FA Cup: Leyton Orient 6 Staines Town 1, 7/11/15

A game in which... Orient and Ian Hendon proved a point. The point was that if we're playing in the Ryman Premier League in the 2018/19 season we'll probably fare reasonably well. Just kidding, no one can complain about a 6-1 victory, but I'm not sure it tells us much about the Os' prospects for the rest of the league season. As for the opposition, I'm contractually obliged to make a reference to Ali G, so let's just say big up the Staines massive for their commitment to playing attractive, passing football, despite the scoreline.

Jump off your seat moment... Now, we all know Dean Cox likes to be the big fish in a little pond, but today he must have felt like a humpback whale in a puddle such was the ease in which he slotted his 30-yard free kick into the top corner of Staines' goal.

Give that man a medal... Today saw a blistering substitute performance from Scott Kashket and proof twice over that – contrary to recent evidence – Ollie Palmer is not biologically incapable of placing a ball into an empty net. But man of the match has to be Frazer Shaw, who was faultless in defence, penetrating in attack and set up two of the goals. What a way to mark his return to the starting XI.

Taxi for... Lloyd James. What a way not to mark his return to the starting XI: he misfired passes, repeatedly got caught in possession and missed one chance that was such a sitter it was actually delivered to him via Furniture Village.

In the dug out... Was Ian Hendon resting first choice players or were these his new first choice players? Has the diamond been ditched for good or was 4-4-2 simply the order of the day against Staines? Would James and Payne really play together in central midfield in a league match? No one knows the answer to these questions, least of all Ian Hendon.

Meanwhile on Twitter... Not only is Orient president Francesco Becchetti wanted by the Albanian authorities for fraud and money-laundering, but he's also under curfew until a hearing on 7 December. It's not all bad news though, because fan Fred Nathan has some friendly advice: "If I was him, I'd negotiate so he could be locked in his house at 3pm most Saturdays."

Johnstone's Paint Trophy: Peterborough United 2 Leyton Orient 3, 2/9/14

Orient's formation tonight 

A game in which... Russell Slade didn't just rip up the football book of tactics, but doused it in petrol, set it alight and scattered its burning embers over the London Road turf. Yes, by fielding four central defenders, four central midfielders and two centre forwards, the manager played a team so lacking in width that it was like watching 11 players do the conga for 90 minutes.

Not that it prevented Orient recording a relatively straightforward victory over the league leaders – despite playing much of the second half with only 10 men – and there were plenty of signs that things are going in the right direction this season.

Jump off your seat moment... The moment that led to Orient's second goal when Lloyd James released Chris Dagnall with an outside-of-the-boot pass so sublime it was almost as if he actually meant it. Just kidding: this was no accident and was the leek-flavoured icing on the Welsh cake of a superb performance by Orient's midfield playmaker.

Give that man a medal... Despite Lloyd James's heroics and another commanding display by Gary Woods, it was Chris Dagnall who swiped the man-of-the-match fake Champagne tonight – and for good reason. The little Scouse terrier was a constant menace, scoring two goals and setting up the other. But don't listen to me, hear it from the man himself in his post-match interview in which he screeched: "Laaaaaaa wheeee laaaa eeeee llaaaa wheee laaa laaaa llama whee." Or something like that.

Don't worry Marvin, there's always this...

Taxi for... Oh Marvin Bartley. Stitched up like a kipper for Peterborough's first goal, wasteful in possession and demonstrating an alarming inability to control a football. It turns out the midfielder used to install double glazing for a living –  and he certainly continues to deliver twice the pane for Orient fans whenever he's on the pitch. Sorry.

"Fuck the technical shit"... What is Russell Slade's preferred staring XI? Well, it's September and still only one man knows the answer to this... so if anyone comes across that man can you ask him to tell Russell what it is. Woods or Legzdins in goal? Mooney or Henderson up front? Omozusi or Lowry at left back? Bartley or a packet of Monster Munch on the bench? Tough decisions for the manager.

Meanwhile on Twitter... Much consternation from Os fans tonight over the Sky Sports commentary team's relentless drooling over Peterborough. After the 34,000th mention of the fact that Posh have a relatively young team Kris Hood was moved to tweet this picture of their fresh-faced players. At one point co-commentator and professional idiot Garry Birtles got so over-excited he compared a Posh free kick to those of David Luiz. "Bit different because he plays for Peterborough and it went over the bar," deadpanned Os fan Edina. Touché.

A guide to Leyton Orient players on Twitter 2014/15

Do you ever wonder what goes on in a footballer's mind? No, of course you don't, because these days the contents of footballers' minds are sprayed onto Twitter in an indiscriminate stream of consciousness. Here I delve into the brains of Leyton Orient's top tweeters...  

