It’s been a week of contrasting cup fortunes for the O’s: first up we secured passage to the second round of the FA Cup for only the second time in the last eight years with a 3-1 win over Carlisle United. Then we “sadly” exited the Pizza Cup Bristol Street Motors Trophy (catchy eh?), with a defeat at home by Portsmouth. The latter result most likely being one that few Orient fans will lose a lot of/any sleep over.

Our reward for getting past Carlisle is an away tie at top of the National League table Chesterfield, who themselves despatched Portsmouth in the first round. While it doesn’t scream of being a glamour tie in any shape or form, and while it won’t be easy, might it provide another step on the road to the much hoped for (not least by Nigel and the Board!) cup run?

We of course return to league action tomorrow when we entertain second placed Oxford United, who have made a pretty impressive start to the season having won 10 of their opening 15 matches, and trail leaders Portsmouth by just three points. Although it should be borne in mind that their decent form attracted the attention of teams in the tier above, most notably Bristol City who enticed head coach Liam Manning away from the Kassam Stadium having been at the helm for just eight months.

A good time to be playing them? I guess we will find out tomorrow, but we have to go into it with the mindset of being able to compete and match them, just as we did against Barnsley in our last home league match.

Ahead of that match, and with us just about having reached the third of the way stage of the season, it seems pertinent to reflect on how Orient have fared so far on our return to the third tier. As we touched upon last week (Orient Nerd Weekly Ramblings- Orient heading in the right direction on and off the pitch.), after three straight defeats to start the campaign, from Blackpool away (other than that really annoying Stevenage game(!), and the slip up at Fleetwood) we have fared pretty steadily, although we perhaps could have done even better if we had managed to turn just a few of our five draws into victories. In terms of the squad itself, it feels as if we are starting to settle upon our preferred first choice selection, if not yet the system to get the very best out of them.

Sol’s a keeper

Over the summer it is probably fair to suggest that most Orient fans might have feared that we would really miss Lawrence Vigouroux, given not only his undoubted talent as a goalkeeper, but also the way he seemed to very much be one of the leaders within the group that was so successful last season. However at the risk of being flippant, that really hasn’t been the case. Sol Brynn seems to have slotted in almost seamlessly.

He perhaps offers a more stable and solid presence than the magic and acrobatics of Vigs, but it feels like we have found a positive solution by bringing in a relatively young keeper from a Championship club looking to make his way in the game. Equally after something of a shaky start, Sam Howes seems a reliable option as back-up, and that isn’t even to mention Rhys Byrne who has been starved of any real opportunity.

The case for the defence

One of the things that did concern me over the opening few games was the way that we seemed to be giving away sloppy goals as a result of defensive errors. However since the switch to three at the back, even though Richie has in the past made it clear that this isn’t his preferred set up, we have very much steadied the ship back there. In recent matches we have seen a shift back to a back four during games, and I wonder if as confidence continues to grow and the players show that they have acclimatised to the demands of League One football, this might be a more permanent adjustment? The only question really is who are the first choices for the starting positions?

Even though his loan deal is due to expire in January, Brandon Cooper his made himself as much of an automatic choice as it is possible to be. I presume there may be an option to extend his loan, but if not, whether playing as a pair or a trio, we still have the likes of: Omar Beckles, Dan Happe, Ed Turns, at a push Tom James, and a hopefully soon to be fit Adam Thompson to call upon.

The move to three at the back necessitated, for the most part, the use of Theo Archibald and Jordan Graham as wing backs. With the latter now sadly injured for the remainder of the season, and Archie seemingly needed (and more suited to) a more advanced position, will Tom James or Rob Hunt be seen as the solution on the right flank? Similarly, will it be Hunt or Jayden Sweeney on the other?      

Options in the middle

If you had asked me at the start of the season what role Jordan Brown would fulfil in 2023/24, I was completely convinced that he would platoon (to borrow the American term!) with Darren Pratley- basically I thought the skipper would start the majority of the matches, with Brown replacing him in the second half, or filling in when the senior man needed a break. Of course Prats missed a spell through illness, but Brown has started every match since coming in to replace him after the Fleetwood match. It is now the more experienced player who comes on when needed to settle things down and close out games.

Idris El Mizouni has continued to build on a highly impressive 2022/23 season, so much so that when Darren Pratley and Omar Beckles are unavailable he is now the stand-in skipper. The only sad part being the better he plays the less likely we are to be able to convince Ipswich to either let him have a third season in E10, or to let us sign him permanently. Mind you, having said that, the Tractor Boys have made a blistering start to life in the Championship, so may not see him as ready for a Premier League squad!

With a settled double pivot in Brown and El Miz, the question is who joins them in the heart of the midfield? Ethan Galbraith is undoubtedly a talented footballer, lively and very much a “head-up” player, but he has struggled to really make a true impact in terms of end product. I wonder given that George Moncur is continuing to underdeliver compared to the expectations we hold for him, whether a spell in the number 10 role might get the best out of the young Northern Irishman?

In the all too brief glimpses we have seen of Max Sanders, there is unquestionably a talented midfielder there, his issue has been staying fit. If he can get and keep himself available for an extended period might a three of El Miz, Brown and Sanders be our best option?

Where are more goals going to come from?

As we all know, Ruel Sotiriou is our leading goal-scorer with six in all competitions, but we have also all seen that while he has improved, he can still be a bit wasteful with the chances he gets. Joe Pigott has tried determinedly to adapt to leading the line and while he now has four goals (two of which have come from the penalty spot) to his name after finding the back of the net on Tuesday evening, I think we are right to want more from our central striker.

Injuries and subsequent lack of preseason preparation have made Aaron Drinan look like a shadow of the player that he was in his first season. He has looked like a player desperately short on confidence. Hopefully his goal against Carlisle will help with that, but for me he has always looked more effective when deployed wide on the right. With Jordan Graham now out, whether Drinan makes that spot his own may well depend on two key factors: firstly whether Richie sees the best use of The Archibald as an inverted winger on the right or in his more natural winger’s role on the left; and secondly what he has in mind for Dan Agyei when he returns to fitness. Going forward a settled, more threatening front line would potentially help to take the team to another level of performance.

In summing up I think it is fair to say that we have made a decent start to life in the third tier, but we have hinted that we might be capable of even more. Another creditable result against a high-ranked team on Saturday would further bolster the confidence of the squad going forward. Here’s hoping!

Up the O’s!