The Bet

Faramir · October 5, 2005

1.1.12

Bolton (0) Leyton Orient (2)

Bolton- None

Orient- D.Poole 70 J.Evrard 73

MOM- Sebastien Frey, Leyton Orient

Orient had to lean heavily upon veteran keeper Sebastien Frey and he was up to the task today as Orient used a pair of second half goals to win 2-0 over Bolton. Reebok stadium was hopping early in the first half as Bolton buzzed around the Orient net. Orient was again struggling both with defensive coverage and with moving the ball offensively. Giacomo Cipriani and Bobby Zamora both came close to gaining the lead for Bolton, but both saw Frey deflect their shots at the last moment. The second half substitution of Steed Malbranque for David Fox paid big dividends for Orient as Malbranque intercepted a crossing pass and then after driving hard down the pitch, laid the ball off for David Poole. Poole wasted no time in drilling a shot inside the near right past past Jusski Jaaskalainen for a 1-0 Orient lead. Less than three minutes later Orient's Jan Evrard outleaped a pack of players to deflect Matthew Etherington's corner in to make it 2-0. With the lead, Orient finally put forth a more solid display defensively and kept Bolton from generating any good scoring chances as they closed out the win.

***

1.1.12 EPL Table (most with 20 matches)

1- Tottenham 41 pts (+22)

2- Leyton Orient 38 pts (+18)

3- Blackburn 37 pts (+11)

4- Arsenal 35 pts (+16)

5- Newcastle 35 pts (+11)

6- Manchester U 34 pts (+12)

7- Sheffield Wed 33 pts (+1)

8- Millwall 31 pts (+3)

9- Everton 30 pts (+6)

10- Bolton 30 pts (+1)

</pre>

Faramir · October 5, 2005

4.1.12

Leyton Orient (2) West Ham (0)

Orient- D.Poole 20 W.Rooney 48

West Ham- None

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

It tooks some doing against a stubborn defensive effort from West Ham, but Orient managed to find a way to score a couple goals enroute to a 2-0 win at Brisbane Road. Steele had made a couple good reaction saves early in the first half, but wasn't able to snare a strong header from David Poole on a terrific centering pass from Wayne Rooney. Steele was ably supported by his backline as he limited the first half damage to that lone goal. Wayne Rooney, who looked more like the player all Orient fans expected him to be, then drilled a sensational 30 yard volley past Steele in the opening moments of the second half to deflate the visitors. Orient kept a firm hold on the midfield and West Ham really never got any good scoring chances on Sebastien Frey as he chalked up another clean sheet in the 2-0 win.

"That was the best match Wayne (Rooney) has played this season," remarked Spencer Field.

"I thought so too. That goal he scored was very nice- like Matt's (Etherington) Goal of the Month for December- he might be in the running for this month," replied Will Drabek.

"I meant to ask you. Was Matt's goal the first time an Orient player had ever captured the Goal of the Month honours?"

"You know, I think you're right. I don't remember it ever happening before."

Faramir · October 6, 2005

7.1.12

Millwall (2) Leyton Orient (0) FA Cup 3rd round

Millwall- D.Weston 22-P S.Johnson 74

Orient- None

MOM- Stephen Brennan, Millwall

Too much good work by Nicky Weaver and too much bad play in their own end saw Orient broomed out of the FA Cup in a 2-0 loss at Millwall. Orient looked scattered from the start of the match, with wild passing and bad decision making. Ryan Garry was forced to hold Simon Johnson in the area and that earned a penalty kick. David Weston converted the penalty kick and Millwall was on firm footing with a 1-0 halftime lead. Orient had several excellent chances to even things early in the second half, but Weaver took the measure of the Orient shots and kept the clean sheet. Danilo Arrieta made a poor back pass that Simon Johnson stepped in to pick up. Johnson then split Ryan Garry and Steven Taylor before blasting a 20 yard shot past James Hicks from just inside the edge of the area. With the 2-0 lead, Millwall put the clamps on Orient and kept them from getting any good scoring chances to finish out the win.

"I have to admit, I believe I made a mistake in letting Robert Huth go," sighed Drabek.

"Steven (Taylor) hasn't really played very well at all since arriving," commented Field.

"He seems to have been a wasted contract. We just need to get Harding and Bramble healthy so we can avoid playing Ryan (Garry) inside."

Faramir · October 8, 2005

14.1.12

Leyton Orient (2) Leicester (0)

Orient- W.Rooney 55,61

Leicester- None

MOM- Danny Byrne, Leyton Orient

Orient looked strong as Wayne Rooney continues to show signs of shaking off his early season scoring slump as they overcame a determined Leicester side 2-0 at Brisbane Road. The first half was spent in the Foxes end as Orient continually crashed the net, but the Leicester backline did an excellent job at foiling the many Orient crossing attempts. Orient finally gained the lead when they a pretty tic-tac-toe passing play. Carl Laurie started it with a long pass to Danny Byrne on the right. Byrne showed his good footwork by half-volleying the pass back across the pitch. Wayne Rooney put his own trademark volley on Byrne's pass and the ball sailed past Matt Murray. Byrne keyed the Rooney's 2nd goal of the match as well when he took a throw-in from Lee Sims and pushed hard past Dennis Rommedahl before laying off for Rooney. Rooney smashed the pass by Murray before he could react for his 5th goal of the season. Orient kept Leicester in check the remainder of the match, thwarting any rally attempts in closing out the clean sheet for Nigel Vaughan.

Faramir · October 10, 2005

18.1.12

WBA (0) Leyton Orient (3)

WBA- None

Orient- S.Malbranque 32,57 D.Arrieta 90

MOM- Steed Malbranque, Leyton Orient

In a rough game against two clubs that are quickly becoming bitter rivals, it was Orient that won out led by veteran Steed Malbranque. Malbranque's powerful header past Russell Howarth on Daniel Fredheim Holm's corner for his 5th goal of the season gave Orient the lead in the first half of play as both sides seemed content to blast away at long range at Howarth and Sebastien Frey. Orient came out in the second half and played a more controlled attack on the rain-slick pitch. Oliver Lorenzen deserves much credit for the 2nd Orient goal. Lorenzen made a good tackle at midfield to strip Neil Clement of the ball. Danny Byrne quickly shuffled it back to Lorenzen as he had gotten back up and moved down the right side. Lorenzen reached the byline and laid the ball back for Malbranque. Malbranque showed his veteran moxie by not stopping the ball- instead he let fly with a blistering shot that was by Howarth before he could react for Steed's 2nd goal of the match. Byrne took advantage of the sodden pitch in setting up Danilo Arrieta for the last goal of the match. Arrieta's cross splashed to a stop and Arrieta showed his quickness by breaking back away from his marker and hooking the ball past Howarth to make the final margin 3-0 Orient.

"Injuries are piling up," grimly muttered Drabek.

"What was the word on Daniel Fredheim Holm?" asked Field.

"He might have been able to come back in a month, but Tony didn't think he would be back at full-speed if we did that. Tony recommended surgery and he is out for the rest of the season."

Field shook his head angrily, "Do we need to bring Matt Morris back up?"

"Yes, but remember he is still out for a week to let the stitches heal up."

"How about Carl Motteram?"

"If we absolutely need him, but I am not sure we will at this point."

Faramir · October 10, 2005

Eagles Flies Back to Manchester United

In an ironic purchase, Leyton Orient announced the completion of a transfer sale of winger Christopher Eagles to Manchester United for 6.75 Million. Eagles, who had signed with Orient on Bosman from Manchester United, was very happy to be going back to his favorite club with an assurance of a starting role. That lack of assurance was why he signed with Orient, but he had run into the same bottleneck at right wing on Orient as Danny Byrne holds the job. Manchester United stated they were hoping that adding Eagles would bring more youthful enthusiasm to their veteran lineup as they try to work their way up from midtable.

***

21.1.12

Leyton Orient (5) Everton (1)

Orient- D.Poole 11,23,57 J.Torhallsson 43 J.Turner 88

Everton- S.Howe 66

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

The Poole and Torhallsson show wrote another chapter today as the forward combination torched Everton in leading Orient to a resounding 5-1 win at Brisbane Road. Matthew Etherington took advantage of the wet pitch to send a ball past three defenders deep in the area. Johann Torhallsson reached it first and crossed smartly to David Poole. Poole had an easy header into the left side of the net past Richard Wright for the early Orient lead. David Fox keyed the next goal as he made an excellent tackle at midfield and then picked out Poole with a long pass. Poole, though Christian Beckers was trying to jostle him, had enough space to rip a shot past Wright inside the right post for his 2nd goal of the match. Jason Reynolds showed good vision as he centered a pass into traffic, but right on the foot of Johann Torhallsson as he split the defenders and was able to drive the ball past Wright for a 3-0 halftime lead for Orient. Adam Roberts made a terrific pass to Torhallsson on the left side and as two defenders closed him off from the net- Torhallsson zipped a pass across to Poole. Poole, who slipped the coverage of Gary Naysmith, chipped the ball into the right side of the net to complete his hat-trick. Everton struck for their consolation goal when Jermain Dafoe passed over the heavily marked Alberto Gilardino to unmarked Stuart Howe and Howe drilled his shot into the left side of the net to ruin Sebastien Frey's clean sheet. Orient capped off the scoring when Reynolds made a superb touch pass to John Turner (on for Poole) and Turner whistled it past Wright to complete the 5-1 rout.

"Jason Reynolds has a affinity for that right wing slot," cheerily commented Field.

Drabek nodded, "That was why I didn't mind letting Christopher Eagles go- I needed some place to play Jason."

"Adam Roberts is showing me more too- that was a great pass to Torhallsson."

"He showed superb touch considering the weather conditions and how far the ball had to go."

"Too bad Johann is retiring- he really is playing well."

Drabek smiled, "Funny you should mention that. I don't know if it will work, but I asked him to reconsider his retirement and stay on with us. I offered him a contract extension also."

