The Bet

[LiverpoolSimplyTheBest]

Dunno how but i just read the most of this i could - 8 or 9 pages - and i must say very loyal and very impressive

[Faramir]

Thanks Liverpool

***

6.4.14

Leyton Orient (0) Ipswich (1) FA Cup Semifinal- Wembley Extra-Time

Orient- None

Ipswich- B.Murphy 119

MOM- Kelvin Davis, Ipswich

All of Orient's missed opportunities came home to roost when Billy Murphy outleaped James Rowe and deflected a corner past Sebastien Frey for a dramatic match-winning goal in Extra-Time. In the first 10 minutes alone of the match, Jason Reynolds had three excellent scoring chances, but Kelvin Davis denied him his goal. Orient was working their passing attack well, but were stymied when Davide Vanni's goal was waved off on an offside call on Dany Byrne. Dave Davidson had several excellent scoring chances for Orient, but wasn't able to hit the net with his shots. Peter Bradley blistered a 25 yard blast in the second half, but Davis managed to push the shot just over the bar. Before their goal, Ipswich had gone quite a long time without pressuring Sebastien Frey. Their late corner paid off when Murphy showed exquisite timing in flicking the ball past Poole.

"A for effort, F for execution," muttered Drabek.

"I don't think you can take away that much from our execution, we did get some great chances, but remember Davis played out of hi mind today."

[Faramir]

9.4.14

Leyton Orient (3) Juventus (0) Champions Cup Quartefinal Leg 2 (Leyton Orient advances on 8-1 aggregate)

Orient- D.Arrieta 5 D.Poole 15,45

Juventus- None

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

What little hope Juventus had vanished early in the match as Danilo Arrieta celebrated his return to the lineup by scoring in the early moments to help propel Orient to an impressive 3-0 win at Brisbane Road. It was a clinical bit of passing that allowed Arrieta to deflect a cross from Daniel Fredheim Holm past Gianluigi Buffon for his 10th goal of the season. A precision Sebastien Frey goal kick keyed the second Orient goal as David Poole headed it onward for Arrieta. Arrieta drew all the defensive attention on his dribble and then picked out Poole streaking for the open side of the net and Poole had an easy time whisking the ball into the open net. Poole then finished off the scoring when he skinned Luigi D'Angelo of the ball and broke in free on Buffon, before drilling a laser shot inside the far left post for his 2nd of the match. Orient was content to play a quiet second half and Juventus showed little spirit to mount a comeback as the match finished out with Orient moving on to the Semifinals on their 8-1 aggregate.

***

11.4.14

"They announced the Semifinal Draw," said Colley just entering Drabek's office at Brisbane Road.

"Which one did we get?"

"We drew Dortmund. Milan and Bayern face off in the other Semifinal."

[axeman]

A lucky draw, but I believe you'll be able to go all the way

KUTGW

[Faramir]

Thanks axeman

***

12.4.14

"Great job Dave!" Congratulated Will Drabek. "You stepped right in when Spencer left and you deserve the recognition."

Orient Under-19s Take Title

The Leyton Orient Under-19 side captured the Title today when they defeated Reading 2-0 to clinch the top spot over Arsenal Under-19s. Manager Dave Colley was pleased with their effort and their play this season, "We have really worked hard to develop our youth program at Orient, and I think today indicates that we are going to see the fruit of the effort blossom in the future."

***

13.4.14

Leyton Orient (1) Southampton (0)

Orient- J.Reynolds 37

Southampton- None

MOM- Jason Reynolds, Leyton Orient

One goal was all it took for Orient as they were able to edge Southampton 1-0 at Brisbane Road in a taut defensive match. The lone goal came about because of a great effort from Danny Byrne. Byrne ran down a ball before it went out of bounds and hooked a sliding cross into the middle. Jason Reynolds slipped his marking and was able to chip the ball past a diving Robert Green. There was a dearth of other good scoring chances for the two clubs, as both backlines were committed to supporting their keepers efforts and did a nice job of keeping respective opposing forwards under wraps. Sebastien Frey put up another clean sheet- one of his easier ones due to the strong Orient defensive effort.

[Faramir]

16.4.14

Chelsea (2) Leyton Orient (2)

Chelsea- S.Moore 7,39

Orient- J.Reynolds 11,34

MOM- Jason Reynolds, Leyton Orient

The match at Stamford Bridge resembled a duel between Stefan Moore and Jason Reynolds as they supplied all the offense for their respective clubs. Moore struck first for the home side when he snapped a low shot past Sebastien Frey after Titus Bramble could not adequately mark him on a Chelsea counter-attack. Reynolds answered for Orient when he took advantage of a huge mistake by Marcos as he mishandled the ball while trying to collect a back pass and Reynolds swooped in to pick up the ball and fire it into the open net. Reynolds scored his 2nd goal when David Poole slipped a pass across to him, but it was Moore's turn to answer and he did with a maginificent individual effort as he slipped past Carl Laurie and Andrea Rossi before sliding a shot underneath a diving Frey. The second half featured few heroics as both sides marked well and generally played much better defense as the two sides were exhausted by the end of the 2-2 draw.

"Well, a win would have been better- but I am happy with the draw," stated Drabek.

"It could have been a win, we weren't very sharp in the first half."

"That was probably the worst match David (Poole) has played this season."

"You might want to think about resting him. He is starting to look a little worn out."

Drabek glanced at the paper, "Well, we still have an 11 point lead on Tottenham- with 5 matches left- I think we are in pretty good shape for the title."

"16 points on 3rd place Arsenal- yes, I have to agree with you. If we can put together two more good matches..."

[Faramir]

19.4.14

Newcastle (2) Leyton Orient (0)

Newcastle- H.Kewell 25 C.Bellamy 84

Orient- None

MOM- Shay Given, Newcastle

Newcastle dumped Orient 2-0 in front of a delighted crowd at sold out St.James Park. Orient failed to show the kind of defensive intensity they had demonstrated for much of the season and completely left Harry Kewell alone for him to stroll in and fire a shot past James Hicks. Before the goal, and the remainder of the half after it- Hicks played superbly in keeping Orient in the match. Orient tried to press and rally in the second half, but wasn't passing the ball wall and Newcastle had an easy time blunting their attempts because of that. Shay Given earned his clean sheet with a trio of excellent saves midway through the second half to keep the home side in the lead. Craig Bellamy overpowered Richard Carter and then scored the clinching goal past Hicks late in the second half and Orient was left with a stinging 2-0 loss.

"Not much good to put down about this one," muttered Colley.

"James (Hicks) played great, but otherwise you're right- we just didn't play well today."

[Faramir]

23.4.14

Leyton Orient (2) Dortmund (1) Champions Cup Semifinal Leg 1

Orient- C.Laurie 34 D.Poole 67

Dortmund- L.Drews 39

MOM- Lars Drews, Dortmund

Orient managed to win out over a determined Dortmund squad thanks to a David Poole second half goal that will send Orient to Germany leading 2-1 on aggregate. The first half featured most of the play in the middle of the pitch as neither side was allowed to roam anywhere close to the goal. Carl Laurie picked an opportune time to score his 1st goal of the season when he snuck in on the backpost and deflected a Daniel Fredheim Holm corner past Roman Weidenfaller. Dortmund equalized on a booming 25 yard blast from Lars Drews that escaped Sebastien Frey to send the match to halftime even at 1-1. Orient earned the win when Jason Reynolds burst of speed allowed him to chip a pass into the center of the pitch and Poole was in the right place to reach it first and skip the ball inside the left post. Dortmund came close to evening it again in the late stages of the second half, but Drews' free kick bounced back off the crossbar to the groans of the visiting fans at Brisbane Road. Bayern defeated Milan 2-0 in a stunning upset at Milan to improve their chances of reaching the Finals.

"We have to play better than this Dave!" said an unhappy Drabek.

"It seems like we are running out of steam at a bad time in the season."

