I really don’t know what to make of this current incarnation of Leyton Orient. Last week’s blog post after the 4-0 home win over Doncaster (Orient Nerd Weekly Ramblings: Reassurance through Victory for Orient Fans.) focused on the positive signs that suggested that the team was starting to come together, then we had that “performance” and a thoroughly depressing defeat at Rotherham. All of which begs the question of quite what is going on with Orient in 2025/26?

Of course no team can expect to just turn up and win a match, but facing a team who at the time were sitting in 22^nd place in the table having won just three of their matches in the campaign, surely we should have expected more than what we got out of the match?

The first half at the New York Stadium was largely a non-event, but if we were expecting an improved performance in the second period we were sadly to be left wanting. Speaking after the match a clearly (and understandably!) angry Richie Wellens suggested we were “extremely poor”, that we “slept-walked to a defeat” and ultimately “were nowhere near good enough”. The gaffer was particularly scathing of our back three who he said simply “can’t play”, although for me there were issues all over the park not just with regard to the defence.

Obviously we can’t be certain, but it very much felt as if a level of complacency had crept into the squad after a more promising performance the previous weekend. While that is unacceptable, more worryingly the gaffer suggested that the players are not delivering what they are told to do in training on matchdays.

So far this season out of our 13 matches we have won 4, drawn 2 and lost 7. I would say that is the very definition of inconsistency, but the fact that we have lost more than half of our league games suggests there is perhaps more to be concerned about than we had realised.

Granted there have been some positive results such as the win over Wigan, the creditable draw against much-fancied Stockport, and the comprehensive win against Doncaster. Even being pegged back by a late equalizer against Bolton at home suggested we were capable of competing at the top end of the table.

However, the defeats at Huddersfield on the opening day, getting thumped 4-1 at Mansfield, losing at home to an ordinary-looking Northampton, losing away at Reading, and conceding 3 at home to Stevenage then 4 away at Cardiff in consecutive matches, suggest that the team is very much underdelivering against expectations.

Given the sheer turnover of players over the summer aligned with the clear strategic aim of building for the future by bringing in players on permanent contracts, most Orient fans would accept that this might be something of a transitional year. One in which we might finish somewhere in mid-table while building towards a sustained promotion push in future seasons. However now that we have gone through the first quarter of our league matches, it doesn’t seem unreasonable to suggest that we are underperforming.  

While we are the third highest goal scorers in the division just behind Bradford and Cardiff, we are also tied with Plymouth for the most conceded. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, that is simply not sustainable for a team that has ambitions of a top half (or better) finish. As Richie suggested after our latest defeat, the league is going to start to take shape in the next few weeks and if we carry on like this then it is difficult to see where there are any grounds for optimism.

While it is still too early to go into a complete panic, it really does feel that something needs to change, and quickly. Whether that be a change of tactical approach, personnel or system remains to be seen; but if we take Richie’s comments at face value then the players need to step up, take responsibility, and spark themselves into some semblance of consistency.  

Next we face a Lincoln side that has started the season well and sit in 6^th spot in the table. Then on the other side of the FA Cup trip to Tamworth (Seriously? Monday night? Who in their right mind thought that was a good idea?), it is a visit to Wycombe, followed by home games against Exeter and Blackpool, before a trip to Burton rounds out November. Of those sides Exeter are just 2 points ahead of us while the other 3 are below us in the table, so it feels very much as if it is time for the squad to start to show the quality that I for one believe it has. A much-improved performance and a win tomorrow afternoon would be the perfect way to start.

On Wednesday evening the club hosted one of its fairly regular Fans’ Forums, while there wasn’t a lot new to report, it does seem that behind the scenes the plans for the new stadium are starting to take initial shape. Perhaps the most intriguing aspect was that the expected capacity of our new home will be between 25,000 and 30,000, and that the plan outlined recently by David Gandler for us to be in by the club’s 150^th anniversary in 2031 is still very much the target. Ambitious to say the very least!

It also seems that there will be opportunities for fans to be consulted about/ involved in the design. For obvious reasons we are unlikely to get any more concrete news for another 18 months or so, so the focus for now has to be on matters on the pitch.   

Up the O’s!