Faramir · October 11, 2005

"I'm sorry to see him go, he developed very well in his time here," stated Field.

Drabek nodded, "Like you, I am sorry to see him go, but he told us he needed a new challenge. He thought he had accomplished everything he could here. Adam Roberts and Steed Malbranque will share the workload now- with Steed playing the Champions Cup and other big matches."

Liverpool Lands Fox

In a stunning announcement today, Liverpool introduced David Fox as their latest addition. Liverpool paid Leyton Orient 18.25 Million for the English midfielder- a record sum for a sale by Leyton Orient. The 28 year old Fox commented, "I loved my time at Orient and I think we accomplished quite a lot while I was there. I didn't leave Orient because I was unhappy with any aspect of the club, it was just that I needed a new challenge and helping revive Liverpool's fortunes is something I am looking forward to." Orient will reportedly try to replace Fox with youngster Adam Roberts and veteran Steed Malbranque. Surprisingly, there was little reaction from Orient players to the sale and most commented that it was a bit of a relief to see it finally happen because Fox had been outspoken in his desire to move on. Liverpool outbid Juventus for Fox as both clubs worked to get their offers in before the transfer deadline.

***

Chelsea Goes Big

With the transfer deadline looming, Chelsea went for a pair of big transfer purchases. They landed Nicolas Anelka from Manchester United for a cool 6.75 Million and also completed the purchase of Mike Zonneveld from Newcastle for a reported 5 Million. Both players were pleased to be moving to Stamford Bridge and were looking forward to improving Chelsea's fortunes.

Faramir · October 12, 2005

Manchester United- Inter Swap Midfielders

Manchester United announced that they had swapped Andrea Pirlo and an unreported sum (believed to be in the neighberhood of 5 Million) for Inter's Andy van der Meyde. Both midfielders expressed happiness at the swap and Pirlo was especially excited to be moving back to play in Italy.

***

1.2.12

Arsenal (1) Leyton Orient (0)

Arsenal- Adriano 60

Orient- None

MOM- Christopher Kirkland, Arsenal

One costly defensive mistake cost Orient dearly as Arsenal edged them 1-0 at Ashburton Grove. The match was entertaining from the opening whistle and Christopher Kirkland began earning his MOM honour early on. Kirkland stopped David Poole in the opening moments and then had kind posts come to his rescue twice. Wayne Rooney was feeling snake-bit after hitting the inside of the left post behind Kirkland twice only to see Philippe Senderos clear one of the line and then Kirkland made a spawling dive to keep the other one out of the net. Orient had better pressure in the first half, but the home side wasn't devoid of chances as Adriano skimmed the crossbar with a strong header. The second half opened with breakneck speed as both sides attacked up and down the pitch. Orient gave Arsenal the chance for the match winner when Lee Sims made a long misdirected free kick that Senderos headed back to Adriano. Adriano had snuck down the pitch close to Sims and took the headed pass at top pace before blasting away from 20 yards. Sebastien Frey got his hands on the shot, but the ball trickled through. As Titus Bramble and Jan Evrard raced for the ball it bounced slowly just inside the right post for the only goal of the match. Kirkland came up with one more big save when he again stopped Poole on the doorstep to preserve the close 1-0 win.

Simply Perfect · October 14, 2005

I've spent the last six hours reading this story and I can only agree with the compliments you have been given on this one. It was the excellent Harrowing Misadventure that persuaded me to read this, and I can only hope similar success goes to Harrow as has happened with Leyton Orient.

Your story is fantastic, I totally disagree about the need for a sub-plot. The interaction between the manager and assistant manager is excellent, the match reports are concise and allows me to visualise the games in my head's 2D match engine and the little Newspaper "clippings" are good to read and are often very inventive.

I have only good things to say about this story and hope it continues into a generation when all the players are unfamiliar names.

Keep up the truly excellent work, Faramir.

Pete

Faramir · October 16, 2005

simply p- thanks very much. The story (and game) is still very much alive and will continue for another good long while. I am glad you have enjoyed it to this point

***

4.2.12

Leyton Orient (1) Chelsea (1)

Orient- D.Poole 12

Chelsea- N.Anelka 74

MOM- John Terry, Chelsea

A rare mistake by Sebastien Frey and the subsequent fantastic strike by Nicolas Anelka allowed Chelsea to split the points with Orient in a 1-1 draw. Orient was not particularly effecient on offense in the match, but had taken the early lead when Danny Byrne made a curling pass that allowed David Poole to fire a 20 yard blast past Marcos on a counterattack. Chelsea, with new additions Anelka and Mike Zonneveld leading the way were doing an excellent job blanketing the Orient midfield, while also creating chances for themselves. Orient seemed content to try and close out the win in the late stages of the second half and was doing a fine job until Frey's poor choice. Frey came well out of the area to try and clear a long pass, but unfortunately his volley went right to Anelka on the left sideline. Anelka seized the chance and sent a precision 45 yard shot past the retreating Frey and into the net for a dramatic 1st goal at Chelsea. Orient, who had seen Poole leave with a minor injury after a collision with John Terry, couldn't right themselves offensively and the match finished out without any further offensive heroics for either side.

4.2.12 EPL Table (25 Matches played)

1- Tottenham 54 pts (+31)

2- Arsenal 51 pts (+30)

3- Leyton Orient 51 pts (+28)

4- Manchester U 45 pts (+19)

5- Blackburn 44 pts (+11)

6- Sheffield Wed 44 pts (+6)

7- Newcastle 43 pts (+15)

</pre>

Faramir · October 18, 2005

"Johann (Torhallsson) told me he was sorry, but that he wasn't going to change his mind about retiring," sighed Drabek.

"Well, it was worth a try. Realistically, it shouldn't hurt us too badly."

"True, but his presence in the dressing room is definitely a bonus- we will miss him there."

***

11.2.12

Leyton Orient (1) Leeds (0)

Orient- D.Poole 4

Leeds- None

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient used a smothering defense to make their early goal stand up in a 1-0 win over Leeds that wasn't as close as the scoreline would indicate. An early corner provided the margin for the win as David Poole deflected an inswinger from Matthew Etherington past Paul Robinson for his 25th goal of the season. There was little indication that Poole's goal would be the only one for Orient, as they penned Leeds in their own end and didn't allow them a shot at James Hicks all match. Orient came close a few other times, but Robinson played well and had ample support from his backline with several saving tackles. It may have only been a 1-0 win, but the Brisbane Road faithful did have a win to celebrate.

Faramir · October 19, 2005

20.2.12

Coventry (1) Leyton Orient (0)

Coventry- S.Brown 19

Orient- None

MOM- Lee Doherty, Coventry

20th place Coventry stung Orient as they took advantage of an early goal and poor marksmanship from Orient to upset them 1-0 in front of their pleased Highfield Road fans. The lone goal of the match came when Lee Sims was caught wandering up the pitch and Coventry dumped the ball to a racing John Hutchison as he moved into Sims' space. Hutchison was challenged by Ben Hutchinson, but was able to slot the ball back for Simon Brown. Brown had come in behind the attack and made a superb header into the left side of the net past Sebastien Frey. Orient's rally attempts lasted the remainder of the match, but they were undone by poor shooting. The chances the Orient passing attack were generating were fine, but Wayne Rooney in particular and also Matthew Etherington, but too many shots didn't force Steve Harper to even make a move on them in the Coventry net. Orient wasn't helped when David Poole limped off with a minor leg injury in the first half. Orient's passing game wasn't sharp in the second half and that allowed Coventry many chances to recover and pressure the shot. Orient also failed to take full advantage of their quick counterattacks and wound up facing the wrong side of a clean sheet in the 1-0 loss.

Faramir · October 19, 2005

25.2.12

Leyton Orient (1) Middlesbrough (0)

Orient- S.Pearson 33

Middlesbrough- None

MOM- Stephen Pearson, Leyton Orient

Orient's offense continued to struggle, but they did just enough to edge visiting Middlesbrough 1-0 in a closely played match. Orient scored their goal on a scramble after a free kick in the first half. Matthew Etherington's curving free kick hit the right post and bounced away. David Poole quickly ran it down and then crossed smartly to John Turner as he broke free in the middle. Turner saw Middlesbrough keeper Martin Krivanek make a terrific save as he parried away his header. Stephen Pearson showed his heady presence on the pitch again as he was in the right place to collect the rebound and whipped it past Krivanek. Middlesbrough managed only a few chances- all of which Sebastien Frey was equal to enroute to another clean sheet. Orient played a solid positional game in the second half, continually thwarting Middlesbrough attempts to attack up the middle of the pitch.