[Faramir]

26.4.14

Leyton Orient (2) Birmingham (1)

Orient- S.Pearson 24,31

Birmingham- C.Morrison 84

MOM- Stephen Pearson, Leyton Orient

Orient wasn't content to let their Brisbane Road faithful enjoy the second half of a needed win, as they allowed Birmingham to score late and come close to equalizing before they could finally put the 2-1 win in the books. Stephen Pearson was the hero for Orient as he scored a pair of terrific first half goals. Lee Sims through ball keyed the first goal as he allowed Pearson to take the ball around Lee Donnelly after breaking in cleanly. David Poole's strong header across to Pearson set him up nicely as he overpowered the challenge of Donnelly trying to slide out and smother the ball for his 2nd of the match and 5th of the season. Orient seemed to be cruising to an easy win when Pearson went out with an injury. That threw a spanner into the works and Birmingham quickly took advantage as Clinton Morrison shook free to score a goal to give them a chance. The visitors threw everyone forward in the late stages, but Sebastien Frey made a couple timely saves and Orient survived to claim the 2-1 win.

***

27.4.14

"Not exactly the way I expected to be celebrating, but I won't complain," yelled Drabek to Colley over the din.

"Well at least everyone got to come down here to join in at Brisbane Road," said Colley loudly.

Orient Captures 6th Consecutive EPL Title

Leyton Orient was assured of their 6th Consecutive EPL Championship when already relegation-bound Preston upset Tottenham at the North End 2-0.

[Faramir]

3.5.14

Manchester United (2) Leyton Orient (0)

Manchester U- C.Ronaldo 36 J.Graham 66

Orient- None

MOM- Richard Carr, Manchester United

Manchester United had little trouble with an Orient lineup that featured only two regulars as many were rested for the midweek Champions Cup match against Dortmund. James Graham and Cristiano Ronaldo proved a lethal duo for the inexperienced Orient central defenders. Graham made a splendid curling 30 yard pass that went right to Ronaldo as he moved past Simon Campbell and Steve Senior. Ronaldo danced around Sebastien Frey to score a dazzling goal and send the Old Trafford fans into a frenzy. On the other end, Manchester seems to have finally given up on ancient Fabien Barthez and young Richard Carr was terrific against Orient as he stopped both David Poole and Danilo Arrieta on good scoring chances. Manchester put the match out of reach in the second half when Graham ran past Campbell and then fired a well placed shot inside the far right post to make the final margin of the win 2-0 for the home side.

"Makes you wonder why they hadn't dumped Barthez sooner," sighed Drabek.

"Carr has all the makings of a top keeper. He didn't bat an eyelash in those one-on-ones against David and Danilo."

[Faramir]

7.5.14

Dortmund (0) Leyton Orient (3) Champions Cup Semifinal Leg 2 (Orient advances on 5-1 aggregate)

Dortmund- None

Orient- J.Reynolds 40 J.Kristiansen 58 D.Poole 90

MOM- Jason Reynolds, Leyton Orient

Orient looked very sluggish in the early going against Dortmund, but were able to start generating momentum and eventually put together a strong 3-0 road win to advance to the Champions Cup Finals. A deft touch pass by Stephen Pearson allowed Jason Reynolds to move in alone on Roman Weidenfaller and he fired his shot past him inside the near left post to send Orient to halftime with the lead. Jan Kristiansen, on for injured Daniel Fredheim Holm, proved again he is a dangerous free kick taker as he blasted a precision 30 yard shot past Weidenfaller to seriously demoralize the home side. Danilo Arrieta, on for tiring Danny Byrne, made a nice pass to allow David Poole to finish off the scoring in second half injury time. The win earns Orient a date with Bayern, who showed they are a club to be reckoned with by beating high flying Milan 4-0 on aggregate.

***

8.5.14

"Did they really think I would take the job right now?!" asked Drabek of himself.

"Maybe. They need to make a splash after letting Arsene go."

"Well, they are Arsenal. But still, now? With the Champions Cup Final coming up. No way I want that job anyway- so it was easy to turn them down."

[Faramir]

11.5.14

Leyton Orient (2) Tottenham (0)

Orient- D.Byrne 19 D.Arrieta 79

Tottenham- None

MOM- Jan Evrard, Leyton Orient

Despite Orient having the EPL title clinched it was clear that this home match with Tottenham was a bit of a grudge match between two sides that don't care much for each other. Orient started their regular lineup and it was clear they had the fire in them today. Tim Howard showed his acrobatics early, but Orient grabbed the lead when Danny Byrne showed a superb sense for the ball by slipping into the back edge of the fray in front of Howard on a cross from Stephen Pearson. The ball bounced over the crowd and Byrned smashed the ball into the net. The match became very rough after that, and a total of 10 yellow cards were handed out to players. Orient maintained the lead with strong midfield play that blunted Tottenham's rally attempts. The clincher for Orient came as Danilo Arrieta scored his 50th League goal for Orient on a nice cross from Byrne to finish off the visitors 2-0.

"You made your point when you started our regular squad," said a cheery Colley.

"They wanted to. They wanted badly to beat Tottenham and make a point," grinned Drabek.

[Faramir]

18.5.14

WBA (2) Leyton Orient (1)

WBA- Hussaine 11 L.Adams 64

Orient- L.Talbot 31

MOM- Luke Adams, WBA

Orient showed little backline presence as they left Sebastien Frey to fend for himself on both goals WBA scored. That ruined one of the finest goals in Orient history as Lee Talbot's magnificent effort went for naught. Titus Bramble had a bad match, including two yellow cards which will see him suspended to begin next season, and he completely left Hussaine unmarked. It was a simple matter for Luke Adams to get him the ball and he beat Frey cleanly inside the near left post. Talbot's tally came when he picked up the ball inside the Orient end and then raced through the heart of the WBA defense, eluding three would be tacklers, before taking the ball around John Wilson. Even the WBA fans applauded the superb effort by Talbot. Orient gave away the match when Adams cruised down the middle of the Orient 10-man defense and he whipped a shot past Frey from just inside the edge of the area after Ryan Garry and Jan Evrard failed to make an effort to close him down. WBA would not let Orient mount a comeback and kept constant pressure on the ball until the final whistle signified their win.

***

Orient Honours

Orient team leader, David Poole, was announced as the runner-up in the English Player of the Year to Stefan Moore. Poole and Lee Sims were selected to the Players Select Team for the Year for the EPL.

[Faramir]

21.5.14

Bordeux topped Tottenham 2-0 to capture the UEFA Cup.

***

24.5.14

Ipswich was out of miracles as they fell to Everton 1-0 in the FA Cup Final.

***

28.5.14

Leyton Orient (2) FC Bayern (1) Champions Cup Final

Orient- D.Poole 67 J.Reynolds 71

Bayern- Diego 31

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient showed all the heart and determination they have been known for as they fought back to edge Bayern 2-1 and capture their 5th consecutive Champions Cup. The match was closely played in the first half and the execution on both sides was a bit sloppy as nervousness seemed to be dictating the tempo of play. Bayern struck for the lead when Uwe Winter made a mazy run down the left side and then laid the ball back for Maximilian Wagner. Wagner's booming blast from just beyond the edge of the area was casually parried away by Sebastien Frey, but Diego made Frey and Titus Bramble pay for that mistake as he burst past Bramble to chip the rebound into the net. Bayern settled nicely with the lead and completely stymied Orient's attempts to rally before halftime. Bayern seemed to have the match in hand as Mikael Forssell fired a shot off the crossbar and David Mannix hit the post squarely in the early going of the second half as Orient came out flat. The inspirational leadership of David Poole is inestimable for Orient and he showed it again today. Poole took an innocent pass and slid the ball to Danilo Arrieta. Arrieta played a nice chip pass back on a one-two combination and Poole had a step on famed Argentinean Martin Demichelis. With Demichelis apparently set to close him down as they got close to the edge of the area, Poole let fly a wicked, curving shot that sailed past a diving Torsten Mayer and into the net for the equalizer. Orient seemed to gain heart and composure from getting square and applied more pressure to Bayern's backline. The winning goal came on a corner as Daniel Fredheim Holm curled an inswinging corner from the left and Jason Reynolds showed his predator's touch as he outleapt ex-teammate Robin Faber to flick a header past Mayer. Frey, who hadn't played all that well for Orient, then made up for his indifferent play with a pair of scintallating stops on Nicolas Anelka and Daniel Carvalho in the waning moments of the match to send Orient fans on to the pitch at Bruges.

"Where Poole goes, we go," grinned Colley.

"Isn't that the truth Dave," beamed Drabek back. "He certainly had an amazing European competition- 15 appearances, 17 goals, 4 assists, 8 MOM and an 8.07 average rating."

"Want to bet that he still doesn't get any European honours out of it?" wryly stated Colley.

Drabek sighed, "No bet. He could walk on water and they still wouldn't give him his due. Probably someone like Diego will receive the award."

