Gary Caldwell: Exeter City boss 'still believes' in squad after sixth successive league defeat

Exeter City are on their worst run of form this season

Exeter City boss Gary Caldwell has not lost belief in his players despite a sixth successive loss in League One.

A 2-0 defeat at Derby County means Caldwell marks his first year in charge by equalling his worst run of league results since his tenure began.

The loss drops Exeter, who were top of League One a month ago, down to 18th place in the table.

"I still believe in this group of players. I still think we've got a lot of quality in the group," he said.

"We're just in a difficult moment where they need some support, they need some help, and we have to stick by them and keep giving them that support to help them get a win and kick on."

Exeter's only win in their past nine matches in all competitions was a 1-0 victory over Premier League side Luton Town in the third round of the Carabao Cup.

In that nine-game run City have scored only twice - the other goal coming in a 4-1 loss at Charlton - while they have suffered big losses in the EFL Trophy with a club-record equalling 9-0 home defeat by Reading and a 5-0 reversal by Arsenal Under-21.

"Possession only gets your so far, you have to then penetrate, you have to then be brave in your final pass, you have to win one-on-one duals, both attacking and defending," Caldwell told BBC Radio Devon.

"I thought we lost far too many duals, and the moments we do play through that we work on, it then has to lead to something and too often it led to counterattacks for Derby.

"We have to make better decisions in the final third, we have to be more aggressive in the final third.

"I thought too many times when the ball came up there wasn't enough aggression to hold it up, there wasn't enough aggression to get at your man one-on-one and that has to be addressed before Saturday."