Congratulations and please take it easy on the last game of the season too at Valley Parade and hopefully we can have a joint promotion party after the game
You can’t not credit them. They’ve been by far the best, most consistent team all season. Congratulations - genuinely jealous.
Although, you do wonder whether they’ll have enough to stay up next season. I know that sounds incredibly naive, because they have 2 windows to improve the squad, but just a feeling.
Well done to Orient! Didn’t see you at your best at Prenton Park but consistently on top during the season, must have been doing at least a few things right. Good luck in L1
The transformation under Wellens in 14 months has been remarkable - alot of the same players are still here that were signed and played under Kenny Jackett, so there's not been wholesale changes. The players Wellens has let go have been mainly big decisions, in particular not playing Harry Smith and letting him go.
The style of football has been probably the best I've seen from an Orient team, the remarkable thing is we've had 4 strikers this season and they've managed only 8 goals between them in all comps - but our wide forwards have spread the goals amongst themselves and the team, we don't rely solely on one player, we are very much a team.
Our main strength is seeing games out, Wellens has made us streetwise, we time waste when we have to, we have meetings on the pitch with players going down injured if we have to, we don't get involved in off the ball incidents and one or two of our players have wound opponents up during games. The mentality is basically, everyone else does it so why shouldn't we. On top of that we keep possession, really well.
Our board have invested in the squad as a whole, we have two players for every position, we have a squad which for 90% of the season has coped with injuries and suspensions, probably more importantly we have a squad of good characters.
Next season will be tough as we will likely lose 3 of our best players Lawrence Vigouroux and Paul Smyth are out of contract and Idris El-Mizouni will go back to Ipswich as he is on a long term contract there, plus we need some better strikers in to score goals. But our board will almost certainly make sure we have a squad like this season with 2 players in each position ready for the test.
We still need a point/another result to go our way on Tuesday. But cheers lads. We were a pleasure to watch in the first half of the season. Football hasn’t been as good since Xmas but we’ve mostly found ways to grind out the results needed and the back 5 have been exemplary as a unit.
Actually think we’re going to become more dangerous over the last five games as the pressure has been lifted and the free-flowing stuff might come back.
Either way, it’s the culmination of an 8-year slog back from the brink. Think regaining our place in League One will be the final piece of catharsis some Orient fans need to rid the club of the stink of Mad Frank’s tenure once and for all. For me, it will be significant because I couldn’t enjoy the National League title win; my Dad passed away mid-season and with Justin following in the summer it has always been a hollow one in my memory. This one is going to taste much sweeter.
Good luck to all those chasing the other auto spots/playoffs. Apart from Stevenage & Salford, obviously.
I really enjoyed both the matches although you battered us at Wetherby Rd in November the 10th April was a memorable day out. Wellens was a gentleman in his post match interview. I hope he keeps you up and you don't do a Forest Green Rovers, the area deserves better.