It is really difficult to know what to make of Leyton Orient in 2025/26 so far. Just when we had put in a solid performance to secure a convincing win away at Burton which suggested we may have turned a corner form-wise (Orient Nerd Weekly Ramblings: Positive Signs.), we follow it up with two abject cup displays. After an improved effort against Luton, at least in terms of attitude and commitment, we were pegged back by an added time equalizer for the second home league game in succession.

While being knocked out of the EFL Trophy isn’t something that we perhaps need to be too bothered about given the tight turnaround between matches and the resultant number of changes we made. What our supposed first choice eleven served up last Friday night at Salford simply wasn’t good enough.

Of course no team has the divine right to win every game, even if they are from a higher division than the opposition, but as fans the minimum we should expect is effort, commitment to the cause, and a professional attitude from our team. All of those attributes were completely lacking from the players at the Peninsula Stadium.

Granted, the weather was atrocious, and the pitch far from the best surface, but as Richie Wellens said in his interview with TNT Sports after the match, it was the same for Salford and using the conditions as an excuse simply won’t wash. In fact, if that was the reason for such an abysmal performance, then this squad has got bigger issues than we may have feared thus far!

While Richie was completely right to be both angry and disappointed with his charges, let’s face it this isn’t the only occasion so far this season when we have played like that. Nor is it the first time that he has called out the players for not reaching the expected level. Which begs the question as to why it keeps happening?  Are the players not doing what is required of them? Are the coaching messages not getting through? Or is it something deeper than that?

We know from our better performances this season that there is undoubtedly ability and talent within the squad, but there have just been too many occasions where we have looked a shadow of the team that we could and should be.

Not for the first time this season, we went into Tuesday night’s league game at home to Luton looking for a response from the players, and I think it is fair to say that we got it, at least to an extent. While it wasn’t the most scintillating and free-flowing display we have ever seen, it was one that was built on tenacity and a determination to put right a below standard performance and highly disappointing result.

Shorn of our most potent attacker Aaron Connolly and then losing Josh Koroma to injury early on, we seemed to adopt a more pragmatic and direct approach to getting the ball forward. Well, it would have been difficult to be any slower and more ponderous on the ball than we were at Salford!

When Theo Archibald gave us the lead 5 minutes into the second half after being set up by Dom Ballard, it felt like a very special and hugely emotional moment, from a player that is so dear to the hearts of O’s fans. As we said last week, even though it is still relatively early days in Theo’s return to fitness, if he can get back to somewhere approaching the level he has achieved in the past, he will be an asset to the squad. As it was the Silky Scotsman was one of, if not the stand out player of the evening.

Despite our best efforts to see out the result and secure a valuable 3 points, once again we succumbed to a familiar failing. In the 6^th minute of injury time, (stop me if you have heard this one before!), we failed to deal with a corner into our goal mouth and Gideon Kodua was on hand to nod home from close range. Just like the Blackpool game it felt like another gut punch and another 2 points dropped.

Next up we head to Yorkshire to face Barnsley at the start of what is a very busy festive period. Then it is home to Bradford, a Boxing Day trip to Peterborough, the return against Luton 3 days later, home to Wimbledon on New Years Day and then we round it off with a Sunday afternoon trip to Stevenage. That is a total of 18 points to play for in less than a month, if, and it is a big if, we can somehow find that elusive consistency then it gives us a real opportunity to really put some points on the board and to climb what is a very condensed league table.

It won’t be easy of course as we know that Aaron Connolly and Josh Koroma have this week joined REG and Idris El Mizouni on the long-term injury list. Both Charlie Wellens and Azeem Abdulai had to go off on Tuesday evening, which was attributed to cramp, but undoubtedly others in the squad will be carrying knocks and niggles.

Despite the injuries and inconsistency, we remain just 6 points off Stevenage in 6^th spot in the table. It feels as if now is the time to go on that run that we have all been hoping for. More of the same and it could quickly become a frustrating winter.  

Up the O’s!