I have lost count of the number of times this season I have written about Orient needing to string a run of positive results together and to start to climb the League 1 table. Without getting too carried away, I think on Saturday away at Burton we may just have seen the beginnings of Richie Wellens’ new squad starting to come together. There were certainly some positive signs to be taken out of the performance, albeit against an admittedly poor Brewers side.

They’re All Our Own

As we know there has been a clear shift in recruitment policy for the club this season. With more of our signings being made on a permanent basis rather than using loans to plug gaps in the squad, and indeed the first team.

Thinking back to last season, four of our best players (Charlie Kelman, Jack Currie, Jamie Donley and Josh Keeley) were with us on a temporary basis. As brilliant as that quartet were throughout 2024/25, we all knew deep down that we had to enjoy them while we could as it was very unlikely they would be with us again this season. If you then factor in the departures of Ethan Galbraith, Dan Agyei and Jordan Brown, alongside the retirement of Darren Pratley, we faced quite some rebuilding job ahead of the current campaign.

By contrast every single one of the starting eleven at the Pirelli Stadium was our own player. Even amongst the substitutes there were only three players: Tommy Simkin, Alfie Lloyd and Jack Moorhouse whose permanent home is elsewhere. While completely understandably with so many new players to integrate into the squad, it has taken quite a bit of time, the hope is that going into next season the vast majority of our players will still be under contract. Unless of course they are bought by other bigger budget teams, in which case at least we should receive a reasonable transfer fee.

On the flip side of that the loan players that we did bring in this season have for the most part struggled for playing minutes, and serious consideration will need to be given as to whether all of them are to be retained in January. Especially since we know we need cover/options at centre back and left back as a minimum.

The Defence is Showing Signs of Improvement

Going into Saturday we had conceded the most goals in the division with a total of 29. While a solitary clean sheet doesn’t quite suggest that our defence has suddenly become impregnable, it is interesting to note that in the 3 matches since the 4-1 humbling at Wycombe we have conceded just 2 goals, one was the dubious penalty at home to Exeter, the other that controversial injury time equalizer by Blackpool.

Beyond the pure stats though, we just look more solid and organised at the back. Part of that might also be the greater consistency of Killian Cahill in goal as well as greater protection being provided by the defensive midfielders.

Our Goal Threat

If our defence has been somewhat leaky, at the other end of the pitch we boast the most prolific attack in the division. Obviously Aaron Connolly’s 8 league goals and Dom Ballard’s 7 stand out, but there have been contributions from: Idris El Mizouni (4), Josh Koroma (3), Charie Wellens (2), and single goals from Azeem Abdulai, Ollie O’Neill, Tyreeq Bakinson and Jack Simpson. It is scary to think what position we would be in if we hadn’t found the back of the net so frequently.

Has Azeem Abdulai finally found his Position?

I am going to go firmly on record here and admit that I have been more than a tad sceptical about Azeem Abdulai’s contribution since he joined us in January. There was the stunning hat trick away at Exeter just after his arrival, but other than that there really hasn’t been a lot from the much touted signing.

Part of that, and this is something that Richie Wellens admitted after the win at Burton, has been due to him being moved all over the pitch to fill gaps, including being asked to play out wide, at full back and even on a few occasions as a makeshift striker. Equally the lad himself seems a bit quiet by nature and that has maybe inhibited his play a little bit. However on Saturday I am not afraid to say that I was more than happy to eat a large serving of humble pie.

Now that we know we are going to be without Idris El Mizouni for a period of time, we needed someone to step into that role and make it their own. With Tyreeq Bakinson, who had impressed against Exeter, ruled out through injury on Saturday, Abdulai was given the opportunity to play in the heart of the midfield, which we have always been told is his best position. To be fair to Abdulai he looked much more assured in the more familiar role and even topped off his performance with a stunning long range strike for our third goal.

The Return of Theo Archibald

I am sure I was far from alone amongst the travelling support at Burton in having a tear in my eye when Theo Archibald came onto the pitch as a late replacement for Abdulai. After all he has been through, the time he has missed, and the lengthy and gruelling rehabilitation process you could tell he just wanted to be out there doing what he loves. From a squad perspective though, his hunger, desire and sheer talent might mean that he becomes a brilliant addition to the group.

For all the positives that can be taken from the victory at Burton, Tuesday night’s elimination from the EFL Trophy at the hands of Plymouth Argyle was far less encouraging. While there are certainly mitigating factors with regard to the schedule and the need to change so many players, and the fact that some players like Alfie Lloyd and Theo are looking to build their fitness, some of the performances by the squad players were disappointing to say the least.

While given the circumstances of the competition some of our fanbase won’t lose a lot of sleep over being knocked out, it does offer the chance to potentially go to Wembley and to win a trophy.  More than that though, there will be occasions in the future where we are going to need to rely on some of those who started the game. Can we say with any real confidence that we know they will do a job if/when called upon? I guess all we can say is the jury remains firmly out!

Next up it is the FA Cup trip to Salford tonight. We know that this is a game that Richie Wellens will be desperate to win given his history with the hosts. With memories of the victory over Derby and that special afternoon when we really tested the illustrious Manchester City last season still relatively fresh in the mind, as a fanbase I am sure we all feel similar. After that it is back to league action with the visit of Luton Town on Tuesday evening. If we progress in the cup and put in another disciplined and positive performance against the Hatters we might just be able to say that we have turned the corner form-wise. 

Up the O’s!