Colley smiled, "Still, we have the Cup!"

"A lasting legacy to a determined club," offered an again smiling Drabek. "Go ahead and let the boys know they have a full month off before we begin training again."

"Ok. Do you want me back at Brisbane Road tomorrow?"

"No Dave, take ten days off- let the rest of the staff know that too. Except for the scouts- tell them I need to meet with all of them next Monday at my office."

"Wholesale changes?"

"Hardly. I don't see a lot of changes coming- despite us being awash in transfer money. I just need to discuss next season's scouting priorities."

[Faramir]

2014 Leyton Orient Summer

3.6.14

Wave of Leaving at Orient?

In what seems to be a tidal wave of Orient players moving on, the first to leave today with the opening of the transfer window were Joey Barton and Mark Harding. Barton, whose reputation as a tenacious midfielder has suffered a bit due to his inability to break into the Orient Senior side, was pleased to be moving to Tottenham with assurances of more chance to play. Harding, one of the most promising young defenders in English football a few seasons ago, found himself feeling thwarted about his lack of opportunity to establish himself at Orient and was quite happy to be moving to Liverpool. Neither brought huge transfer sums, but they do relieve Orient of over 50,000/week in wages with their departures. Look for several Orient players to be released in the next week or so as their contracts expire. There are rumours of additional sales of unhappy players- including a possible blockbuster- that may happen now that the transfer season is upon us.

[Faramir]

5.6.14

Rossi Rolls to Newcastle!

The rumours of the Orient blockbuster sale are true as Newcastle today announced that they had purchased Italian Defender Andrea Rossi from Orient for a cool 8.5 Million. Rossi, whose tempremental style had caused some unspoken consternation in the Orient dressing room, was happy to move to a club that will reportedly 'feature him more'. Many are suggesting that the sale was caused by Rossi's unwillingness to play leftback next season for Orient- the role he occupied most of this season. Apparently, Rossi's strident demands to return to central defense, played a part in the determination to sell the highly rated defender.

"For once, the press got it right," said Drabek with only a tinge of sarcasm.

"Well, he did upset many in the club- they thought he was being flashy for flashy sake."

"I didn't want to deal with an unhappy Rossi anymore. I hope our youngsters can keep developing and help fill his place."

"Well, at least we still have Mathias Franz under contract."

[Faramir]

6.6.14

Rowe to Germany

22 year old Midfielder David Rowe will be heading to Schalke 04 at the July 1st International transfer window, as Orient announced they had completed a 2.5 Million transfer sale to the German side. Rowe was hoping to make inroads at Orient, but found himself blocked by the development of Lee Talbot and was pleased to move on to another major European club.

In more minor news, Orient inked 18 year old David Furlong, a forward released from the Arsenal youth program, to a youth contract. It is expected that Furlong will be placed on the Under-19 side. Reportedly he was offered a contract because the Orient scouts were impressed with his combination of pace and acceleration.

***

10.6.14

"He's a solid youngster, but I wish he had a bit more pace," stated Drabek.

"I think he makes up for it with his other skills, pretty excellent overall."

Orient Grabs Graham

Orient today announced the transfer purchase of promising 18 year old FLC Richard Graham from Notts County. In his first season of Senior football at Notts, Graham had scored 22 goals in 41 matches, which attracted a host of scouts from EPL clubs.

[Faramir]

18.6.14

Poole Selected Fans Player of the Year

In an announcement that can't be considered much of a surprise, Leyton Orient fans have voted David Poole as the Fans Player of the Year. Poole, the team leader for the powerful Orient squad, had one of his finest seasons last go around and scored 35 goals, including 17 in European play.

***

"Well, that was a surprise!" offered Drabek.

"What now?" asked Colley.

"The Board has decided to install undersoil heating at Brisbane Road. It should be done in the next couple weeks."

"Hmm, I didn't expect them to do that."

"I guess we have so much money, they couldn't help but spend some of it."

"Didn't they give themselves a big payout too?"

"Yes. The shareholder dividends were 9.75 Million."

Colley whistled.

"Not just that Dave, but our transfer budget for the next season is 98 Million."

"That's a pretty large chunk of money."

"Well, they expect us to win the EPL again, and the Board commented that we have been pretty frugal over the years on spending available transfer money- that is why they were willing to up it dramatically. Besides, I was told that our bottom line is in the black- to the tune of over 200 Million."

"Whoa! I didn't realize that we were that well off. I knew that we weren't hurting..."

"Everton will be our opponent in the Community Shield this year."

"That should be an interesting match. We don't like each other much."

[Faramir]

Dam Opens- Orient Release 7 Players

Leyton Orient today announced the release of 7 players who had expiring contracts. Such notables as Matthew Etherington and William Flood were included. Also released were John Turner, Wayne Routledge, Ian Smith, Carl Motteram and Peter Freeman.

Cavalry Arrives?

On the heels of their announcement of the release of 7 players this morning, Leyton Orient announced the completion of several signings and also one significant transfer purchase. Joining the Orient crew on Bosman signings were veteran 31 year old French SC Jeremie Aliadiere, 28 year old FRLC Luke Moore, 27 year old Danish GK Kasper Schmeichel, 23 year old MC Michael Bates and the return of 27 year old FRC Jamie Donnelly. The big news today was Orient's transfer purchase of 19 year old DLC Lee Doherty from Coventry. Doherty was purchased for his minimum fee release of 9.75 Million and it is expected he may well be the starting leftback for Orient once the season begins.

"I understand how much talent Doherty has, but why exactly did we need him now?" asked Dave Colley.

"I think we needed him now, because this is the year that Carl Laurie needs to start switching into a versatile reserve mode. Carl wasn't nearly as good last year as in the past- and at 32 he is a bit more susceptible to time. I want to use Carl as a gameday sub- like William Flood was, except Carl is better."

"Ok, given that thought it makes sense. Mathias Franz is worried about the signing."

"As well he should be. Mathias really hasn't demonstrated that he can be the starting leftback for us."

[Faramir]

6.7.14

France Champions Again!

France fought back from trailing to an early goal by Kaka to overcome Brazil 2-1 with a late match winner. Kaka gave Brazil the early lead with a goal in the 8th minute on a scorching shot from just inside the area. France refused to panic and equalized when veteran midfielder Steed Malbranque drilled a curving free kick past Rubinho at 34 minutes. The match was a taut see-saw affair after that and left fans of both clubs on the edge of their seats with bursts of attacking football. The match winner came at 86 minutes when Philipe Mexes soared above Luisao to deflect a corner from Malbranque into the right side of the net for a dramatic goal. Brazil tried to fight back, but the French backline offered staunch support for Mickael Landreau as he preserved the win and procured the World Cup for France. Mexes was named Man of the Match, not only for his goal but for his fine marking that made Robinho a non-factor in the Final. Holland had defeated Italy yesterday 1-0 to capture 3rd place in the tourney as England failed to advance past the Quarter-finals as they lost to Italy 1-0.

***

"It was great to see Steed (Malbranque) do so well in the Finals," said a pleased Drabek.

"He played like he had 'young' legs," chuckled Colley.

"World Cup Finals will do that to you."

"I was happy France won- nice to see Brazil have to head home with all that high talk hanging over them- they really thought they had it this time."

"You can't count any club out- if they make it that far."

***

8.7.14

"That was a pretty quiet friendly," observed Colley.

"Yeah, well we didn't show much execution out there today." answered Drabek.

"Still, we didn't get any injuries out of it."

"That's true. The scoreless draw was a fair approximation of how Austria Vienna and us both played."

[Faramir]

12.7.14

"I like him. Considering how poorly Richard Carter and Simon Campbell played in the last friendly, and their poor training- I think he is a nice addition," offered Dave Colley.

"I like him too. Scouts like him immensely- we have had three look at him."

"Still, he is a long ways from being ready for the grind of everyday play. We will need to bring him along slowly."

"I agree, and that is what we will do."

Orient Antes up for Allen

Leyton Orient today announced the transfer purchase of 21 year old DRC Mark Allen from York. The reported purchase price for the promising young defender was 1.5 Million. Allen isn't expected to move into Senior side play at Orient soon, but those plans might change if he shows well in Reserve play.

***

13.7.14

"Another shoddy performance," muttered Drabek.

"There were signs that we can play better."

"Simon Campbell was brutal out there, we were fortunate to take away a 1-1 draw with Sheffield Wednesday."