25.2.12 EPL (28 matches played, 10 remaining)

1- Tottenham 58 pts (+31)

2- Arsenal 57 pts (+33)

3- Leyton Orient 57 pts (+29)

4- Manchester United 51 pts (+20)

5- Sheffield Wednesday 47 pts (+6)

6- Newcastle 46 pts (+15)

7- Blackburn 45 pts (+7)

</pre>

Faramir · October 20, 2005

29.2.12

Chelsea (0) Leyton Orient (4) Champions Cup 2nd Round Leg 1

Chelsea- None

Orient- D.Poole 8,68,83 W.Rooney 65

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Smarting from both the draw they handed Chelsea at the beginning of the month and from comments in the press- especially by Nicolas Anelka- Orient came out ready to play from the opening whistle and easily trounced Chelsea 4-0 in front of the disappointed sold-out Stamford Bridge crowd. The fireworks were muted in the first half as Orient took the lead early on but wasn't able to add to the margin by halftime. The Orient goal had come when Matthew Etherington had picked off a loose ball and showed good vision by wheeling the ball into space on the left. Stephen Pearson ran down the loose ball and sent a centering pass to David Poole. Poole had outraced the Chelsea backline on the counterattack and hea an easy time picking his spot and snapping the shot into the right side of the net past Marcos. Chelsea dearly wanted to rally in the second half and managed their best chance in the opening moments of the second half when Sebastien Frey was called on to push a Joe Cole rocket over the crossbar. Those wishes were short circuited when Poole flicked on a clearing kick. Wayne Rooney ran onto the ball and took it to the right before firing a well placed shot that caught the inside of the far left post and bounced into the net. Minutes later it was Rooney's turn to flick on a header and Poole overpowered Gilberto Velasquez before launching a beautiful curving shot from 20 yards that sailed past a stranded Marcos and hooked just inside the right post for his 2nd goal of the match. Orient then polished off the already demoralized home side when Etherington slung the ball out to Rooney on the left sideline. Rooney sent a looping cross into the middle. Both Marcos and Velasquez misjudged the flight of the ball and Poole showed his great touch around the net as he didn't try to take the ball on the volley, instead letting it drop and then whisking it into the net as he knew both Marcos and Velasquez were off balance from the ball not coming down where they expected it. The goal capped Poole's hat-trick and the 4-0 Orient win that puts them in great shape to move on in Champions Cup competition. In other 1st leg matches: Dinamo Kiev and Milan battled to a 1-1 draw in Kiev; Likewise Dortmund and Rosenborg were 1-1 in Dortmund; FC Bayern and Real Sociedad were 1-1 in Bayern; FC Copenhagen and Shakhtar were 1-1 in Copenhagen. Juventus dumped Deportivo 2-0 in Torino; PSV beat Inter 2-0 in Eindhoven; and Tottenham won out 2-0 over Arsenal at White Hart Lane.

"Another great performance from David Poole today," smiled Field.

Drabek nodded, also smiling, "It was, but I was even more pleased with Wayne Rooney today. He was really on his game and they had to split their coverage and not focus solely on David."

"The boys were really ready for them- it was kind of Anelka to shoot off his mouth like that."

Drabek chuckled, "No motivational speech needed for this one. Our backline completely shut Anelka out of the match. I think I heard the scorer for the press gave both him and Stefan Moore '4's for their sorry efforts."

***

February 2012 EPL Honours

Player of the Month- Alberto Gilardino, Everton

Young Player of the Month- Tom Thorpe, Southampton

Manager of the Month- John McDermott, Everton

Goal of the Month- Stuart Howe, Everton

Faramir · October 22, 2005

4.3.12

Blackburn (1) Leyton Orient (3)

Blackburn- P.John 10

Orient- M.Etherington 35 W.Rooney 42 D.Poole 45-P

MOM- Matthew Etherington, Leyton Orient

After allowing Blackburn to take the early lead, Orient stormed back with 3 goals in the first half for a superb fightback 3-1 win. Blackburn delighted the Ewood Park fans when Brett Emerton hit a long, looping cross and Paul John outleaped Adam Roberts to deflect the ball off of Sebastien Frey's hands and into the net. Tommy Lee did some fine work to keep his former club at bay and made a brilliant save on Matthew Etherington's blast after David Poole had headed the ball down for him. Unfortunately, Lee parried the ball right back to Etherington and he pushed the ball into the open right side of the net to equalize. Etherington's hard work also keyed the go ahead goal for Orient. Etherington took the ball away from Paul John and then battled John down the pitch before drawing away slightly. Etherington sent a hard centering pass and Wayne Rooney deflected it past Lee to move Orient ahead 2-1. It was 3-1 at the half when Poole converted the penalty kick after Maik Franz upended Poole in the area. With the 3-1 lead, Orient spent the second half working hard to cover the darting Blackburn midfielders and were content to see that score remain as the final one.

In other news, Arsenal defeated Southampton 1-0 to win the League Cup.

Faramir · October 23, 2005

14.3.12

Leyton Orient (0) Chelsea (0) Champions Cup 2nd Round Leg 2 (Leyton Orient advances on 4-0 aggregate)

Orient- None

Chelsea- None

MOM- Carl Laurie, Leyton Orient

With the 4-goal cushion in hand, Orient featured a lineup that was obviously sprinkled with players getting a taste of European action for the first time, as well as many 2nd unit players. Manager Will Drabek asked them to play solid defense and lean on Sebastien Frey to move on to the next round of Champs Cup action and the Orient players followed that gameplan with flawless execution. Despite pressing, Chelsea wasn't able to break down the defense to get good shots at Frey. Orient counterattacked when the opportunity presented itself and Marcos was called on to make good saves on Steve Lee, Davide Vanni and John Turner. It may have been a boring match to watch, but the Orient fans were pleased to move on to the next round, so contented themselves with cheering every tackle or challenge that Orient won as they stymied the Chelsea rally attempts. Other clubs joining Orient in the Quarter-Finals are: PSV (over Inter), Tottenham (edged out Arsenal), Juventus (stomped Deportivo), Milan (edged out Dinamo Kiev), FC Bayern (away goal winners over Real Sociedad), Rosenborg (knocked out Dortmund), and Shakhtar (edged out FC Copenhagen).

Faramir · October 25, 2005

17.3.12

Leyton Orient (3) Southampton (0)

Orient- S.Malbranque 19 M.Etherington 39 W.Rooney 70

Southampton- None

MOM- Matthew Etherington, Leyton Orient

Orient was out to demonstrate that their loss at Southampton earlier in the season was an aberration and clearly showed superior play in dumping their visitors 3-0. Matthew Etherington earned MOM honours as the catalyst for the Orient offense throughout the match. The first goal was the result of an Etherington pass in to the area that caught Robert Green and Fitz Hall moving the wrong way and unable to react to the ball just spinning in the grass. Steed Malbranque could react though and was able to push the ball into the right side of the net. Etherington made sure his 5th goal of the season was memorable as his 30 yard free kick hooked and took a beneficial bounce on the pitch as it deflected into the net after catching the base of the right post. David Poole's flick on allowed Wayne Rooney running room and he took advantage of it to glide past Steven Cherundolo and then blast a shot through Green to clinch the 3-0 win at Brisbane Road.

Faramir · October 25, 2005

24.3.12

Millwall (0) Leyton Orient (0)

Millwall- None

Orient- None

MOM- Sebastien Frey, Leyton Orient

Orient did little right in its trip to Millwall, but still was able to salvage a point from the match thanks to Sebastien Frey. Millwall did an excellent job controlling David Poole, who was not a factor in the match and managed no shots. Orient only managed two shots total in the match as they played with only 10 men after the 60 minute mark when Carl Laurie was sent off for a hard tackle on Simon Johnson. Frey was the difference as he played like a sweeper at times, racing out to ruin Millwall's long passing attack. Tim Cahill came closest to beating Frey as a good passing sequence saw him in free, but Frey was able to push his shot around the post. It was a tired Orient crew when the final whistle ended their ordeal and sealed the scoreless draw.

Drabek sighed, "Sorry, Spencer. I should have taken your advice to get David (Poole) out of there right away when Carl Laurie was sent off."

Field shrugged, "You thought he might turn it around, but he just looked dog tired out there today. He wasn't finding space and he wasn't crisp with the ball."

"Not that we had the ball that much. That is about as effective as I have seen any club at completely taking us out of our offense. We couldn't complete a pass to save our lives."

"Well, the fact that we were resting some of the regulars had a bit to do with it- but they were much better than us today and we owe our point in this one to Sebastien."

Faramir · October 26, 2005

28.3.12

Leyton Orient (0) Rosenborg (2) Champions Cup Quarterfinal Leg 1

Orient- None

Rosenborg- J.Lange 37 A.Thoresen 75

MOM- Espen Johnsen, Rosenborg

Orient suffered a disastrous 2-0 home loss to Rosenborg in Champions Cup Quarterfinal play. Rosenborg came set to give a staunch defensive effort and that was just what they did in support of keeper Espen Johnsen. They allowed Orient little time on the ball and pressured everywhere in their zone. They also took advantage of limited chances and grabbed the first goal of the match on an innocent throw-in. Azar Karadas crossed from the left corner and Jon Lange came in late to outleap Ben Hutchinson and deflect the ball past Sebastien Frey. Orient aided their visitors as they spent too much time trying to dribble in to attack versus depending on their usual quick passing game. In the second half Orient brought in Orri Freyr Oskarsson to try and jumpstart their offense, but even the flamboyant Icelandic midfielder wasn't able to escape the blanket of Rosenborg's coverage. Rosenborg got a bonus when Anders Thoresen whipped a 30 yard shot at the Orient net and stunningly Frey missed catching the ball. Orient's chances of making it past the Quarterfinal now look grim given the two away goals by Rosenborg. In other action FC Bayern beat Milan 2-0 at Bayern. Juventus and Shakhtar battled to a surprising scoreless draw in Torino, and Tottenham dumped PSV 2-0 at White Hart Lane.

Drabek, visibly furious, flicked the clipboard against the wall with a resounding crash, "Did we have amnesia out there? Did we completely forget how to play our brand of football? What in God's name were we doing out there?"

Field leaned against the door jam, "We weren't efficient, but we didn't play terribly."

Drabek looked scathingly at him, "Spencer, we are close to being broomed out of Champions Cup because they completely failed to play how we have been successful. Sure we put up 17 shots, but I would be willing to wager that not more than 5 came from anywhere around the six-yard box. We just didn't do much constructive on offense."

Nodding Field said tersely, "Things do look rather grim."

Faramir · October 27, 2005

ENGLAND

31.3.12

England (4) Egypt (0) Friendly

England- J.Turner 4 M.Owen 27 J.Thomas 65 D.Thompson 69

Egypt- None

MOM- Jerome Thomas, England

England had an easy time pleasing the faithful at Wembley as they trounced Egypt 4-0. Surprise starter, Leyton Orient's John Turner- who was named to the squad after Stefan Moore's injury, had a terrific debut starting with a goal when he whisked in a rebound after Michael Owen's blast was blocked away by Abdal Wahed El Sayed. Turner then put a wonderful centering pass in that Owen was able to volley past Sayed to quickly make it 2-0. England's subs carried the load in the second half and MOM Jerome Thomas was everywhere in the Egyptian end. He scored after a wending run to make it 3-0 and then crossed for David Thompson to cap off the scoring with a header into the right side of the net to finish off the 4-0 win.

