LIFE on the sidelines is tough for striker Adrian Patulea.

The Romanian is still waiting for a chance to impress boss Russell Slade.

This week, the 25 year-old told Guardian Series Sport that he craves the chance to impress in the first team.

“I’ve been playing in the reserves and in there I’ve been scoring goals.

“I’ve proved my point and now I wait for them (management) to come to me and give me the chance to show my quality”.

He recently hit five goals against Eastbourne Borough in one game for the reserves.

But Patulea has had only an eight-minute cameo in the first team under the new manager.

That was at the end of Slade’s first game in charge, the goalless draw away at Exeter City.

“Every player wants to play and I expect to have to have the opportunity to play” Patulea said.

“I look forward to that, and hopefully the gaffer will give me the chance and I’ll be there to do my best.

“Being a striker, I’ll do my best to score. I have a good rate of scoring goals and that’s made me a player who can be sharp in front of goal”.

It has been a tough first season in League One at Orient for Patulea, who arrived from Lincoln City in League Two last summer.

Now Orient are fighting to avoid the drop down into the basement division.

Hitman Patulea escaped it so recently, and he has zero desire to return there.

“We definitely don’t want to go back there” he said. “League Two is not a bad division, but League One is much more competitive.

“It’s about getting the ball down and playing real football. Back at Lincoln you could find yourself just smashing balls, and as a striker just chasing high balls”.

So is Slade the man to save the man they call ‘The Count’ from being returned to whence he came, via relegation?

“The new manager has put his foot down and talked with us about relegation.

“All of us realise what trouble we’re in and we’re take action on the pitch.

“The gaffer has been a shock to us, and we’ve earned seven points from nine. He’s proved his point.

“I have another year on my contract with Orient. From my point of view, I will do my best”.