"Lots more work to do."

[Faramir]

18.7.14

"Much better, much better," stated an obviously relieved Drabek.

"I think we just needed some challanging competition for them to rise up against," commented Colley.

"Well, Lazio played like it was their first friendly- and it was for them- we played much better than our first efforts. A 4-2 win over them, even in a friendly, is a good result."

"It was great to see David (Poole) and Danilo (Arrieta) working so well together."

"This is the season that Danilo deserves a chance at a starting role. He will get a full shot at it. That is why I have Jason Reynolds working on right wing- he is such a talent that he can do well there too and give us a lot of firepower off the wing."

***

"I think you are making a mistake Will," flatly stated Colley. "We won't be able to get him the playing time he expects and he will soon be unhappy here."

Drabek sighed, "You might be right Dave, but I still want to bring him back to England. I know this is where he needs to be- not Serie A."

Colley shrugged and nodded, "At least the price isn't too bad."

Orient Wrangles Wright

Leyton Orient today announced the 4.3 Million transfer purchase of 24 year old AMRL James Wright. Wright has been starring for Sampdoria in Italian Serie A since they discovered him playing for non-Conference Harrow Hill in 2009. Wright was reportedly very pleased to finally be coming back to England, "I have had a great time at Sampdoria. It was terrific to play at Serie A level, but I am ready for the challenges of playing for a top English club now and pleased to be home."

[Faramir]

23.7.14

"I think the press are panicking," chuckled Dave Colley.

Drabek snorted, "Yes, the doom-n-gloom crowd are already crowing over the end of our 'dynasty'. We haven't played but three friendlies- ugh."

"Well, we didn't exactly light the pitch on fire today, they have a point there."

"It was a 1-1 draw! Granted, Preston should have won- and if not for the fine work by Kasper Schmeichel we would have- but it means nothing."

"They are also ignoring the fact we are playing a lot of mix-n-match with new lineups."

"Right! They can go off the deep end if they want, but so far I think we are doing fine getting ready for the season. So far, it also looks like we will have more depth than last season too."

***

1.8.14

"A 1-1 draw with Monaco is Ok, but we still didn't show much sharp play on our part," stated Drabek.

"It was a better effort- just to see more determination out there, but you're right the execution is still lacking."

"For the Community Shield, I will be going with youngsters and the 2nd liners- I don't want to risk an injury to any more of the first line."

"Wise choice. Still, we will give them a good show."

[Faramir]

4.8.14

"Well, he wasn't going to be happy here anyway- it was time to let him move," sighed Drabek.

"I don't think his sale will hurt us much at this point."

Leeds Lands Hutchinson

Leeds today announced that they had completed a transfer purchase to bring young Ben Hutchinson from Leyton Orient for a reported price of 1.5 Million. Hutchinson came up through the Orient youth program and seemed primed to grab a starting spot several seasons ago, but Orient Manager Drabek soured on him and he saw only occasional duty since that juncture. Hutchinson was pleased to be moving to a club where he will have a chance to play regularly.

***

5.8.14

Skybet EPL Odds for 2014-15

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

Leyton Orient 7-4

Arsenal 5-2

Tottenham 16-1

Manchester Utd 16-1

Chelsea 25-1

Newcastle 33-1

</pre>

"About what the Board is calling for- and what we expect to accomplish," offered Drabek as he looked over Colley's shoulder at the paper.

"Despite the friendlies, the boys seem to be rounding into shape nicely for the season."

***

8.8.14

"Here's a funny one Dave," chuckled Drabek.

"What?"

"1860 Munchen would like to unload Adam Roberts back to us for the bargain price of 2.4 Million."

"Ah, Adam is still making 'friends' as quickly as he did here- no thanks."

"That's what I told them- not interested."

[Faramir]

10.8.14

Leyton Orient (4) Everton (1) Community Shield

Orient- R.Hunt 2,7,34,50

Everton- S.Howe 21

MOM- Richard Hunt, Leyton Orient

Richard "Fox" Hunt offered a full shine of his blazing talent as he dominated the pitch and the scoring in leading Orient to their 4th consecutive Community Shield title. Hunt set the tone barely two minutes into the game as he skinned Steve Johnston in his own six yard box and wheeled to fire it past Richard Wright inside the left post. Hunt struck for his 2nd goal less than 5 minutes later when he ran free of Johnston's attempted marking and Richard White gave him a superb pass to volley past Wright. Everton tried to rally and was allowed some hope when Stuart Howe rose above Mark Allen to deflect a corner past James Hicks. Hunt answered that goal by finishing off his hat-trick as he zipped into space and took a nice through ball from James Wright before slotting the ball past Richard Wright. Hunt finished off his 4-goal effort early in the second half when he took a through ball from Chris Sutton and whistled a rising shot past Wright. That goal seemed to finish off Everton's spirit and they didn't show a lot of determination to rally from that point on as they went quietly and Orient celebrated again.

"Are you sure that James (Hicks) should be the number 1 keeper this year?" asked Colley. "He looked unsteady out there today."

"I'm sure. There will be some ups and downs, but with Frey's contract expiring after the season- this is the year for him to take over."

[Faramir]

"What's our opening day lineup?" asked Colley.

"Hicks in goal, backline will be Lee Doherty at leftback, Chris Sutton at rightback- at least until Lee Sims is health, Jan Evrard and Steve Senior in the center defense, Dave Davidson leftwing- until Daniel Fredheim Holm is healthy, Lee Talbot and Stephen Pearson in central midfield, David Poole and Danilo Arrieta up front."

"Carl (Laurie) as a gameday sub?"

"Yes, he will do well there. Also Jamie Donnelly, James Rowe and Jan Kristiansen on the bench for the game. Sebastien Frey is backup keeper."

"I think we are ready to go then."

***

16.8.14

Leyton Orient (3) Bolton (0)

Orient- D.Arrieta 13 J.Reynolds 22 D.Poole 75

Bolton- None

MOM- Jason Reynolds, Leyton Orient

The future of Orient football looks to be in good hands as many fresh faces dotted the lineup and helped contribute to a 3-0 demolition of Bolton to please the Brisbane Road faithful. Manager Will Drabek had promised that this would be a season featuring some transition and it was evident today- in good measure. Danilo Arrieta, known many for his super-sub heroics over his 7 previous seasons with Orient, has been annointed as the forward to pair with David Poole and Arrieta gave notice that he would like to keep the role. After seeing Craig Holloway stop him cold in the opening moments, Arrieta found space in the six-yard box and scored easily when Lee Talbot deftly slipped him a pass through traffic. Jason Reynolds, who many doubted could adapt to his new role on right wing, was brilliant and his put back on his own rebound after ghosting in from the right side to collect a pass from Stephen Pearson, gave Orient a 2-0 lead at halftime. Bolton had no luck trying to rally as the Orient defense was continually closing down quickly and yielding no space. Orient put the match away when Poole made a diving header to deflect a cross from Jan Kristiansen past Holloway to finish off the scoring in the 3-0 win.

"Excellent teamwork- both offensively and defensively- nothing like our friendlies," grinned Colley.

"Our youngsters played pretty well today- they fit in like veterans. Lee Doherty was excellent at leftback and Steve Senior looked more comfortable in the middle," replied Drabek.

"Don't forget James Hicks. Most everyone thought you would replace him after Community Shield."

"I think his future is now. I am committed to him as our number 1 keeper."

[Faramir]

20.8.14

Middlesbrough (3) Leyton Orient (3)

Middlesbrough- S.Parnaby 26 K.Toure 60 M.Quigley 61

Orient- D.Byrne 23 R.Hunt 34 J.Rowe 69

MOM- Richard Hunt, Leyton Orient

In what can only be considered a poor match on Orient's part, they squandered a goal lead in the second half and wound up having to fight back to earn a 3-3 draw at Riverside Stadium. Orient struck first in the match when Danny Byrne's swerving 25 yard free kick sailed inside the right post past Robert Olejnik. Middlesbrough hit back immediately when Stuart Parnaby overpowered Danny Byrne to drive home a shot after an awful clearing kick attempt by James Hicks triggered the opportunity. Orient pushed in front again as Stephen Pearson flicked a pass forward that Richard Hunt ran onto. Hunt then proved his deadly scoring ability by blasting a shot off the left post and into the net past Olejnik. Middlesbrough opened the second half with a furious rally that found Orient unprepared for its intensity. After Hicks had made excellent saves on Bastien Schweinsteiger and David Bellion, the equalizer was a stunner as Kolo Toure launched a long centering pass from the Middlesbrough end of the pitch and in a moment of extreme misjudgement- Hicks let the ball go without any effort- and it curled into the net for a bizarre goal. The goal seemingly distracted Orient's efforts as Mark Quigley, just on for Craig Hunter, skinned Steve Senior of the ball and then overpowered Chris Sutton to chip the rebound into the net after Hicks parried his initial blast. Orient showed its champions' poise as they picked themselves up and equalized when James Rowe deflected a Jan Kristiansen corner past Olejnik to even things at 3-3. Orient came close to leaving with all three points, but Olejnik managed diving stops on headers from both Hunt and Senior in the waning moments of the match to preserve the 3-3 draw.