***

March EPL Honours

Player of the Month- Russell Howarth, WBA

Young Player of the Month- Andrea Napoli, Leeds

Manager of the Month- Ruud Gullit, Tottenham

Goal of the Month- Anthony McNamee, Bolton

Faramir · October 28, 2005

7.4.12

Leyton Orient (1) Wolves (0)

Orient- O.Lorenzen 87

Wolves- None

MOM- Oliver Lorenzen, Leyton Orient

It appeared that Orient was on their way to another frustrating draw. The Wolves had defended well and Orient was playing mostly the 2nd unit in anticipation of the midweek trip to Norway to face Rosenborg in the 2nd leg of the Champions Cup Quarterfinal. Conejo Perez had played well, thwarting several Orient attacks as he ranged freely about in his area. Oliver Lorenzen stepped up and made a case for his seeing more time when he raced Conejo Perez for a long pass and reached it just soon enough to give it a gentle flick over the sliding keeper and into the net for a dramatic match winner. It wasn't Orient's finest match, but the win was an important one as they battle Tottenham and Arsenal in their 3-way duel for the EPL title.

Faramir · October 28, 2005

11.4.12

Rosenborg (0) Leyton Orient (4) Champions Cup Quarterfinals Leg 2 (Orient advances on 4-2 aggregate)

Rosenborg- None

Orient- D.Poole 27,61 O.Oskarsson 85,90

MOM- Orri Freyr Oskarsson, Leyton Orient

Orient, desperate for an offensive spark as they sought to overcome their disastrous 2-0 first leg loss to Rosenborg, turned to Orri Frey Oskarsson and he rewarded their faith with a terrific performance as he keyed their improbable 4-0 win to move Orient into the Champions Cup Semifinals. Rosenborg knew that Orient would be pressuring them from the outset and had planned on counterattacking, but quickly found that this Orient lineup was much quicker than them and found themselves penned in their end. After a few miscues in the early going, Orient gained a ray of hope when Stephen Pearson took a ball from Joakim Knutson at midfield and threaded a pass to Oskarsson. Oskarsson never stopped the ball, instead playing a touch pass to moving David Poole and Poole drilled a shot past Espen Johnsen inside the right post for his 30th goal of the season. Orient ran into problems with the ref throughout the first half and had quickly accumulated 4 yellow cards. The 5th yellow card seemed to doom their chances as Pearson was given a 2nd yellow card and an early shower in first half injury time. Orient was left to consider what to do at halftime, and surprised Rosenborg to open the second half with an attacking formation featuring Wayne Rooney working in midfield, with Poole alone up front. Rosenborg must have thought they could handle the 10-man Orient attack, but Oskarsson's blinding pace was something they had trouble matching up with and he made them pay with a leftside run. As he reached the area, Oskarsson sent a looping centering pass and Poole overpowered Bjarte Lien, Stale Aas and keeper Johnsen to deflect the pass by all of them for his 2nd goal of the match that put Orient even on aggregate and away goals. Most of the press expected Orient manager Drabek to back off and try to take the match to penalties, but he seemed to sense Rosenborg's continuing susceptibility to the Orient pace advantage, and only made the change of brining Rooney off for a true midfielder- Jan Kristiansen. That move paid huge dividends when William Flood intercepted an errant clearing kick and flicked a header forward to Oskarsson. Brahim Belahouel desperately tried to tackle Oskarsson, but couldn't get there in time and Johnsen was left pounding the turf as Oskarsson took the ball around him and slotted into the net for Orient's 3rd away goal and a 3-2 aggregate lead late in the second half. Rosenborg threw everyone forward at that point, and Matthew Etherington made them pay when he sent a long pass that found Oskarsson scooting beyond the Rosenborg backline. Oskarsson blasted a precision 20 yard shot inside the right post to finish off a tremendous Orient comeback effort that will see them playing in the Semifinals. Other Quarterfinal winners included, Milan (4-2 over FC Bayern), Juventus (2-0 over Shakhtar), and Tottenham (2-0 over PSV). Orient will tangle with Milan, while Tottenham and Juventus square off as England and Italy battle for boasting rights.

"It's nice when decisions pay off like that," stated a relieved Drabek.

"Starting Orri (Freyr Oskarssson) was the difference. I don't think they expected to see him in the lineup, after all we haven't been using him that much this season," commented Field.

"We needed his pace and experience in the midfield today. He was great at stretching their defense to the breaking point today."

"I heard the press was ready to write us off when Stephen (Pearson) was sent off."

Drabek nodded, "I will be the first to admit- to you at least- that I was worried. There wasn't anything else to do though, we needed another goal and to do that we needed to stay aggressive and have our best offensive players out there- that is why I had Wayne play midfield."

"It caught them off guard to see us come out aggressively in the second half. When Poole scored to even things, you could see their disappointment."

"Despair was what I could see when William (Flood) made that great header to send Orri in for the goal to give us the lead."

Faramir · October 29, 2005

16.4.12

Liverpool (0) Leyton Orient (2)

Liverpool- None

Orient- D.Poole 76 M.Etherington 88

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

David Fox faced off against his former club for the first time as Liverpool hosted Orient at Anfield. It was Fox and the Anfield fans that wound up disappointed in the end as Liverpool gave a spirited effort, but fell 2-0 when Orient scored a pair of second half goals. The match was entertaining as both sides showed superb attacks up and down the pitch. Orient's closest chance in the first half saw Ross Flitney come out beyond the area- only to see David Poole win the challenge for the header in the air as Poole flicked it over Flitney. Flitney was saved by the alert play of Carl Medjani, who cleared the ball away from the goal line before Wayne Rooney could reach it. Liverpool had a couple of good scoring chances in the first half, but Sebastien Frey tipped Fox's curling blast around the post and Anthony Le Tallec missed over the net from close range. Orient finally broke the ice when Stephen Pearson flicked a ball out for Rooney on the left sideline. Rooney went past Carl Medjani and Flitney challenged him. Flitney parried away Rooney's sharp-angled blast, but Poole was right there to snap home the rebound when Graham Dixon and Ross Gardner couldn't keep him under wraps. Liverpool had a good passing sequence that put Jerome Rothen in free on Frey, but Frey smothered his shot to preserve the lead. Orient clinched the match when Lee Naylor outleaped Poole to head away a centering pass from Matthew Etherington. Naylor's header went to Pearson and he laid it off for Etherington, who hit a curving 25 yard blast that went in off the inside of the left post to make the final scoreline 2-0.

16.4.12 EPL Table (33 played, 5 remaining)

1- Leyton Orient 70 pts (+37)

2- Arsenal 68 pts (+42)

3- Tottenham 67 pts (+33)

4- Manchester Utd 58 pts (+22)

5- Sheffield Wed 55 pts (+10)

6- Blackburn 54 pts (+11)

7- Newcastle 53 pts (+17)

8- Everton 49 pts (+9)

</pre>

Faramir · November 6, 2005

21.4.12

Leyton Orient (2) Tottenham (1)

Orient- T.Bramble 56 W.Rooney 85

Tottenham- R.Keane 27

MOM- Matthew Etherington, Leyton Orient

It was veteran composure that carried Orient through to a taut 2-1 win in their showdown match with Tottenham at Brisbane Road. The first half belonged to Tottenham as Orient played poorly enough to elicit a few boos from their sold out crowd. Nothing Orient tried in the first half worked as Tottenham was quicker to every ball and did a good job shutting down Orient passing lanes. The visitors were also getting out and effectively attacking the Orient backline as Robbie Keane's pace created problems. Sean Davis showed great vision as he blocked away an Orient pass into space on the right. Keane outraced the 4 Orient defenders and had time to line up his shot before firing it past Sebastien Frey inside the near right post from 25 yards away. Orri Freyr Oskarsson held no magic for Orient today and Steed Malbranque came on for him early in the second half. Orient evened the match when Matthew Etherington's inswinging corner was deflected by Stephen Pearson. Tim Howard made a terrific save on the ball, but it went right to Titus Bramble and he flicked it into the open right side of the net for the equalizer. The match was see-saw and Frey made a huge save when he was able to turn Keane's rocket blast around the post after a through ball had put him in free. The David Poole- Wayne Rooney combination again paid off for Orient as Poole made a superb flick-on that allowed Rooney to bull past Ledley King and snap a shot past Howard into the right side of the net for another late match winner for Orient.

"Great composure and moxie out there today," said a beaming Field.

"We played a good second half, but if we play that well in the first half, then this match might not have been this close," answered Drabek.

"Still, we did win."

"Yeah, I promise not to complain too much about the result."

***

Sims Out Until Next Season

Leyton Orient suffered a serious blow to their backline today when stalwart rightback Lee Sims suffered a badly seperated shoulder. Sims will likely not be ready to begin training again until July according to the team physicians. It is expected that either Ryan Garry or Chris Sutton will move into the starting lineup against Milan in Orient's next action.

Faramir · November 7, 2005

25.4.12

Leyton Orient (1) Milan (0) Champions Cup Semifinal Leg 1

Orient- D.Poole 33

Milan- None

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

A great defensive effort, backstopped by superb keeping by Sebastien Frey, was enough to give Orient a closely played 1-0 over Milan in the 1st leg of their Champions Cup Semifinal. The lone goal of the match came in the first half. Jan Kristiansen, starting for the suspended Stephen Pearson, winged a through ball that Martin Laursen missed getting a head on. The ball went through to David Poole and once again Poole showed his adept shooting from the edge of the area with a 20 yard blast past Mickael Landreau into the right side of the net. Milan showed it was ready for the challenge and rallied, but found Frey was everywhere Orient needed him to be as he kept them from scoring. His most dramatic save came in second half extra time when a good cross from Mikel Arteta found Ricardo Oliveira with space. Oliveira made a strong head on the ball, but Frey got his fingertips on it and tipped it over the crossbar. On the ensuing corner, even Landreau had moved up the pitch and Poole almost scored one of the most dramatic goals in Champions Cup history. As the corner was headed out, Poole stepped into the ball and smashed a 70 yard shot past the frantically retreating Landreau and Alessandro Nesta. The fans held their breath as the long shot curled to the goal- only to let out a groan when it hit the right post squarely and bounced back out to be collected by Nesta. The other Semifinal saw Tottenham battle Juventus to a 1-1 draw in Torino.

