Leyton Orient have already exceeded expectations this season – can they do it one more time?
With Leyton Orient securely positioned in the top half of League One and the Play-Offs still in reach, this season has already proven to be a big success for the team.
The O’s have been strong all season long, and they now just need four points at most from their final seven games to secure a spot in League One the following season.
It is an incredible accomplishment for Richie Wellens’ team to easily defy all preseason odds, especially in light of the fact that they had to do it while fielding a very small roster and dealing with several injuries to important players.
And while their most recent victory over Stevenage, a team that was also promoted, keeps them in the race for the top six, it raises the issue of where the O’s may be if their roster was fully healthy.
Richie Wellens, the bold manager of Leyton Orient, stated London Football Scene, “We’d be first.”
“We started the season with one point after four games—a really, really bad start. We were at the bottom of the league with four points after seven games.
Your perspective then shifts to one of “we need to stay up.” We may have had a stronger start to the season if our group had been assembled sooner.
READ MORE: Nigel Travis of Leyton Orient talks about getting promoted, Richie Wellens, Idris El Mizouni, and going for the title.
Many credit Orient’s December match against high-flying Bolton, where they lost 3-2 but showed genuine glimpses of promise, as the catalyst for their ascent up the league.
It’s difficult to overlook the injuries the team has sustained, though, as even Ollie O’Neill and Brandon Cooper’s January arrivals couldn’t make up for the loss of Jordan Graham at the end of October.
Wellens said, “That (Graham’s injury) came when we were on a good run and set us back.”
Although we have a strong team, every manager in this league will tell you that injuries will have an impact on any team.
O’Neill, who joined from Fulham, has improved Orient’s offensive threat. In just 11 outings, the 21-year-old has scored three goals, supporting Ruel Sotiriou and Shaq Forde’s impressive goal-scoring exploits, which have combined for 20 goals across all competitions.
After a string of poor performances against Port Vale, Wigan Athletic, and Bristol Rovers, the O’s slim Play-Off ambitions were in jeopardy with just seven games left. The victory at Stevenage prior to the international break was vital.
Next up for Orient is a matchup with fellow Play-Off contender Lincoln City, followed by two home games against Peterborough on April 4 and Cheltenham Town on April 21.
On paper, the run-in seems rather simple from there, with Derby in second place being the only team above the O’s in the standings.
After the Easter weekend, Orient has a great opportunity to close out the Play-Off spot, which might mean that Wellens’ audacious squad evaluation won’t look that far-fetched after all.
Leave a Reply