It’s a good thing Toronto FC captain Darren O’Dea doesn’t look at statistics — or care about them for that matter.

“I don’t really believe in them to be honest with you,” he told the Toronto Sun.

If he did, though, he’d see the Reds have won just once through their last 23 MLS games.

Another jaw-dropper: Toronto FC has dropped eight points from winning or level positions after the 85th minute through the first two months of the season.

“Doesn’t even cross my mind,” O’Dea reiterated ahead of tonight’s game in San Jose. “Even if it does cross my mind, it doesn’t effect the way I play or think or feel.”

Through it all, O’Dea has remained steadfast in his assertion that the Reds are rapidly — despite the statistics — improving.

His claim: The team was just that bad last fall.

“The team was so far off we can’t (fix things) straight away,” he told the Sun by phone on Tuesday. “If you cut out individual errors, we would be sitting quite pretty in the league and getting raved about.”

Last weekend, it was Logan Emory, whose slip in the 86th minute allowed Colorado’s Edson Buddle to slam home the winner in a 1-0 loss.

Before that, it was Morgan — twice — after miss-clearing versus New York and being sent off in Philadelphia.

Individual mistakes also cost the Reds four points when they were leading late against the Houston Dynamo and L.A. Galaxy.

“If football was 40 minutes each way we’d be at the top of the league,” O’Dea said.

O’Dea’s unwavering confidence will be given a boost knowing the San Jose Earthquakes will be without the league’s “bash brothers” Wednesday night.

League instigator Steven Lenhart will miss his second straight match due to suspension stemming from cleating Chivas USA’s Mario De Luna’s face. Gordon, a former TFC target man, will serve the final game of a three-game suspension he was issued for uttering a homophobic slur last month.

Also in TFC’s favour is the fact the Earthquakes will travel on short rest to Seattle following Wednesday’s game, meaning Canadian head coach Frank Yallop could be tempted to trot out a lesser side midweek.

The Reds, however, will have the weekend off following the match, which should see TFC head coach Ryan Nelsen hold nothing back in search of crucial early-season points the Reds have often dropped far too cheaply during the first part of the campaign.

“You win a couple and you’re right back in it,” O’Dea said.

Continue on this winless run through May, though, and the season has suddenly slipped away.

“If you get a couple of wins — three wins in a row — you’re right back up there,” O’Dea said. “It’s not slipped away. It’s far too early for that. Over the summer we’ll bring in some players ... we’ll see where we are at the end of the season.”

O’Dea’s foreshadowing came to fruition Tuesday night.

REDS ADD TWO

Toronto FC announced late Tuesday it has signed Scottish international centre back Steven Caldwell, 32, to a short-term loan deal from Birmingham City.

Caldwell’s original deal will run until the beginning of July, but a source in the U.K. told the Sun the next two months will serve as a test run to see if the Reds will look to extend Caldwell to a longer deal at BMO Field.

Spending the past two seasons in the English Championship, Caldwell made 90 appearances for Birmingham, scoring two goals in all competition.

“He’s a real man’s man, a leader,” O’Dea said of his potential centre back partner, who he played against during his time in the U.K. “He’s very vocal and a good guy to have. He’s technically quite good with both feet, a good passer, good head.”

In the same breath, the Reds also announced the signing of New Zealand international Jeremy Brockie to a loan deal from Australia’s Wellington Phoenix.

The 25-year-old Kiwi midfielder was a member of New Zealand’s World Cup squad in 2010.

“(Coach Nelsen) has played with him on the All Whites and speaks very highly of him,” TFC general manager Kevin Payne said. “He’ll provide another option in an attacking position.”

The terms of Brockie’s deal weren’t immediately disclosed.