Legzdins: "euphoric" 

Adam Legzdins @AdamLegzdins

What does Adam's Twitter feed tell us? That he likes David Brent, the weather and that if he didn't have the minor inconvenience of being a professional footballer he'd spend all summer wearing oversized sunglasses and gurning at the sunrise outside various Ibiza clubs. "Eric Prydz once again giving me that euphoric feeling" he wrote in July, presumably mashed off his head on Red Bull and plant food.

Key moment: "Selfies go against everything that teamhandsome stands for due to our understanding for such folk who aren't so facially blessed" tweeted Adam recently, with brazen disregard for the hundreds of selfies he'd already posted. The new Jimmy Smith? Absolutely not. Adam has a healthy sense of irony. Smith thought irony was a brand of bodybuilding supplements.

Battman: oily 

Shaun Batt @BATTman_14

What does Shaun's Twitter feed tell us? That between DJ-ing, being photographed in his pants and wearing socks/shorts combos to festivals it's a wonder he has time to fit in the 20 minutes of football he is afforded by Russell Slade each week.

Key moment: "I went and got extremely drunk as my season is now over what do you want me to do sit at home crying into my pillow??" wrote Shaun after the play-off final defeat - not unreasonably - while skulling his 48th Jäger-bomb.

Lloyd James @LloydJames23

What does Lloyd's Twitter feed tell us? That, when he's not "doing bantz" with his team mates over their golfing abilities, he's drooling with pleasure over the placement of power outlets: "Best thing in a hotel is when there is a plug socket nex to the bed!!" he tweeted ecstatically last year. Next: Lloyd weeps with joy when he discovers his fridge light turns off when he shuts the door.

Key moment: "Just wen it couldn't get worse" tweeted Lloyd two days after the play-off final, leading fans to assume that the club had not offered him a new contract. Luckily the Welshman put our minds at rest with this: "Sorry I should of made my tweet more Pacific it's not football related". Still, anyone who pulls him up on his grammatical error is just being Atlantic. Sorry, I mean pedantic.

Cuthbert: angry

Scott Cuthbert @ScottCuthbert15

What does Scott's Twitter feed tell us? That if you think the Scotsman is hard on the pitch, that's nothing compared to the stone-cold terror with which he reigns social media. "Could you keep all the 'love of my life' and 'love you so much baby' chat down to a minimum," he raged recently, "nearly thrown up in my wheetabix twice."

Key moment: During Children In Need last year Jamie Jones - with admirable intentions - said he'd donate £1 for every retweet he got. Minutes and multiple retweets later he backtracked and tweeted "£1,000 limit reached". Cuthbert was straight on his case, writing: "I will give @jamiejones1 £1 for every retweet this gets, poor guys skint" and then following it up seconds later with: "Sorry my £1 limit has been reached, thanks for the retweets." Lolz.

Marvin Bartley @dothebartman1

What does Marvin's Twitter feed tell us? That if you're interested in detailed regular traffic updates from the Reading area, then Marvin is the man to follow. "The workmen who left the traffic cones out on the A329 need their heads testing! #HugeCockUp" is the sort of thing you can expect. The fun never starts.

Key moment: "People who drive in the middle lane when no cars to their left seriously annoy me! #MostlyWomenDrivers lol" wrote Marvin in April, almost as if he was a struggling stand-up comedian from the 1970s.

Dean Cox @Dean_7Cox

What does Dean's Twitter feed tell us? Everything, pretty much, because Tiny is Orient's most prolific tweeter and a man unafraid to reveal the most intimate details of his life. Want to see a photo of Coxy mowing the lawn? You got it! How about Coxy having a massage? You got that too! What next, Coxy and his fiancee wearing matching animal-themed onesies? Yep, that too...

Key moment: "Walking round the house like I have shit myself this morning." Okay...

Mathieu Baudry @MathBaudry5

What does Mathieu's Twitter feed tell us? That the Frenchman is Orient's philospher-in-residence: "It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up," he tweeted after the play-off final. A quote from Descartes? Sartre? Chumbawumba? No, American football coach Vince Lombardi actually. But Mathieu is certainly prone to his own moments of existential angst: "Football is shit sometimes" he mourned wistfully in April, presumably shortly after Robbie Simpson's loan deal was extended.

Key moment: "3days before miami!! Any tips of what to do or see there?" tweeted Mathieu earnestly before his American holiday last year. Fellow countryman Romain Vincelot had some blunt advice: "Please go there and stay there" to which Mathieu responded simply "haha u french twat". Touché.

