Dunne: ‘O’s Are Top On Merit’

U’s manager Joe Dunne believes that today’s visitors to the Weston Homes, Leyton Orient, are good value for their current position at the top of the early League One table.

The season may only be four games old, but the O’s have started in scintillating form and still boast a one-hundred-percent record heading into today’s exciting fixture.

They did lose to Hull City in the Capital One Cup in midweek, but could take a lot of credit for a performance that saw them take a Premier League side into extra-time.

Having seen the O’s play a few times already this year, Dunne insisted to BBC Essex that they were well worth their current position.

‘They’re a highly motivated team with players at the top of the game,’ he explained. ‘They are well worth their position, for sure. They full deserve to be where they are and they’re there on merit.

‘They have two forwards who will force our defenders to be on the top of their game but, like us, it’s about sustaining that over time – they would like a stronger squad in depth.’

In the past three seasons Orient have twice finished eighth in League One, just shy of a top six play-off place. Holding a similarly small budget to the U’s, Dunne is only too aware of the pitfalls it brings.

‘Maybe an injury of a suspension is the difference between the top six or the top eight,’ he reflected. ‘But they’ve got a balanced side with players who have been there for a period of time now.’

It’s also a bit of an ex-U’s contingent who will be making their way to the Weston Homes, with Nathan Clarke, Lloyd James, Kevin Lisbie and David Mooney amongs the regular starters at Brisbane Road.

Indeed, Lisbie netted the O’s goal in the corresponding fixture last season, and the U’s fans, and Dunne, will be only too aware of the dangers they bring.

He finished: ‘They’re good, honest pros and David and Kevin are playing extremely well. Lloyd has a lot of quality and the addition of Romain Vincelot has helped.

‘They have the ability to work hard on and off the ball, and that’s key to any successful set up.’


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