Joe Edwards insists Colchester United have the quality in their squad to move back up the League One table despite their 3-1 home defeat against Coventry City.

The U’s have won only one of their last seven league games and are now only four points above the relegation zone, after they were beaten by the Sky Blues at the Weston Homes Community Stadium.

Colchester have shipped 19 goals in their last six league games but Edwards is confident that with hard work, they can turn things around in the coming weeks.

Edwards said: “We need to knuckle down and keep working hard; we know that we’ve got the quality in the squad.

“It’s about taking it out onto the pitch and showing it in performances.

“We have a lot to work on but there’s no reason why we can’t turn it around.

“We know we’re conceding too many goals and we’ve been working on it in training - we’ve worked all week on it to try and stop this.

“We’re conceding scrappy goals that we need to cut out – on some days they don’t go in but unfortunately, they did (against Coventry) and over the last couple of weeks.

“It’s a bit of an issue at the moment but we’re working on it and hopefully, if we can keep putting in the performances going forward and then tighten up at the back, we should be right up there.

“It’s not just the back four that defends, it comes from all over the pitch and there’s a lot of factors that happen before goals that people don’t see.

“As a squad, we know we need to do better and we’ll be working hard to do that, this week.”

Edwards has spent the majority of his Colchester career as a midfielder, having joined them on a free transfer from Yeovil Town in July.

But the 25-year-old has started the U’s last two games at right-back and insists he is happy to play there, if required.

“I played at right-back a few years ago – I hadn’t played there over the last couple of years but I’m more than comfortable to fill in,” added the former Bristol City youngster.

“I want to be on the pitch as much as possible and if the manager wants me to play there, I’ll do a job for him to the best of my ability.”

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