come out fighting and keep a clean sheet.”

Orient will be without top goalscorer Macauley Bonne for this weekend’s game with Woking, but it offers a chance for others to step up in attack and deliver an eight out of 10 display.