Faramir · November 9, 2005

30.4.12

West Ham (1) Leyton Orient (2)

West Ham- D.Connolly 77

Orient- D.Arrieta 75,82

MOM- James Hicks, Leyton Orient

Last placed West Ham gave Orient all it could handle at Upton Park but, thanks to great work from keeper James Hicks, Orient prevailed 2-1. West Ham was clearly the better side in the match and deserved to have a first half lead that never materialized. Hicks, showing why he now has the confidence of Orient manager Drabek, made brilliant saves on Dean Holland, Sylban Ebanks-Blake and Labinot Harbuzi in preserving the clean sheet in the first half in spite of spotty Orient backline play. Orient began playing better in the second half as their many 2nd unit starters seemed more in sync. The match developed into a free for all in the second half as both sides really opened things up trying to grab the lead. Matthew Etherington showed wonderful touch on a soft chip pass to Danilo Arrieta and Arrieta never stopped the ball- lofting it over stranded Adam Steele to give Orient the lead. West Ham hit back right away when Andy Thomson took a throw-in and moved past both Carl Laurie and William Flood (on for injured Jan Evrard) and zinged a cross that David Connolly had an easy time volleying past Hicks before he could react to make it 1-1. Orient scored yet another late match winner when Etherington flicked a header that hit Anton Ferdinand and bounced past him. Arrieta swooped in and was in free. Steele got caught watching John Turner breaking in with the corner of his eye and Arrieta handcuffed him with a hard shot he couldn't handle as it went into the net for Arrieta's 2nd goal of the match. West Ham looked set to again even the match when Carl Laurie was called for holding Liam Rosenior in the area. Holland stepped up, but Hicks guessed correctly and blocked the ball away and then was able to leap on the rebound to save the Orient 2-1 win.

30.4.12 EPL Table (35 played 3 remaining)

1- Leyton Orient 76 pts (+39)

2- Arsenal 72 pts (+43)

3- Tottenham 70 pts (+34)

4- Manchester Utd 62 pts (+23)

5- Blackburn 60 pts (+13)

6- Newcastle 59 pts (+22)

7- Sheffield Wed 55 pts (+8)

</pre>

Faramir · November 10, 2005

5.5.12

Leyton Orient (4) Manchester United (2)

Orient- D.Poole 2,16,23 J.Reynolds 69

Manchester Utd- S.Tuncay 11 E.Moretti 60

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient got off on a flyer and it was a good thing, as this match was all about offense. Ryan Garry sent a through ball that Rio Ferdinand barely missed and David Poole didn't stop the ball as he whipped it past ancient Fabien Barthez into the right side of the net. Manchester United returned the favor as they equalized when Sidney Gouvou threaded a through ball past Titus Bramble and Sanli Tuncay had an easy time firing his shot past Sebastien Frey for his 15th goal of the season. Surprise starter Wayne Routledge was out to show a thing or two to his old club and took the ball away from Emmanuel Morietti on the right sideline. Routledge tried to center a pass for Poole and it hit Ferdinand and bounced past him. Poole blasted the ball past Barthez to compound the mistake for Ferdinand and Orient was back in front with Poole's 2nd goal of the match and 35th of the season. Poole added to the catcalls for Ferdinand and Barthez when he completed his hat-trick by deflecting a cross from Routledge inside the right post. Manchester United rallied early in the second half and Moretti capped a superb passing play when he drove the ball through Frey after Andres D'Alessandro had flicked a header out to free him on the left. Jason Reynolds, who had come on for Adam Roberts, capped the scoring and returned the two goal lead to Orient when he headed in a centering pass from Routledge. Manchester United had chances to get back in the match, but Frey turned in a very solid performance the rest of the way and the backline steadied to preserve the final 4-2 margin.

***

Another Bad Break for Orient

Leyton Orient lost the services of scrappy winger Danny Byrne for the remainder of the season due to a broken arm suffered in a training session. An accidental collision left Byrne rolling in pain and he was promptly splinted before being taken for x-rays. The loss of Byrne on the eve of the 2nd leg against Milan in the Champions was certainly untimely for an Orient squad already lacking Daniel Fredheim Holm for the rest of this season.

Faramir · November 11, 2005

9.5.12

Milan (1) Leyton Orient (2) Champions Cup Semifinal Leg 2 (Leyton Orient advances on 3-1 aggregate)

Milan- Kaka 68

Orient- D.Poole 42 W.Rooney 86

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient continued to demonstrate their resiliance and poise as they defeated a determined Milan side 2-1 in Milan to return for their 3rd straight Champions Cup Final. Despite lacking some key players, Orient continues to benefit as players step up and fill the gaps. Milan desperately wanted to control the flow of play in the first half, but couldn't prevent Orient from attacking when openings allowed. Though Orient hadn't scored in the first half, they had played more of their match in the Milan end. Matthew Etherington sent Milan to the dressing room deflated as he made a brilliant leftside run and took it past Alessandro Ruggeri before picking out David Poole in a crowd of defenders with a pinpoint cross. Poole's strong header eluded diving Mickael Landreau and Orient had both a 1-0 lead and an important away goal. Milan got a spark of hope in the second half when a through ball put Ilan away free. Sebastien Frey was able to block away his shot, but Kaka overpowered Titus Bramble to drive the rebound into the net for his 10th goal of the season. Orient refused to yield much defensively and the sense of Milan's desperation grew. That worked in Orient's favor when Frey caught them pressing forward and sent a 60 yard kick to Etherington. Etherington and Ivano Gerardi both went up, but Etherington was able to flick it to Wayne Rooney as he moved past unmarked. Landreau was well out of his net and Rooney lobbed a shot over him to clinch Orient's trip to face Tottenham in the Champions Cup Finals. Tottenham won on away goals against Juventus and the clubs will meet at De Kuip. Orient will be without Rooney for the Finals as his yellow card in the Milan match earns him a suspension for the match.

Faramir · November 12, 2005

14.5.12

Newcastle (1) Leyton Orient (3)

Newcastle- J.Jenas 70-P

Orient- S.Pearson 7 D.Poole 20 W.Rooney 86

MOM- Stephen Pearson, Leyton Orient

With the EPL Championship in sight and the match on the line, Wayne Rooney picked a great time to score his finest goal of the season to help seal the Orient win that clinches the EPL title for the 4th season in a row. Orient knew going into the match that a win would clinch the title, whereas a draw or a loss would leave Arsenal with hope going into the final match of the season. That seemed to add some urgency to the tired legs of the Orient regulars. Orient took the early lead when Orri Freyr Oskarsson's long free kick was headed down into the middle by Jan Evrard. Stephen Pearson picked up the ball and let fly when he reached the edge of the area. Shay Given got a hand on the ball, but couldn't push it past the post as it went inside the left post to give Orient the early lead. David Poole's nose for the net gave Orient a 2-0 lead. Daniele Bonera made a good sliding tackle on Wayne Rooney, but the ball skittered into the six yard box. Given attempted to smother it, but Poole was there just before and pushed it past the diving Given. Orient's fortunes changed when Poole was redcarded in the opening moments of the second half for a hard tackle. Newcastle pressed their advantage and earned a penalty when Ben Hutchinson jostled Michael Owen in the area. Jermaine Jenas converted the penalty past Frey and Newcastle had momentum. Orient weathered the storm and it was Rooney that added the exclamation point on both the match and the season. After taking a pass from William Flood, Rooney dazzled Bonera with his footwork and moved past him on the dribble. Given challenged Rooney as well and he managed to dance around him too with the ball before slotting the ball into the now wide open net to ensure the Orient 3-1 win. Jan Evard is being evaluated for his injuries, but the prognosis is rumored to be bad.

***

Evrard Done for the Season

Injuries continue to plague Leyton Orient as they complete their season and look forward to their Champions Cup Final match up with Tottenham. In their EPL title clinching win over Newcastle they lost the services of key defender Jan Evrard for the remainder of the season. Evrard, who had recently been battling shin splints, now has the condition so badly that he will need at least a couple months to recover according to the Orient physician.

Faramir · November 15, 2005

20.5.12

Leyton Orient (1) Sheffield Wednesday (1)

Orient- S.Lee 29

Sheffield Wed- D.Blake 67-P

MOM- Andreas Isaksson, Sheffield Wednesday

It was a touching moment at Brisbane Road as Johann Torhallsson took his final bows before the sell out crowd. The match had no real importance to Orient, but Manager Drabek had started Torhallsson to give him his final limelight before his announced retirement following the match. The match itself was entertaining as Orient kept Andreas Isaksson under siege througout the match, but only managed a goal by Steve Lee when he drove in his rebound after Isaksson had saved his penalty kick in the first half. Sheffield took advantage of their only chance during the match as Titus Bramble had held Chris Dagnall in the area. Danny Blake converted the penalty kick for the equalizer and the visitors were content to play out the 1-1 draw.

***

Orient Honours

David Poole was selected as English Footballer of the Year for his fine season at Leyton Orient. Carl Laurie was named to the Select squad and Manager Will Drabek edged Arsene Wegner for Manager of the Year.