"The press hounded you pretty badly there Will," observed Colley quietly.

Drabek shrugged, "Comes with the territory Dave. They were second guessing why we had so few of our '1st line' players in the lineup."

"They didn't like your explanation."

"I don't care if they like or don't like it. My job is winning. We have a long season in front of us- including hopefully a lot of European matches. We have the depth to deal with that, though they may not agree with that. It isn't a good time to be burning out your players- even if this was an important early match for us, because it is just that- an *early* season match."

[Faramir]

23.8.14

Leyton Orient (3) Bristol City (0)

Orient- D.Arrieta 38,89 D.Fredheim Holm 47

Bristol City- None

MOM- Danilo Arrieta, Leyton Orient

Danilo Arrieta continued to blossom like a new flower come to full bloom as his brace helped Orient to a convincing 3-0 win over an obviously undermanned Bristol City side. Orient did not allow a shot on goal in the match, but that mattered little to starting Orient keeper Sebastien Frey who had to be carted from the match in the early moments. Kasper Schemeichel came on, but had little to do as Orient controlled the flow of play in the midfield. Daniel Fredheim Holm was the architect of the first goal as he threaded a pass through traffic to pick out Arrieta with space in the area. Arrieta wheeled and snapped a shot past Paul Bell to give Orient the halftime lead. In the opening moments of the second half, Fredheim Holm leapt and deflected a cross from Lee Talbot past Bell to move Orient ahead 2-0. Fredheim Holm again set up Arrieta in the last moments of the match and Arrieta scored his 2nd goal with a low shot past Bell. Arrieta could easily have had a hat-trick, but missed over the net twice on excellent chances.

"Some superb finishing by Danilo (Arrieta) today," commented Colley.

"He is showing what makes him a coveted forward- explosive anytime around the net."

"Are we going with the 1st liners against Bordeaux in the Super Cup?"

"No, though I may dot the lineup with a few of them. I am more worried about our fitness at this point."

[Faramir]

Drabek was visibly upset as he sat down hard on his chair.

"It's nothing to be mad about Will, just a part of the game," offered Colley in a quietly morose voice.

"I am not mad- at least not for myself Dave. It just hurts a lot to see Danilo injured when he seemed set for a terrific season. He had been waiting patiently for the chance to start- had earned it- and now poof! He is gone for most of the rest of the season."

"Well, Richard thinks 4 months- with the surgery and recovery. That will still leave him time to play in 2015."

"But how long before he is match ready after he starts training again? That could be another month."

"Still, he will be back- this season. That is better than a worst-case scenario."

Drabek sighed, "You're right Dave. It is just eating me up though. It could have been worse, so I know you're right and as you said- he will be back before the end of the season."

"The way Richard (Hunt) is playing, I don't think the club will miss a beat."

"We have enough depth that we should be Ok. I am glad I didn't transfer list Davide Vanni now though."

Arrieta Aching! Injury Rocks Orient

The sad news from the Leyton Orient camp is that forward Danilo Arrieta has suffered a severe leg injury that will require surgery. Arrieta is expected to miss a minimum of 4 months and will likely face a long road to regain playing fitness. This injury puts a damper on what had been a sensational start to the season for the Danish forward as he is currently leading the EPL in average rating and goals.

[Faramir]

29.8.14

Bordeaux (2) Leyton Orient (5) European Super Cup

Bordeaux- B.Al-Rashaid 32 B.Balde 64

Orient- D.Poole 14-P,90-P J.Reynolds 19,69 J.Kristiansen 87

MOM- Jason Reynolds, Leyton Orient

It was clear that Leyton Orient was on a mission to win this time in the Super Cup after losing their last three tries at it. Orient stormed to a quick lead when Pascal Feindouno pushed Lee Talbot on a corner and David Poole calmly stepped up and converted the penalty kick past Olivier Montero. Orient built the lead to 2-0 when Jason Reynolds showed he was delighted to have been moved back to forward by racing past Marc Planus and then making a dazzling move on Montero before slipping his shot underneath the diving keeper. Orient threatened to build on the lead several times in the half as Poole and Reynolds were creating havoc for the Bordeaux backline, but Montero steadied and held his club in with a series of saves. Bordeaux received a breath of life when Sebastien Frey- looking very unsteady- made an ill-advised header out of his area. The ball went right to Brahim Al-Rashaid and he drilled a 45-yard kick past the stranded Frey. Orient attacked to start the second half, but then backed off as they had difficulty turning possession into chances. Bordeaux capped their superb fightback as they took advantage of a disorganized Orient backline- Lee Sims had left with a broken arm and Titus Bramble also had to leave- to work a free kick play that sprung Boubacar Balde free and Balde snapped his shot past Frey. Orient demonstrated the veteran moxie of the club as they went right back to working to regain the lead. That was accomplished when Reynolds made it a brace as he slipped past three defenders to head Danny Byrne's cross past Montero. Orient then completed their goal onslaught as Jan Kristiansen, just on for slightly injured Talbot, took a flicked header from Poole and rammed it past Montero for his 1st goal of the season. Poole completed the 5-2 Orient win as he converted his 2nd penalty of the match after Cristos McAlindon pushed Jan Evrard on a corner.

"I think they realized we wanted to win this time," grinned Colley.

Drabek smiled, "Well, I have to admit I was a bit worried when we let them back into the match. We could well have put them away in the first half."

"True, but the club did everything it had to- to win today."

"Losing Lee (Sims) for three weeks- just after he got healthy enough to play again- is going to hurt."

"It was a freak accident. I didn't think he had been hurt that bad."

"I may have to re-think things again. Jason (Reynolds) was brilliant up front today and matching him with Poole again may be the catalyst we need for success this season."

"Make sure you work Richard (Hunt) in there."

"I certainly will. I plan on giving David (Poole) a bit more rest this season. I don't want him to have to carry the load quite as much."

[Faramir]

31.8.14

"Are we planning on making any player purchases?" asked Colley.

"No. Today will pass without us making any offers. I am getting a bit annoyed at 1860 Munchen though," answered Drabek.

"Why is that?"

"They have called me three times today- trying to get us to take Adam Roberts back."

Colley laughed, "You mean they didn't get the hint that we let him go because we didn't really want him here?"

"That would be *too* easy for them to understand," grinned Drabek.

"Did you forget Richard Ford?"

"Oh. Yes, I forgot our deal awhile ago means that he joins us now from Schalke 04."

"Having another fleet left footer should help our depth up front."

"Working him into the mix might be the main problem," grinned Drabek.

[Faramir]

1.9.14

Orient Funds Ford Return

Leyton Orient completed the Bosman signing of promising 23 year old English SC Richard Ford. Ford had been playing with Schalke 04 and was reportedly very happy to be moving back to England. "I am excited about the prospects of working with such an established club and hope that I can fit in well with their talented group of forwards," said the pleased Ford.

***

2.9.14

"Who did we draw in Championship Cup pool play?" asked Colley.

"Tough draw for us. Rangers, Lyon and Dortmund."

"Hmm, no soft touches in that grouping."

