I guess last Saturday’s draw against Burton in our final match of the season was a performance and result that was entirely in keeping with the story of Orient’s 2025/26. If we were expecting a statement win to give us some crumbs of encouragement that better fortunes might lie ahead in 2026/27, it was underwhelming to say the least.

We got off to a bright enough start when skipper Will Forrester nodded home Charlie Wellens’ cross with less than 2 minutes on the clock. So far, so seemingly good. However, despite having already secured their future in League 1, Burton weren’t there just to make up the numbers. When Fabio Tavares slotted home from close range after Will Dennis had pushed away an initial effort 10 minutes before the break, I have to say it had me fretting all through my half-time pint.

Dom Ballard (who else?) restored our advantage minutes after the restart, when he fired home after being played through by Michael Craig. Yet again though we let a lead slip when Alex Hartridge headed home from close range after we had failed to deal with a free kick played into the box. A flaw that has become something of an unwanted trademark for our rearguard for quite some time now. Our lead had lasted just 6 minutes.

The remainder of the match felt like something of a chore (for the players and most certainly for the crowd!), with one side content with a point away from home they didn’t need, the other seemingly incapable of creating very much of a goal threat. The only relief came from the news that Exeter couldn’t fight back from being two goals down at home to Bradford and lost 2-1 ensuring our survival in the third tier. It was less thanks to our own efforts and more to do with the Bantams doing what they needed to do to qualify for the play-offs.

You may well have already heard Richie Wellens’ interview with Dave Victor on the BBC after the match, but it’s fair to say that a clearly fuming gaffer was pulling no punches in summarising his thoughts on the squad and this season. He called the last 15 minutes of the match “a disgrace” as a result of us “passing it around the back” and that we “didn’t want to win the game”. He then went on to say that “week in week out, especially the last 6 or 7 weeks, we get served up with rubbish”.

Wellens also apologised to the supporters for having a go at us on a couple of occasions earlier in the season, explaining that the reason he did so was because it’s a “weak group” of players and that he was trying to focus the criticism on him rather than them. Perhaps the most shocking part of the interview was when he suggested: “there are players in our dressing room that have wasted this season, wasted it” and as a result he felt he had “wasted a year of my management career.”

Strong words indeed, and a sentiment that many of us fans can undoubtedly agree with after the ongoing disappointment of this season. However it feels a dangerous position to adopt. Like it or not Wellens has to have been involved in the recruitment process, training and the tactical approach, all of which have left so much to be desired this campaign. Does he really strike you as the sort of manager that would have players he doesn’t want foisted upon him? Nope, me neither!

I totally get the frustration, but by openly criticising the squad (throwing them under the bus?), how are things going to be put right? Are we going to ship out another load of players and hope to find better replacements? How will those who stay feel knowing that if things go awry again they could be the ones put in the firing line? What if it does go wrong again at the start of next season, who will be to blame then?

We can all agree that it has been a woeful season, one that most of us will be glad to see the back of, and that there is plenty of work to be done over the summer to make sure the squad is reshaped and we are ready for the start of the next campaign.

The Retained List was released yesterday and there are only five players leaving as their contracts have come to an end: Tobi Oluwayemi, Tom James, Jack Simpson, Makai Welch and Diallang Jaiyesimi. While the following are under contract but are being put on the transfer market: Sean Clare, Tyreeq Bakinson, Lemar Gordon, Sonny Perkins and Josh Koroma.

A big part of the rebuilding process will be dependent on what Dom Ballard decides to do in the summer: if we somehow manage to hold onto him then he, alongside the likes of Idris El Mizouni and Will Forrester, provide the foundations to build upon going forward. If he does decide to move on and we can secure a substantial amount of cash in return, that would hugely enhance our budget for the large rebuilding job that it is so obvious that we need.

Before signing off for this week I just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who has read, commented upon, liked and shared these musings, it really is hugely appreciated. I also wanted to thank all at the Supporters Club for another brilliant Star Man awards event, it was a real blast despite the disappointment of the season.

Look out for the traditional Orient Nerd review of the season over the next couple of weeks.

Up the O’s!