Faramir · November 16, 2005

England Squad Named for European Championships

Manager Will Drabek announced the 22-man squad that would represent England in the European Championships. They are:

GK- Richard Wright, Chris Kirkland, Paul Robinson

DEF- Rio Ferdinand, Wes Brown, Glen Johnson, Ashley Cole, Titus Bramble, Michael Dawson, Carl Laurie

MID- Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, David Fox, David Thompson, Owen Hargreaves, Lee Croft, Aaron Lennon, Jerome Thomas

FOR- David Poole, Wayne Rooney, Michael Owen, Alan Smith

***

30.5.12

Leyton Orient (2) Tottenham (1) Champions Cup Final- Rotterdam

Orient- S.Malbranque 72,75

Tottenham- H.Postiga 41

MOM- Steed Malbranque, Leyton Orient

Veteran Steed Malbranque repaid the investment Orient made in bringing him to the club as he led Orient to a come from behind 2-1 win over fellow EPL rival Tottenham to capture their 3rd straight Champions Cup title. Though Orient controlled much of the play in the match, you could sense their desperation when David Poole's 71st minute penalty kick was smothered by Tim Howard. Howard had easily been MOM up to that point as he had already made three good saves on chances by John Turner (starting in place of suspended Wayne Rooney). Howard also had stopped Poole on a point blank chance as he maintained the lead Tottenham had earned late in the first half. Tottenham hadn't had many chances in the first half, but a late free kick resulted in their goal when Sebastien Frey made a diving stop of a wonderful kick from Simon Davies. Helder Postiga was quickest to the rebound and fired it in off the inside of the far left post. There was a sense of deflation on the Orient side when Poole's penalty kick was saved, but Malbranque offered the inspirational leadership they needed and when awarded a free kick moments later made Tottenham pay dearly. His wicked 25 yard blast hit the inside of the right post and bounced in for the equalizer and suddenly Orient was rejuvunated. Minutes after that Orient worked a spectacular throw-in which saw Matthew Etherington flick the ball back for Turner after Carl Laurie's throw-in. Turner zipped a short pass to Jan Kristiansen and Kristiansen lofted a pass into the center of the pitch. Poole was up above Matt Hill and flicked the ball into Laurie, who had broken up the pitch and into the area after the throw-in. Laurie waited until Gareth Barry made a move to close him down and chipped a pass back to unmarked Malbranque at the edge of the six yard box. Malbranque hit a beautiful volley past Howard for what would be the match winning goal and 2nd of the game for the French midfielder. Orient then had to stand another close call in the closing moments as Frey made a lunging grab of another Davies free kick to preserve the 2-1 win for Orient. Orient received 20 Million in TV revenue and another 6.75 for winning the Cup again.

"Fantastic way to close the season," smiled Drabek.

"Not much time to rest though- we have to get back to start training our England side again tomorrow," reminded Field.

"True, I just wanted to savor this though. This season has seemed like a lot of effort to achieve our goals."

"That really is the case. The only really dominant player we have had was Poole. I hate to think where we would have finished had he not had such a good season for us this year."

"Offensively that is true, but defensively we had a very good season. Despite all the injuries and the addition of new starter Ben Hutchinson, we still got effective backline play."

Faramir · November 18, 2005

Leyton Orient 2011-12 Statistical Highlights

David Poole 42 apps 7.81 38 gls 11 asts 14 MOM (Poole's Continental- 14 apps 8.21 17 gls 4 asts 7 MOM)

Matthew Etherington 31 apps 7.55 6 gls 11 asts 6 MOM

Jason Reynolds 13 apps 7.54 2 gls 3 asts

Stephen Pearson 35 apps 7.37 4 gls 3 asts 2 MOM

Adam Roberts 26 apps 7.35 3 gls

Daniel Fredheim Holm 18 apps 7.33 2 asts 1 MOM

Danny Byrne 30 apps 1 gl 7 asts 4 MOM

Carl Laurie 40 apps 7.32 2 asts 1 MOM

Lee Sims 33 apps 7.27

Oliver Lorenzen 11 apps 7.27 3 gls 1 ast 1 MOM

Danilo Arrieta 22 apps 7.23 6 gls 2 asts

Mark Harding 10 apps 7.20 1 gl 1 MOM

Jan Evrard 37 apps 7.16 1 gl 4 asts 1 MOM

Matthias Franz 15 apps 7.13

Steve Lee 9 apps 7.11 2 gls 3 asts 1 MOM

Johann Torhallsson 10 apps 7.10 2 gls 5 asts

Sebastien Frey 42 apps 7.10 22 clean sheets 2 MOM

Ben Hutchinson 32 apps 7.09 1 ast

Steed Malbranque 37 apps 7.03 9 gls 3 asts 2 MOM

Joey Barton 14 apps 7.00 1 ast

Wayne Routledge 7 apps 7.00 5 asts

John Turner 11 apps 7.00 2 gls 2 asts

Orri Freyr Oskarsson 22 apps 6.95 5 gls 3 asts 2 MOM

Wayne Rooney 35 apps 6.94 11 gls 7 asts

Titus Bramble 25 apps 6.92 2 gls

James Hicks 9 apps 6.89 3 clean sheets 1 MOM

Chris Sutton 15 apps 6.87

Jan Kristiansen 31 apps 6.81 1 gl 2 asts

William Flood 16 apps 6.75 3 asts

Ryan Garry 19 apps 6.74 1 ast

Davide Vanni 9 apps 6.56 1 gl 3 asts

Steve Taylor 8 apps 6.50

Nigel Vaughan 6 apps 6.33 2 clean sheets

And while at Orient- David Fox 22 apps 7.64 3 gls 6 asts 2 MOM

Faramir · November 19, 2005

Leyton Orient 2012 Summer of Discontent, Winds of Change

The rumors are swirling around the Summer home of Leyton Orient, the EPL powerhouse that have won the last 4 EPL titles and the last 3 Champions Cup titles, that some major changes might soon be occurring. The major rumor is that talented Wayne Rooney may be leaving by his own request. The story being quietly told is that Rooney- who had his worst season as a Professional last season- is unhappy about playing 2nd fiddle to Orient's unquestioned team leader- strike partner David Poole. Poole and Rooney pair both for Orient and for the National side and what is being whispered is that Rooney would like to move, possibly outside of England, to shine brightly away from Poole. Also unhappy with his current status at Orient is uber-talented Adam Roberts. Roberts has expressed his desire to move to another club where he wouldn't feel as constrained offensively as he does at Orient. This is a similar request to the one that took David Fox to Liverpool during the season. There are also whispers that several bit players would like to move to gain starting roles. Manager Will Drabek is currently with the National side and when contacted refused to comment on the various rumors. His only comment was that the Orient fans could be sure that the team they put on the pitch next season will be every bit as competitive as past clubs- something no EPL club wished to hear.

***

"Well Spencer, what do you think of all the rumblings in the press?" asked Drabek.

"I think they have someone in our camp. Not that much of this wasn't being whispered anyways though..."

Drabek nodded, "Well, they aren't exactly wrong- so I didn't want to comment on the matter. I did tell them to wait until I was through with the National side for the summer, but I may have to offer them more than that before then.

Faramir · November 20, 2005

8.6.12

Rooney To Villa!

The rumors are now fact as Aston Villa announced that they had successfully negotiated a contract with Wayne Rooney. The rumored cost for Villa's bid for Rooney was 25 Million to Leyton Orient. Questions continue to swirl around the Orient squad on who might replace Rooney as the strike partner for David Poole. Orient has several options already in place- Danilo Arrieta, John Turner and youngsters Davide Vanni or Jason Reynolds all might be considered for pairing with Poole.

uskopite · November 21, 2005

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Faramir:

8.6.12

Rooney To Villa!

The rumors are now fact as Aston Villa announced that they had successfully negotiated a contract with Wayne Rooney. The rumored cost for Villa's bid for Rooney was 25 Million to Leyton Orient. Questions continue to swirl around the Orient squad on who might replace Rooney as the strike partner for David Poole. Orient has several options already in place- Danilo Arrieta, John Turner and youngsters Davide Vanni or Jason Reynolds all might be considered for pairing with Poole. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Congrats on the success last season.

Getting shut of Rooney in his prime!!!? Pretty big transfer news. Only, I think with the 50 mill quid from Champions Cup and Rooney transfer, you'd do well in the market for a replacement.

Simply Perfect · November 21, 2005

He's good, but he's no David Poole...

Faramir · November 21, 2005

uskopite- If I recall right - at the time of the sale we were around 155 Million in the black, but transfer funds were still low because Board wasn't yielding much.

Simply P- Aye, that is truth in this one

***

10.6.12

ENGLAND

France (1) England (3) European Championships Group D

France- S.Malbranque 81

England- D.Poole 4-P W.Rooney 20,44

MOM- Wayne Rooney, England

England's foray into the Group of 'Death' begin on a great note as they dumped France 3-1 in a match that wasn't as close as the score would indicate. England came out playing crisply and putting the suspect French backline under pressure. That led to a nightmarish start for France when Mickael Silvestre pushed David Poole in the air as he was leaping to try and put a head on a cross from Joe Cole. Poole calmly converted the penalty kick into the left side of the net past Mickael Landreau to give England a lead in the opening moments of play. Cole then keyed England's 2nd goal with a superbly timed pass into space on the left that found Wayne Rooney free and onside. Rooney broke in sharply toward the net and then showed a precise touch with a low shot that just caught the inside of the far right post past Landreau to send the English fans into a frenzy. England took a 3-0 lead to halftime thanks to the hard work of David Fox. Fox outhustled Willy Sagnol for flicked on pass from Stephane Dalmat and broke free down the right side of the pitch. With Julien Escude closing in on him at the edge of the six yard box, Fox calmly slid a pass across to Rooney. Rooney who had escaped his marker, had an easy time pushing the ball into the open side of the net for his 2nd goal of the match. Early in the second half, Sagnol gained a bit of lifetime infamy for a perfectly executed left hook that dropped Steven Gerrard momentarily. The redcard automatically came out and France was forced to play on with 10 men. France scored their lone goal of the match when Steed Malbranque curled a 30 yard free kick off the inside of the right post past Richard Wright to ruin Wright's chance at a clean sheet. French officials are now waiting anxiously to find out if Sagnol will be ruled out for the remainder of the Championship play. In the other Group D match- Italy and Germany battled to a 1-1 draw.