[Faramir]

3.9.14

Manchester United (2) Leyton Orient (1)

Manchester U- J.Graham 19 C.Ronaldo 45

Orient- J.Aliadiere 75

MOM- Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United

Manchester United made Orient pay dearly for a poor first half by taking a 2-0 lead and then holding off Orient for a 2-1 win at Old Trafford. Orient looked very disorganized in the first half and showed little in the way of offense. The home side, spurred on by the packed house of red fans, took advantage of Orient's defensive deficiencies. James Graham put Manchester United into the lead when Stephen Hughes chipped a pass by Simon Campbell. The pass found Orient keeper James Hicks flat-footed and Graham snapped his shot into the left side of the net. Manchester controlled play for much of the half, but the Orient backline settled and was doing a better job of denying them good opportunities. Hicks was his own worst enemy as he misplayed a backpass and lost control of the ball- right on to the foot of lurking Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo had an easy time stepping past Hicks and putting it into the net to give the home side a 2-0 halftime lead. Orient came out with renewed effort in the second half and Jeremie Aliadeiere took a nice pass from Richard Hunt before driving a low shot past John Wilson for his 1st goal at Orient. That was all the offense that Orient would be able to show on the scoreboard as the Manchester backline did a nice job of clamping down on the Orient forwards the remainder of the match in maintaining the 2-1 margin to the final whistle.

"Disappointing effort, as far as I was concerned," stated Colley.

"It was. We didn't show nearly the determination- or the execution- that we needed to beat a club of Manchester United's caliber."

"Do we need to make some changes?"

"No. It is much too soon to panic. To an extent this club is still just gelling. We need to give it more time before making drastic changes.

[Faramir]

9.9.14

"Well, we won't be seeing Michael Bates debut anytime soon," said Drabek as he clicked close his phone.

"Surgery?" asked Dave Colley.

"I am afraid so. He will be out at least three months."

"After seeing it happen, I was afraid that would be the outcome."

"Did you see the Skybet odds on Champions Cup?"

"No. Are we the favorites?"

"Actually, no, we aren't the favorites. But we are 5th favorites at 8-1."

"Who is in front of us?"

"Bayern is at 3-1. Real Madrid, Arsenal and Milan are all at 5-1."

[Faramir]

10.9.14

Leyton Orient (1) Tottenham (1)

Orient- S.Pearson 83

Tottenham- H.Postiga 25

MOM- Tim Howard, Tottenham

Orient missed a golden chance to gain an important win at Brisbane Road and was instead forced to battle back to earn a 1-1 draw. Despite holding control over most of the play in the first half, Orient found themselves trailing at halftime. Tobias Rau's long cross picked out Helder Postiga lurking behind the play at the edge of the six-yard box and he fired his shot past James Hicks for the only goal of the first half. Tim Howard was brilliant for the visitors as he made terrific saves on David Poole, Lee Talbot and Daniel Fredheim Holm. He also spoilt the debut of Richard Ford with a diving stop. Orient took a stranglehold on the ball after Hanno Balitsch was sent off at 50 minutes with his 2nd yellow card. They were having difficulty converting the pressure to goals as Howard, ably supported by the Tottenham backline, was keeping the zero up. Stephen Pearson made an excellent play to skin Robbie Keane of a loose ball and then he drilled a shot through the traffic in front of Howard. Howard didn't see the shot until the last moment as it scooted past his tardy dive for the equalizer. Orient missed a great chance to win the match as Jason Reynolds skimmed the bar in the waning moments to leave Orient with a disappointing draw.

"We aren't clicking offensively right now. Lots of possession, but not many good shots," said a tired Drabek.

"It is almost like every little hesitation the players make costs us a great chance. It is pretty frustrating."

"I don't know the solution, but our backline has got to play better."

[Faramir]

13.9.14

Birmingham (2) Leyton Orient (1)

Birmingham- A.Bolanos 60 C.Morrison 68

Orient- J.Aliadiere 9

MOM- Matthew Upson, Birmingham

Orient crashed to another disappointing loss as they fell to Birmingham on the strength of Birmingham's second half effort. Orient played well in the first half and had taken a 1-0 lead as Jamie Donnelly broke down the left side and then smartly crossed to unattended Jeremie Aliadiere for an easy tap-in at the far post. Orient wasted several other chances to add to their lead, but still had played a solid first half of football. Things quickly went sour for Orient in the second half as impetuous Richard Carter received a second yellow card and was sent off at 52 minutes. Sebastien Frey was back in brilliant form today and had single handedly kept the home side off the scoreboard. When the Orient backline failed to clear away a 3rd attempt by Albert Bolanos, he made them pay by drilling it past the off balance Frey for the equalizer. The match winner came on spectualarly bad timing for Orient, as Steve Senior crumpled to the pitch and Birmingham played a counter-attack right through the hole that opened up. Clinton Morrison slipped a well placed shot past Frey to give Birmingham the 2-1 lead. Orient tried to rally, but Birmingham smelled blood and kept up the pressure in keeping Orient from another good scoring chance to gain the win. The loss drops Orient to 7th in the EPL and there are rumblings from the Board about their recent performances.

Drabek tossed the clipboard at the wall with a loud crash, "We have got to sort out our backline Dave. We won't be getting anywhere unless we do."

Colley leaned against the wall, "I wish I could identify what the problem is. We just are lacking cohesion and teamwork from everyone back there- something that has always been our hallmark."

[Faramir]

17.9.14

Lyon (1) Leyton Orient (2) Champions Cup Group E

Lyon- Kleber 39

Orient- R.Hunt 5,77

MOM- Kleber, Lyon

Orient righted themselves to pull off a difficult 2-1 road win over Lyon to open Group E Champions Cup play. Richard Hunt was the catalyst for the moribund Orient offense as he struck early to give them the lead. Stephen Pearson caught Valeriy Tarasenko moving forward and chipped a pass over him to Hunt. Hunt then blasted a shot inside the near left post past Remy Vercoutre for the early lead. Lyon returned the favor when Javier Mascherano saw Richard Carter well up the pitch and found Kleber moving behind him. Kleber rifled a shot past Sebastien Frey to send the squads to the dressing room even at 1-1. The match was very up and down in the opening moments of the second half and Frey was very sharp to stop Kleber by pushing his shot over the bar midway through the half. The match winning goal came courtesy of the hard work of David Poole. Poole outraced Jeremie Berthod to a long pass and his cross found Hunt unmarked on the left side. Hunt rapped his rising shot past the diving Vercoutre to silence the home crowd. Frey came up with a dazzling one-on-one save against Kleber in the waning moments to send Orient back to England with a fortunate 2-1 win.

"Not pretty at all. But at least it's a win," said Drabek as he shook his head.

"We might want to think about starting to overhaul the backline. Richard Carter was brutal again today."

"Yeah, I am thinking about it. We may need wholesale changes."

[Faramir]

"Are you sure you want to do this Will? There is bound to be a lot of second guessing about it..." asked Colley.

Drabek shrugged, "We haven't shown much with our existing backline of late. This isn't to say that I am not going to play our experienced players- especially in Champs Cup action- but I think we have a good unit of youngsters and I want to develop them together."

"It's true that those four have talent, but staking a all-young backline against Everton- especially if they falter- is a recipe for bad press."

"I am more worried about results than bad press. I really think that Chris (Campbell), Simon (Campbell), Lee (Doherty) and Steve (Senior) could develop into a backline that spearheads not only our defense- but the National side as well."

It was Colley's turn to shrug, "Just don't discount the experience we still have back here Will."

[Faramir]

20.9.14

Leyton Orient (5) Everton (1)

Orient- D.Poole 30,52 J.Reynolds 40 R.Hunt 46 J.Rowe 62

Everton- A.Gilardino 4

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient spotted Everton the early lead, but found their way out of their recent doldrums to trounce the visitors 5-1 in front of a delighted crowd at Brisbane Road. Orient shook off all their recent doubters in the press, but their '4 Horseman' defence- featuring youngsters Chris & Simon Campbell, Steve Senior and Lee Doherty- faltered in the early going as Albert Gilardino was able to overpower Simon Campbell to push in a rebound after Kasper Schmeichel parried away Gilardino's initial close-in shot. Orient was frustrated in the early going as fine tackling from the Everton backline ruined several excellent scoring chances. That changed when David Poole fired a pinpoint accurate shot past Richard Wright from just outside the six-yard box after a terrific through ball from Lee Talbot. Orient grabbed the lead late in the first half when Daniel Fredheim Holm's cross sailed past everyone. Jason Reynolds and Everton skipper Fredy William Thompson raced for the loose ball, but Reynolds was quicker and hooked it inside the right post for a 2-1 halftime lead. Orient roared into the second half as Richard Hunt scored a dazzling goal to start the proceedings. Steve Massie skinned Martin Kuipers at midfield and Hunt scooped up the loose ball before making a terrific run, including a deft move past Steve Black, from almost midfield and then burying a shot past Wright. Poole then made it a brace for himself with his 5th goal of the season as he knocked the rebound past Wright after Wright parried a header from Steve Senior. James Rowe capped the scoring when he deflected a corner from Fredheim Holm past Wright immediately after coming on for a tiring Talbot. Orient closed out the match against the dispirited Everton after that. Schmeichel played very well as he made a couple saves in the early going that helped ensure Orient stayed close until their offensive explosion.

