Boss Slade urges fans to keep the faith

Orient go looking for their first league win of the season when they entertain Preston North End on Saturday – with manager Russell Slade urging fans to ‘keep the faith’.

The O’s have lost all five league matches at home this season and title-chasing Preston will provide them with another stiff test.

But after giving Blackburn Rovers a scare in the Carling Cup last Tuesday and then taking a point at high-flying Huddersfield Town on Saturday, Slade said: “Certainly the last two 90-minute performances have given us encouragement.

“My message will be ‘let’s keep the faith’.”

While the O’s might be rooted to the foot of the League One table, Slade can take comfort from the fact that the four sides who filled the relegation places this time last season all escaped the dreaded drop.

Walsall, who were bottom after 10 games, went on to dodge relegation under former O’s assistant manager Dean Smith, when they edged into 20th position.

While Brentford and Orient both shook off their poor starts to end up in the top half of the table, with the Bees in 11th and the O’s missing the play-offs by a point, as they stormed to a seventh-place finish. Tranmere Rovers also improved and moved up to 18th.

At the end of the season it was Dagenham & Redbridge (20th after 10 games), Bristol Rovers (ninth), Plymouth Argyle (17th) and Swindon Town (16th), who were all relegated to League Two.