Faramir · November 22, 2005

17.6.12

"That is rotten news," sighed Drabek as he flicked down his cellphone.

"Orient news?"

"Yes, unfortunately. Jan Evrard and Ben Hutchinson both need surgery to repair their problems with shin splints. Both are expected to be out for the next 5 months."

"Ouch! Well at least we have reinforcements on the Bosman signing of Robin Faber."

"True. That signing is going to work out very well in replacing Evrard."

***

18.6.12

"David (Poole) was selected as the Fans Player of the Year," stated Drabek.

"No surprise there- he was our Player of the Year, without a doubt," replied Field.

"Here's what's going to knock you over Spencer."

"What?"

"Our transfer fund for next season is 56 Million."

"WHAT?"

Drabek chuckled, "Apparently the fact that we are keeping our payroll more than 500K under what they expected, along with the transfer sale of Rooney and the allotted TV money of 18 Million was enough for them to be generous."

"That is double what we have had in transfer funds."

"Not only that, but they announced a new sponsorship deal worth 5 Million every season AND they are expanding the stands again- by 1650 seats."

"Well, that does make sense- since we broke our attendance record last season. Are we actually going to go out and splurge on transfer purchases?"

"I don't think so to be honest Spencer. We have the players to make our club work right now, though I am not going to rule out adding a player or two. Oh, the little birdie that gave me this information also told me we now top 150 Million in the black side of the Club's bankbook."

Faramir · November 23, 2005

Oops- sorry, missed a post that came before last one- MD

***

15.6.12

"What has you looking so happy?" asked Spencer Field of Drabek.

"Spencer, Johann Torhallsson changed his mind. He decided to see out the remainder of his contract."

"Oh, that is surprising. I thought he was retiring for certain."

"He also mentioned that he has now qualified to coach as well."

"Was he hinting that we hire him as such?"

"I don't think so. I think that is for down the road."

"Well, with him un-retired, we may not need to add another forward."

"That's what I thought as well."

***

15.6.12

ENGLAND

England (0) Germany (0) European Championships Group D

England- None

Germany- None

MOM- Christian Rahn, Germany

It was a down day all the way around for England as the managed little offense in their scoreless draw against Germany. Early in the match, David Thompson was stretchered off and likely has seen his last action as a player due to his severely damaged cruciate ligaments. The 34 year old Thompson, who had already indicated this would likely be his final season, is said to be considering announcing his immediate retirement due to the injury. England seemed to lack verve without Thompson's right side runs and could not find any way to solve a resolute German backline. Germany also managed little offense, but did force Richard Wright to come up with a key save on Miroslav Klose late in the first half and then a diving stop on a Robert Huth free kick in second half injury time to preserve the 0-0 draw for England. Wayne Rooney, already in line for a one-match suspension due to yellow cards, added to his woes when he earned a late 2nd yellow card and a sending off. Because of that added to Michael Owen's fractured ribs, England will find itself a bit shorthanded in facing Italy for the final match in the Group play. In the other Group D match, France- battling for its life in the Group- edged Italy 2-1 on a late goal from Anthony Le Tellac.

Faramir · November 24, 2005

20.6.12

ENGLAND

Italy (1) England (1) European Championships Group D

Italy- A.Gasbarroni 46

England- J.Thomas 35

MOM- Joe Cole, England

England survived the Group of Death as they were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Italy. England took the first half lead as they played a strong half of football, pressuring the Italian midfield for much of the play. Aaron Lennon, starting in place of injured David Thompson, keyed the lone goal of the half when he intercepted a clearing pass and then made a deft pass inside the area that allowed Jerome Thomas to whisk the ball into the open left side of the net past Christian Abbiati. Italy rallied at halftime and Glen Johnson was burnt in getting caught up in the play and moving too far up the pitch. Enzo Maresca took the ball away from him and sent a pass down the left sideline for Giampaolo Pazzini. Pazzini waited until Wes Brown challenged, and then slipped a pass through to unmarked Andrea Gasbaronni- who fired a shot inside the near left post past Richard Wright for the equalizer. Moments later, England barely avoided a disaster as Brown was whistled for pushing Pazzini in the area on a free kick. Pazzini stepped up and blasted away, but Wright got his hand on the penalty kick and then Pazzini's quick shot on the rebound skimmed the crossbar as it went over the net. That was the last Italy would threaten as England started moving strongly foward again and Abbiati was called on to make stellar saves against Thomas and Steven Gerrard to preserve their 1-1 draw. In the other Group D match, France scored two second half goals to broom Germany out of the tournament. France captured the top spot in the Group with the win and England's 2nd place finish will match them up with surprising Serbia and Montenegro who won the top spot in Group A over 2nd place Holland. Besides the England- Serbia matchup, the other Quarterfinals feature Bulgaria vs. Spain, Ireland vs. Portugal, France vs. Holland.

Faramir · November 25, 2005

24.6.12

ENGLAND

Serbia & Montenegro (0) England (1) European Championships Quarterfinal

Serbia & Montenegro- None

England- D.Poole 90

MOM- David Poole, England

It was tired, but satisfied English side that left the pitch following their tense 1-0 win over Serbia & Montenegro in the Quarterfinals. Both sides had leaned hard on their keepers, but Vladimir Disljenkovic and Richard Wright had been up to the task and the match was still scoreless as they reached second half injury time. David Poole had been feeling particularly frustrated as he had earned 4 good scoring chances against Disljenkovic, but had seen the Serbian keeper come up with the saves on each of his blistering shots. The 5th time proved the charm though as Joe Cole took the ball all the way into the left corner before sending a high, looping cross to the middle. Poole outleaped two defenders and flicked the header past the fingertips of the straining Disljenkovic to score a dramatic match winning goal. Serbia had appeared to take the lead at the 61 minute mark when Marjan Markovic had sent an inswinging corner and David Fox had knocked it past Wright in a jumble of players leaping for the ball. England breathed a sigh of relief when the goal was waved off because Metaja Kezman had caused the crowd of players to bump because he pushed Carl Laurie in the air. Shortly after Wright made his toughest save of the match when he pushed a rising blast from Zvonimir Vukic just over the bar. The win pits England against Portugal in the Semifinals after Portugal easily handled Ireland 2-0. Bulgaria will face France in the other Semifinal.

Faramir · November 27, 2005

28.6.12

ENGLAND

Portugal (0) England (1) Extra Time European Championship Semifinal

Portugal- None

England- W.Rooney 112

MOM- Jose Moreira, Portugal

You have to give plucky Portugal and their keeper Jose Moreira credit for how far they carried this match, but in the end England finally found a way to score on Moreira and will move on to face Bulgaria for the European Championship following their 1-0 win in Extra Time. England produced a brilliant display of offensive football as they peppered Moreira with 24 shots during the match. Moreira was sharpest against David Poole as Poole had three terrific chances and somehow the Portugese keeper was able to get his fingertips on all three of the shots. David Fox had a great chance in the waning moments of the second half as a flick-on from Poole had put him in free. Fox appeared set to score as he took the ball around the diving Moreira, but instead fired his shot off the outside of the post. Moreira had ample help from his backline in the first half as they cleared two balls off the line to save their worthy keeper. Portugal had a golden chance late in the second half when a free kick was awarded in the center of the pitch just outside the area. Deco boomed a curling shot, but Richard Wright turned it around the post for his only difficult save in the match. England kept sensational Cristiano Ronaldo under wraps for the match and he wasn't a factor for the Portugese side that desperately needed his offense. The match winning goal came when Steven Gerrard picked up a loose ball and zinged a pass in for unmarked Wayne Rooney. Rooney never stopped the ball instead turning and whipping a half-volley that caught Moreira a half-step slow and sailed past him. Bulgaria needed penalties to defeat France to become the other Finalist. England will be without Joe Cole in the Finals as his yellow card will see him suspended for the match.

Faramir · November 28, 2005

"Well that might help us at centre back," offered Field.

"He should. If he was that solid for Parma in Serie A play, he should be fine for us. Plus, he is pretty versatile, which should help us too," answered Drabek.

Orient Rolls for Rossi

Leyton Orient today announced the transfer purchase of Andrea Rossi from Parma. Rossi, a 24 yr old SW/D/DMLC, has been a stalwart centre back for the Italian side for the past three seasons, but wasn't willing to sign a new contract. With that in mind, Parma transfer listed him to cash in and Orient outbid Auxerre for the right to add him to their club. The reported transfer price was 2.9 Million for the talented youngster.

***

"I am surprised that he is willing to come back to us," quizzically commented Field.

Drabek shrugged, "I was a bit surprised too. What he told me was that he was hoping to be included on the European roster. I told him if he earned it, then he would be on. At the very least he is good cover if Matt Morris doesn't develop like I hope this season."

"Still no takers on Adam Roberts though?"

"No. None. He isn't making any friends on the club with all his griping either."

Orient Regains Guthrie

Leyton Orient announced the transfer purchase of Danny Guthrie for a reported 1.7 Million from Bristol City. Guthrie, a 24 yr old AMC, had previously played sparingly for Orient from 2007-2009 after they had signed him on free when released by the Liverpool youth program. Guthrie reestablished his credentials by leading Division 1 in assists last season while with Bristol City.