"It was great to see us finally break out," stated Drabek.

"A lot of things went right, well after Gilardino's goal that is..."

[Faramir]

27.9.14

WBA (2) Leyton Orient (0)

WBA- L.Adams 34 M.Meghni 43

Orient- None

MOM- Richard Cunningham, WBA

It was another punchless defeat for Orient as they fell to WBA 2-0 at The Hawthorns. WBA keeper Richard Cunningham, selected for MOM honours, had a lot to do with the Orient scoreline as he was brilliant in putting up his clean sheet. Cunningham's best work was in the first half when he stopped both David Poole and Richard Hunt in one-on-one situations. WBA was opportunistic and Luke Adams gave them the lead when he tapped the ball into the net after a slight deflection of a cross by Steve Senior put the ball on his foot. Maurad Meghni added to Orient's woes as he slipped past Simon Campbell to deflect a cross past Kasper Schmeichel. Orient pounded away at Cunningham, but could not find a way to stretch the twine in goal as he was rock solid and helped by his defense as WBA handed Orient another disappointing loss.

[Faramir]

30.9.14

Leyton Orient (0) Dortmund (2) Champions Cup Group E

Orient- None

Dortmund- A.Schmitt 9 Ewerthon 26

MOM- Ewerthon, Dortmund

Dortmund took full advantage of a struggling Orient side as they used a pair of first half goals to gain advantage in Group E. Dortmund got off to a fine start when Andreas Schmitt struck an a laser shot off the inside of the left post from 30 yards to beat Sebastien Frey. The Orient backline got muddled and their miscommunication allowed Ewerthon to add to the visitors lead as he zipped in and beat Frey cleanly from just beyond the six-yard box. Orient never showed much offense in the match as Dortmund played a stifling game in the midfield. Roman Weidenfeller was brilliant when he needed to be and his clean sheet was well earned on the sparse Orient scoring chances as he got his fingertips on a blast from Jason Reynolds and also smothered a low shot from David Poole. The rumblings from the Orient Board room were louder after this disappointing loss at Brisbane Road.

"I am getting a wee bit frustrated," said a tired Drabek.

"We certainly haven't found either consistency- or really much in the way of the overall team defense that is our trademark."

"When we do get one aspect of the game right, we fall down in another. So far this season isn't going too well."

"That might be a bit of an understatement."

[Faramir]

5.10.14

Chelsea (0) Leyton Orient (3)

Chelsea- None

Orient- D.Poole 73,90 R.Hunt 77

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient was back on the beam as they turned composure into a much needed win in the second half at Stamford Bridge over host Chelsea. The struggle was evident in the first half as nothing was clicking for Orient and they managed little in the way of offense. Chelsea had a couple of good opportunities to gain the lead, but Sebastien Frey pushed a rising shot from Stefan Moore over the crossbar and made a fingertip save on Meteja Kezman to keep things scoreless. After a halftime that must have involved some serious tactical discussion, Orient came out and began asserting itself on the attack in the second half. Daniel Fredheim Holm was the architect of the first goal as he collected a Frey goal kick up the middle and waited until Michael Bates committed himself before slotting to the unmarked David Poole. Poole blasted a low shot past Marcos to break the Orient goalless string. Poole then flicked on a long pass for Richard Hunt. Marcos made the initial save, but Hunt was too quick for John Terry and knocked home the rebound to make it 2-0. Hunt and Poole worked their magic one more time to put the cap on the match as Hunt crossed and Poole deflected it past Marcos in second half injury time to make the final scoreline 3-0.

"That was more like the side we have seen and expect to see," said a relieved Drabek.

"We kept pushing hard and they finally cracked. It was refreshing to see Sebastien (Frey) play that well."

"He will be number 1 keeper again- at least for this season. I still need to sort out what to do with Hicks- a disappointment to me- and Kasper Schmeichel."

"Kasper is already moaning about playing time. We might have to address that problem during the season."

"No moaners allowed," grinned Drabek. "That is why I allowed Steve Lee to be put on the transfer list at his own request- I am not going to put up with unhappy players this season."

[Faramir]

18.10.14

Leyton Orient (5) Coventry (0)

Orient- D.Poole 16,26 S.Pearson 31 J.Aliadiere 68,80

Coventry- None

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

The Orient offense rolled into high gear as they administered a 5-0 rout on visiting Coventry at Brisbane Road. David Poole spearheaded the attack for Orient and took a flick on header from Richard Hunt with space to rocket a shot inside the right post past Russell Howarth. Poole made it a quick brace when he Hunt looped a cross from the left corner and Poole was quicker than Steve Blake to the ball in the air as he flicked it inside the left post. Steed Malbranque made a quick swing pass to Stephen Pearson and he found a seam in the leftside of the area before driving a rising shot over Howarth's shoulder into the far right side of the net as Orient increased the lead to 3-0 at halftime. Coventry tried to rally to start the second half, but saw their chances blunted by Sebastien Frey as he made good saves on David Cardoso and Simon Brown. Orient put the match away in the second half as Jeremie Aliadiere, on for Poole- who received a standing ovation, took advantage of Blake missing an interception on a short Hunt cross by driving inside the left post before Howarth could react. Aliadiere again took advantage of Blake, who had a brutal match, when Danny Byrne slipped a pass to Aliadiere as he moved past Blake. Aliadiere made it a brace for himself as he fired a well placed shot past the despondant Howarth to complete the 5-0 win for Orient.

"Where were all these goals a couple matches ago?" asked Drabek wonderingly.

"Just good execution finally paying off I think," answered Colley.

"I just hope we keep them coming..."

[Faramir]

21.10.14

Leyton Orient (3) Rangers (0) Champions Cup Group E

Orient- S.Pearson 41 R.Hunt 64 D.Poole 90

Rangers- None

MOM- Stephen Pearson, Leyton Orient

Only one thing stood in the way of an Orient onslaught today and Rangers keeper Matt Murray stood tall. Not tall enough to keep the Rangers from a 3-0 defeat at Brisbane Road, but without the exceptional play of Murray the score could have been much worse for the visiting Scottish side. Richard Hunt and David Poole put the sword to the 'Gers backline and by the 15 minute mark Murray had already made five excellent saves on the pair to keep Orient off the scoreboard. Murray continued his fine work, but Orient finally found a chink in the armour as Stephen Pearson hit a terrific 25 yard volley past Murray after being set-up nicely by Dave Davidson's chip pass. Robert Malcolm earned a redcard for a nasty tackle from behind on Hunt in first half injury time and that helped ruin any comeback hopes the visitors might have harbored. It was survival mode for 'Gers in the second half and Hunt struck for his 10th goal of the season when he outleaped Murray as he challenged him for a looping centering pass at the edge of the area. Poole then tacked on his 10th goal of the season with a slight misdirection of a through ball from Pearson in second half injury time to finish out the scoring in the 3-0 win. Dortmund beat Lyon 4-3 at Lyon to keep cruising in the top place in the Group.

[Faramir]

25.10.14

Southampton (0) Leyton Orient (2)

Southmapton- None

Orient- L.Talbot 51 J.Reynolds 64

MOM- Jason Reynolds, Leyton Orient

Orient overcame a stubborn Southampton with a pair of second half goals in winning at St.Mary's Park. The first half featured heavy Orient possession, but a lack of good scoring chances as the stalwart Southampton backline helped keeper Robert Green keep control of the match. Green made good saves on Richard Hunt, David Poole and Stephen Pearson in keeping Orient off the board in the scoreless first half. Green's luck failed him early in the second half. Jason Reynolds threaded a pass through from right wing and Lee Talbot snapped a shot past Green into the left side of the net from the edge of the six-yard box. When Hunt went out with injury, Reynolds celebrated a shift up to forward with a dazzling move past Fitz Hall before rifling a shot into the far right corner of the net past Green for his 5th goal of the season. Orient was content to protect the two-goal margin and worked hard stifling a determined, but not effective, Southampton rally as Sebastien Frey lodged another clean sheet in the 2-0 win. Hunt's injury appeared serious as he was motionless on the pitch for several minutes and stretchered off with his neck immobilized.

