Doesn’t the 2-1 victory at Wrexham seem like a long time ago? In actuality it was just three and a half weeks ago. I don’t need to remind any Orient fans that at that point we had just stretched our impressive run from the end of November to a single loss in 15 league matches and had very genuine play-off aspirations. Nor do I need to point out that in the 5 matches since that hard-fought victory we haven’t picked up a single point, having lost all 5. So what’s happened to our beloved O’s?
While there are some extenuating circumstances, such as: the heavy schedule (thanks EFL!!) that saw us travel away on three consecutive Tuesday evenings taking its toll, injuries to Omar Beckles and Tom James, losing Brandon Cooper to “cramp” when in control at Bolton, the ridiculously harsh red card for Jack Currie at Birmingham, a possible foul (or even fouls) on Josh Keeley for at least one of Charlton’s added time goals; however if we are honest with ourselves it does also feel as if we have run out of steam to an extent.
Picking up where we left off on this blog a couple of weeks ago (Orient Nerd Weekly Ramblings- After Two Defeats in a Week are Orient Running Out of Steam?), the defeat at home to Charlton was a tough one to take because while we hadn’t played especially well, it felt like we had done enough to take all three points and get back on track, thanks to a brilliant strike from Jordan Brown. To then lose the match altogether as a result of two very similar seeming goals was absolutely gutting.
As we suggested earlier there is an argument that Josh Keely may have been unfairly impeded when trying to claim the balls coming into the box, but we really needed to do better as a defensive unit. I get that Charlton are a big and physical side, but it just felt that it was a bit too easy for them. That we were a bit soft perhaps.
The trip to Rotherham the following Tuesday evening should have provided a good opportunity to put right the wrongs of the previous three matches. While of course we should never take anything for granted against a side managed by our old friend Steve Evans, with the Millers in the bottom half of the table despite some significant investment in the squad, this should have been a game in which we were targeting a win.
In the end a combination of wasteful finishing (17 shots with 4 on target and zero goals is testimony to that!) and another sucker punch of a goal that came from a scramble after we failed to clear a corner, condemned us to a fourth consecutive defeat.
As the result of a prior commitment, I was on a football trip to the Basque Country (watch this space for a write-up of my adventures watching SD Eibar and then Athletic Club Bilbao, if you are in any way thus inclined!) last weekend so didn’t see the game at home against Northampton. Although as I explained to those who suggested it was my fault that the O’s lost (hi Linda, Heavy D and Kay!): Orient have lost plenty of times when I have been in attendance! From what I have heard and read about the match it was a very lacklustre performance.
Once again it was a goal from a corner that saw us fall behind after just 10 minutes. It does feel that the ongoing absences of Omar Beckles and Dan Happe have made us more susceptible to opposition corners, especially from big physical teams like Charlton, Rotherham and Northampton. Taking nothing away from the fantastic season he has had, but dealing with crosses seems to be something of a weakness of Josh Keeley’s and perhaps something for hm to continue to work on in his ongoing development. Rather worryingly in our next home match we face Stevenage, and we all know how they like to approach matches!
When Cameroon McGeehan capitalised on an error by Jack Simpson to make it 2-0 on the stroke of half-time, it left us too much to do in the second half. While Charlie Kelman pulled one back with half an hour to go, from what I am led to believe, we never truly looked like finding the equalizer.
Speaking after Saturday’s match gaffer Richie Wellens apologised to the supporters (for the first time ever in his time with us) and suggested that “the first half was nowhere near [the level required]” and he also revealed that he had given the players three days off after the busy past few weeks. We can only hope that it works as something of a “reset” and we can start to get ourselves going again.
This run of defeats has seen us drop to 9thplace in the table, 7 points behind Bolton in 6th. While it feels like we have it all on to get ourselves back into play-off contention, there are still 10 games to go. As we have seen ourselves this season, a team that can put a good run together can propel itself up the table in a relatively short space of time, while a poor run can see you drop down just as quickly.
Next up is a relatively tough-looking trip to the Lancashire seaside to take on Steve Bruce’s resurgent Blackpool side. The Tangerines sit just 2 points behind us in the League and are coming into the game on the back of a good run of form, having lost just once in their last 15 matches, although a lot of those have been draws (9 to be precise). It won’t be easy, but it feels like this is a fantastic opportunity to rekindle that spark that seems to have gone missing over the last few weeks. Here’s hoping!
Of course last Sunday saw the third anniversary of Richie coming in as Head Coach. For all that current form is a tad disappointing, it is absolutely vital to remember back to where we were when he walked through the door and breathed much-needed new life into a squad that had seemingly lost its way.
At the time of his appointment we were languishing in 18th place in the League 2 Table, on a long run of matches without tasting victory, with just 7 wins to our name all season. Now we are frustrated that we have slipped from 6th place in League 1.
However you look at it, that is quite some turnaround in a very short space of time. On top of that some of the football we have seen, the matches we have enjoyed, and the occasions we have experienced, we could only have dreamed of back in the relatively dark days of March 2022. Thank you Richie, and I personally I can’t wait to see where the rest of this season and beyond will take us.
Up the O’s!
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