Faramir · November 29, 2005

3.7.12

England (1) Bulgaria (0) European Championship Finals

England- D.Poole 77

Bulgaria- None

MOM- David Poole, England

It was a tactical, defensive match from the opening whistle as both sides strived to avoid costly mistakes. The first half featured tough tackling from both midfields and chances were very scarce. Only five shots were offered up by the two sides and neither keeper was sorely troubled thanks to timely tackling by both backlines. The second half began the same way as each side found themselves with little time on the ball. With the ref letting the play go with few fouls being called, tough tackling was rampant on both sides. Bulgaria had a golden scoring opportunity at 72 minutes, but Richard Wright made a stellar save to ruin Vladimir Popov's early celebration. With that save, Bulgaria seemed to momentarily lose heart and England took full advantage. David Fox found a moment of open space and threaded a beautiful through ball that David Poole ran onto. Bulgaria keeper Georgi Shterev tried to slide out and smother the ball, but Poole adroitly took the ball around him and slotted it into the empty net to send the English fans into a frenzied celebration. Wright was forced to come up with one more gamesaving stop, as he pushed Dimitar Berbatov's low shot just past the post in extra-time. The final whistle found a tired, but jubilant English side celebrating their 2nd European Championship.

Faramir · November 30, 2005

"I'm getting a little tired of all this," said Drabek as he gestured at the blinking light that indicated phone messages.

"What kind of calls are you talking about?" asked Field.

"Apparently, our transfer fund has become pretty common knowledge- someone on the Board, no doubt- and I am getting upwards of 6-7 offers a day trying to sell players to us."

"Any that are worthwhile?"

"Oh, a few. But most are overpriced veterans that they need to dispose of- because they are weighing down their payroll."

"No surprise there. Still, at least we can just say no," grinned Field.

***

"I wasn't going to bid on him- we hadn't scouted him enough really- but then I got word on who the other interested clubs were?" commented Drabek.

"He is a good young player, the Under-21 manager raves about him. Who else wanted him, Manchester U.?"

"Nooo, more like every major Italian side, Bayern and Real Madrid. I couldn't bear to see another English talent gone over there- so I put a bid in- quite a bit more than the other clubs- and he agreed to a contract with us."

"He will help us in the backline- might take some time for him to develop- but I am certain he can play for us."

Orient Cashes Campbell

Leyton Orient announced today that they had completed the transfer purchase of Simon Campbell from Millwall for 2.1 Million. Millwall, under the gun with Campbell's contract set to expire in the next month and unable to get him to agree to a new deal, was pleased with the substantial deal for the promising young 19 yr old DC. Several Italian clubs and assorted other major clubs on the continent were also after young Campbell, but he was pleased to remain in England and to join Leyton Orient.

Faramir · December 1, 2005

"Well, take a look and see if you agree Spencer."

Field picked up the bound document entitled 2012-13 Leyton Orient Depth Chart.

GK- Sebastien Frey, James Hicks, Nigel Vaughan, Daniel Carr

DR- Lee Sims, Ryan Garry, Chris Sutton

DL- Carl Laurie, Matthias Franz, Ryan Garry

DC- Andrea Rossi, Robin Faber, Mark Harding, Jan Evrard (INJ)

DC- Titus Bramble, Simon Campbell, Ben Hutchinson (INJ)

MR- Danny Byrne, Richard White, Wayne Routledge, Orri Freyr Oskarsson

ML- Daniel Fredheim Holm, Matthew Etherington, Steve Lee

MC- Steed Malbranque, Matt Morris, Danny Guthrie, Lee Talbot

MC- Stephen Pearson, Joey Barton, Jan Kristiansen, Lee Bowler

SC- David Poole, Jason Reynolds, Davide Vanni

SC- Johann Torhallsson, Danilo Arrieta, John Turner

"That looks correct to me Will," replied Field.

***

2012-13 EPL Preseason Odds by Skybet

2-1 Leyton Orient

3-1 Arsenal

8-1 Manchester United

16-1 Tottenham

33-1 Chelsea

33-1 Newcastle

Faramir · December 2, 2005

"He's a great addition, but why did Inter even offer him to us?" asked Field.

"Might have been because he is homesick. I don't know for sure though. I do know that he is a great midfield addition for us- if something happens to Steed, then we can shift Stephen Pearson into the playmaker role and fill in the midfield."

"We will need to keep him playing, he is one of the best tacklers I have seen."

Rowe Returns

Celebrated 24 year old English midfielder James Rowe returned from his successful stint at Inter when Inter and Leyton Orient announced they had worked out a 5.5 Million transfer purchase for the English side. Rowe had last played in England in 2007-8 for Brentford, before joining PAO on Bosman. After three hugely successful seasons at PAO, he was purchased by Inter and had played well there as well. Rowe lacks world class pace, but more than makes up for it with his ability to be in the right place at the right time. Rowe was very happy to join Orient as he would also like to bolster his chances of suiting up for the National side.

***

12.8.12

Leyton Orient (2) Millwall (1) Community Shield

Orient- L.Talbot 87 O.Lorenzen 90

Millwall- G.Andre 11

MOM- Nicky Weaver, Millwall

For the second straight season, Leyton Orient defeated Millwall to capture the Community Shield. Orient spotted Millwall the lead when their backline showed lack of experience and lack of playing together as they botched defensive coverage that allowed Simon Johnson to flick a lofted centering kick over both Simon Campbell and Andrea Rossi to Gerard Andre. Andre moved quickly in before Chris Sutton could close on him and smashed a ball that Nigel Vaughan got both hands on, but it trickled through to give Millwall the early lead. Millwall quickly retreated into a defensive shell and leaned on Nicky Weaver to be the difference. Weaver earned his MOM honours several times over as he made terrific first half saves on Danilo Arrieta and Steve Lee. Early in the second half, he managed to stop Oliver Lorenzen when it looked like Lorenzen had taken the ball around him and was prepared to score. Orient showed the same heart and determination they have displayed in the past, and despite featuring a lineup with few of the expected regulars, they staged a late rally. Lee Talbot, finally debuting at Orient- subbing for Joey Barton- after spending last season on the reserves, scored the dramatic equalizer when he escaped his marker and Jan Kristiansen found him after he escaped his marker. Talbot rifled a shot inside the right post from just beyond the six yard box and it was even at 1-1. Orient wasn't content to play for extra time though and scored the even more dramatic match winning goal when Oliver Lorenzen banged in a rebound after Weaver had batted away Rossi's header on a corner. Millwall had one more golden chance to even the match, but Aboubaka Fofana hit the inside of the post behind Vaughan only to see the ball bounce back out and be cleared away by Robin Faber. This was Orient's 3rd Community Shield win in the last four seasons- as they lost to Manchester City in 2010.

"Nice little fightback, eh?" asked a tired Field.

Drabek smiled wearily, "I wasn't sure we had it in us- we were depending a lot on untried players there..."

"They came through rather nicely. I was impressed by Talbot- he really showed a nice ability under pressure."

Faramir · December 3, 2005

"WHAT?" said Drabek loudly to the Doctor.

"He is seriously ill. It is a virus that will take significant time to treat. He will not be able to play for at least 5 months, maybe longer if he has difficulty regaining his strength."

"Please tell me you are joshing me?"

"Sorry Will. It is serious and he really needs a lot of rest to recover. We hope to have him healthy by later in the season, but with a virus we just can't be certain of much."

Drabek turned away and glanced at Field morosely, "Call a team meeting- now. Everyone at Brisbane Road in two hours."

Poole Out for Season?

On the eve of the season, the news from the Leyton Orient came was stunning. Their team leader and key player- David Poole- may well be out for the season. According to the limited medical information released, Poole is suffering from a viral infection that will keep him out a minimum of 5 months and possibly the entire season. The viral infection was apparently caused from an innocent bite from his pet dog that hadn't been inoculated- as Poole had assumed when he received him. The pet dog part is true- didn't show up on the initial injury information, but that was part of the information when he was ready to resume training

***

Drabek looked grimly at Field, "Ok, what do you think our best options are Spencer?"

"Well, despite all the gloom, we still could be Ok. It will depend on who we use and how they develop. First choice probably should be Oliver Lorenzen. He has proved he can score in EPL play."

"Ok, I will remove him from transfer list. Is Jason Reynolds ready?"

"He might be. Don't forget Davide Vanni too- he played well against the Italian sides in our friendlies. One other option might be to just go with Danilo Arrieta and Johann Torhallsson up front- they have played together for a long time now and could turn out to be a dynamite pairing."

"Maybe, but Danilo's lack of size still leaves me more comfortable with him coming off the bench as a gameday sub. I will consider all these options and let you know."

***

"Is this our year for injuries, or what?" asked Drabek looking up to the Heavens.

"It could have been much worse."

"I know, I am happy it is only 3 weeks."

Orient Loses Malbranque

Already smarting from the loss of David Poole, Orient lost another team leader for an extended stretch when Steed Malbranque was injured in practice yesterday.

Faramir · December 4, 2005

Leyton Orient (1) Millwall (0)

Orient- O.Lorenzen 21

Millwall- None

MOM- Oliver Lorenzen, Leyton Orient

In a quirk of the schedule, it was a rematch of the Community Shield as Millwall came to Brisbane Road with thoughts of revenge. It was a much different match as both clubs were now featuring their regular starting lineups. Orient started quickly from the opening whistle and Nicky Weaver was called on to make 4 saves in the opening 6 minutes of play. Orient came close many times throughout the match. Stephen Pearson peppered the net with long shots, but missed just wide of the post twice and just high another time. The lone goal of the match came when Johann Torhallsson found space on the left and sent a crisp cross that Oliver Lorenzen had an easy time deflecting past Weaver into the left side of the net. Lorenzen came very close to adding another goal just before half, but Weaver pushed his shot just outside the post. Orient kept control of the flow through most of the second half, but Millwall did manage one brief rally- only to see the scrambling Orient defense show just why they have become such a tough club to beat as Danny Byrne came all the way back to the byline to head away a dangerous cross. The final whistle sounded a close 1-0 Orient win, but a good effort for the club without injured David Poole and Steed Malbranque.

"We outplayed them by a large margin, but we didn't finish well against them today," observed Drabek.

"The shots were 19-4 in our favor, but at least we got the goal we needed to earn the win."

ntfc · December 5, 2005

great story,just read it all,thanks for taking up my weekend

Sign In

The Bet

Recommended Posts

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post

Share on other sites

Link to post