"How's Richard?" asked a worried Colley.

"They just called from the hospital. No paralysis, but with the damage to the spinal cord- they aren't sure if he will play again this season. If he does it will likely be at least 4 months at the minimum before we see him again."

Colley sighed, "Well, the news could be worse I guess. I am just glad he is Ok."

"Me too. That was the scariest injury I have seen managing."

"I assume that Jason will move up front then?"

"Yes. Just like today- Jason and David Poole will partner at forward."

[Faramir]

27.10.14

"We needed more help, they were getting overwhelmed in the training room," stated Drabek.

"You got a good one when you convinced him to come here. I don't know anything about the other one though," replied Colley.

"Another well respected trainer. He was just looking for broader horizons."

Orient Adds New Physios

Leyton Orient today announced the addition of highly respected Physios Dave Mason and Nicolas Zarur to their training staff. Mason comes to Orient from Liverpool and will reportedly head up the injury rehab portion of the Orient training room. Zarur joins Orient from Cruz Azul and is expected to work the conditioning program.

***

29.10.14

Leyton Orient (3) Dover Athletic (0) League Cup 3rd Round

Orient- J.Aliadiere 1 L.Moore 4 P.Bradley 63

Dover- None

MOM- Peter Bradley, Leyton Orient

Minnows Dover had made it to the 3rd Round of the League Cup, but their dreams of upsetting Orient died quickly as Orient staked out the lead and rolled to an easy 3-0 win that moves them to the 4th Round. Orient scored in the first minute of play when Simon Campbell crossed and Jeremie Aliadiere deflected it past Chris Marshall for his 5th goal of the season off an early Orient corner. Less than three minutes later Luke Moore added his 1st goal at Orient when MOM Peter Bradley slipped him a deft pass. Orient missed one chance to add to the lead when Phil Lewis tripped Moore in the area, but Lee Doherty saw Marshall save his penalty kick in first half injury time. Bradley then added the lone goal in the second half as he half-volleyed past Marshall on a skipping cross from Chris Campbell.

"Twas a pretty easy one," remarked Colley.

"With a club that has been a giant killer- like Dover had- you have to get on them quickly. Once we did that, yes it was a pretty easy match."

[Faramir]

1.11.14

Orient Sweeps October Player of the Month Honours

Leyton Orient is home to both of the EPL's Players of the Month for October as David Poole was selected as Player of the Month and Steve Senior was chosen as Young Player of the Month. Both were very pleased to earn the honours and Orient Manager Will Drabek stated "Both were key players in the club's resurgence this month."

***

1.11.14

Leyton Orient (1) Millwall (0)

Orient- R.Ford 71

Millwall- None

MOM- Carl Laurie, Leyton Orient

It was a difficult match, but Orient managed to defeat Millwall 1-0 in a showdown match between the 3rd and 4th placed clubs thanks to a fine individual effort from Richard Ford. The first half wound up scoreless heading to halftime, but Orient had much the better of play. Despite their advantage, Orient had squandered several chances by poor passing while in the Millwall end. The second half started out the same way as the first, but Sebastien Frey was called on to tip a John Arne Riise shot over the crossbar against the flow of play. The lone goal in the match began with Orient skipper Carl Laurie skinning the ball from Mark Harper and slotting the ball forward to David Poole. Poole flicked a header that found Ford with one step on Stephen Vaughan. Nicky Weaver made a terrific parry of Ford's initial blast, but Ford ran down the rebound as Vaughan and Patrik Ohlsson tried to challenge him. Ford slipped past both of them with a neat move, but Weaver again got his hand on the shot. Ford kept moving and reached the ball before the sliding Weaver's attempt at smothering it- then took the ball past Weaver to make his 1st goal at Orient a memorable one as it turned into the match winner. Millwall came close to equalizing in the late stages, but Frey knocked Tim Cahill's booming blast around the post to preserve the clean sheet and the win.

"That was a close one," sighed a tired Drabek.

"Our execution wasn't nearly as well as I was hoping- but we did work hard and control the midfield the entire match."

[Faramir]

5.11.14

Rangers (0) Leyton Orient (2) Champions Cup Group E

Rangers- None

Orient- D.Poole 3,26

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient used the finishing ability to quickly put Rangers under the gun and then finished out with a strong defensive effort as they dumped them 2-0 at Ibrox. Jan Kristiansen showed superb touch when he lofted a pass over Mark Paterson that Poole ran onto. Matt Murray had no chance of stopping the sizzling Poole shot inside the right post as Orient gained the early lead. A terrible play by 'Gers skipper Maurice Ross allowed Poole to make it a brace. Ross mishandled the ball on first touch and it scooted right into the center of the pitch. Poole was already in full gallop down the middle and had an easy time racing past the two center defenders before blasting a shot past Murray. Orient then switched to a more conservative approach and was content to bottle up the Rangers midfield. Rangers only managed two shots at Sebastien Frey in the match and he was easily equal to both of them in putting up another clean sheet in the 2-0 win. Dortmund defeated Lyon for their 4th straight win in Group E play as they assured themselves of moving on in the Champions Cup competition.

"It was good enough, and that's what matters," said Drabek.

"We have been playing much better defensively of late- today was a good example- I just hope we can keep creating enough offense to win."

[Faramir]

9.11.14

Leeds (2) Leyton Orient (3)

Leeds- M.Borriello 58 Al.Smith 82

Orient- J.Reynolds 5 R.Ford 34 L.Talbot 54

MOM- Jason Reynolds, Leyton Orient

It appeared that Orient had this match well in hand when they moved ahead 3-0 early in the second half. Instead, it won't up becoming a true tussle until the final whistle as Orient barely managed to hold on for a 3-2 win. The first half was all Orient as Jason Reynolds scored a sensational early goal. Reynolds took the ball at midfield and moved past two defenders before racing down the right and then driving a shot past Paul Robinson when he tried to challenge Reynolds in the area. Both Reynolds and Richard Ford came close to adding to the lead, but Robinson parried away close-in shots from both of them. Ford made ex-Orient Ben Hutchinson pay for missing a header on a long goal kick from Sebastien Frey as Ford went in alone and then took the ball around Robinson to send Orient to the dressing room up 2-0. Simon Campbell's long pass allowed Reynolds enough space to drive into the area from the right side. Reynolds picked out unmarked Lee Talbot in front. Robinson stopped Talbot's initial shot, but Talbot quickly hooked the rebound past Robinson before Hutchinson could clear the ball. Leeds' fightback started after seeing Frey make a series of sensational saves on Alan Smith. Smith was elusive all match and Frey parried not only his inital shot, but also the rebound before Campbell could clear the ball away. Another ex-Orient, Marco Borriello, started the rally when he headed past Frey on a corner from Jlloyd Samuel for his 100th league goal. Smith then finally scored when he rapped home the rebound after Frey lost the handle when stopping a long shot from Hutchinson. Smith then hit the side netting with his last chance as the crowd thought it was in and Orient finally heard the final whistle sound- to their relief.

"Some things we need to work on this week," commented Drabek.

"Hm, yes. Defensively we let down, got too comfortable with the lead."

[Faramir]

12.11.14

Leyton Orient (3) Manchester City (1)

Orient- D.Poole 6,45,49

ManCity- Yakubu 23

MOM- David Poole, Leyton Orient

Orient rode a stellar performance by David Poole to victory as they defeated Manchester City 3-1 at Brisbane Road. Poole struck to give Orient the lead in the opening moments when Steve Senior threaded a through ball to him with space and Poole fired a well-placed shot past Michael Cockerill. After Cockerill made good saves on Poole and Jason Reynolds, Manchester City answered with an equalizer as Yakubu shed Senior's marking in front of the net and drove a volley past Kasper Schmeichel on a cross from Owen Price. Orient took the lead again in first half injury time as Danny Byrne dealt a nice pass to Poole. Poole, who had space all day as the Manchester City backline could not keep him marked, drilled a rising shot past Cockerill to send Orient to the dressing room with the 2-1 lead. Poole then capped his hat-trick and 15th goal of the season in the opening moments of the second half as he deflected a looping centering pass from Byrne past Cockerill. Manchester City tried to rally, but continually found problems working their way through the determined Orient midfield.

"Another fine effort from David (Poole)," commented Colley.

"He really seems primed to have one of his best seasons," agreed Drabek.