GUEST BLOG! After the Lord Mayor’s Show: Where next for the “Group that never gives up”?

Instead of crying into his pint, Andy Brown - blogger for WAGU and The Two Unfortunates - has been looking at what happens next for the most successful Orient team in decades...

I write this on an overcast Bank Holiday Monday trying, as I suspect most Os fans are, to rationalise how we came so close to promotion again in a play-off final and yet fell short, for the third time in a row, to northern opponents.

Was it the West End of Wembley, the fact that the fourth team always seems to win play-offs or the fact that Slade didn’t bring on Robbie Simpson to score a 40-yard screamer in extra time?

This time we had real hope, unlike the dismal performance in 1999 or the team that fell short in 2001. Orient went into half-time with a 2-0 lead after a shaky start, but a combination of bad refereeing, Rotherham persistence and a wonder goal from ex-Orient striker Revell pegged the Os back.

Despite being the better team in extra-time, tiredness and a lack of cutting edge saw the game go to penalties, where Baudry and Dagnall missed to give promotion to Rotherham and leave us heartbroken.

Football is cruel, but in truth this game reflected our season; out ahead, only to be pegged back, then out ahead on penalties, only to be pegged back and miss out. It goes without saying that what Orient have achieved this season is phenomenal.

Joint LMA manager of the year Russell Slade has established a solid base of talented footballers that play good, passing football. With the vastly superior budgets of Wolves (and Brentford), it was always going to be hard to sustain an automatic push over 46 gruelling games, but third place was a massive achievement.

Nevertheless, the reality is we’ll be playing in League One again next season, travelling to Crewe and Scunthorpe rather than Leeds, Fulham and Middlesbrough.

As upset as I am, I’ll still get my season ticket, as I know many other Orient fans will - irrespective of what player or management changes happen in the summer. However, the question remains, where next for these players and this management team that came so close this season and how will Barry Hearn react to yesterday’s events?

Glass half-full scenario

Barry Hearn sees enough potential in Russell Slade and the key players to increase investment in the management team and playing squad to prevent fragmentation, very much as Brentford pushed on after falling short last season.

Key players Moses Odubajo and Dean Cox – even though they are under contract – stay rather than leaving for fees. Out of contract players Lloyd James and Elliot Omozusi decide to stay at the club. Hearn persuades Russell Slade to stay longer term and allows him to add to the squad in several key positions, setting Orient up well for a push on promotion again in the 2014/15 season.

Outcome: Orient finish top 6 again or pushing for automatic promotion.

Glass half-empty scenario

Russell Slade receives an offer from a Championship club and decides to leave. Offers come in for Dean Cox and Moses Odubajo and are accepted, while Elliot Omozusi and Lloyd James decide not to take up new contract offers and leave on free transfers.

A new manager needs to come in an entirely rebuild the midfield and get the new team to gel. Hearn stays true to form and invests zero in new players or improving the squad.

Outcome: Orient finish lower mid-table or fighting relegation.

Realistic scenario

Russell Slade stays. One of Cox or Odubajo leaves for good money. Orient bring in a winger to replace the departing player. James and Omozusi stay for another year. Most of this squad stays and Orient compete, once again, with a small squad.

The team doesn’t replicate this season’s success but still manages a top 10 finish. Tough decisions then need to be made in June 2015.

Outcome: Orient finish 10th

Overall it’s hard to know what to predict will happen after such an emotional day. Most of the key players are under contract, meaning that for them to leave, there will need to be good transfer fees.

But this team has been in the shop window all season, meaning a club of Orient’s size will not turn down a £1 million offer if it comes in for Moses Odubajo or a high fee for Dean Cox, both of whom are critical to this team.

Much of this also depends on Russell Slade. He was keen to talk to Barnsley when they wanted to discuss the job with him in 2011 and his stock is much higher after this season’s endeavours, which may make him hard to keep.

He may also feel he cannot go further with Orient and want a new challenge, after the disappointment of missing out in the play-offs. May and June’s movements will tell us much about the chances of this Orient team next season.

If this team stays together, there is a chance it could compete again next year. In the background, however, the Olympic Stadium and Barry Hearn’s desire to sell the club still loom large, leaving the long-term future of Orient questionable.

Orient fans are hoping the squad will stay together and grow, very much as Brentford have succeeded. But for that to happen, Hearn will need to invest even more, not just in the running of the club, but also in the playing staff, which would require a change in his philosophy or a sustainable club that succeeds on its own merits.

Either way, it has been a season to be proud of and I hope another is just around the corner. Up the Os!

Leyton Orient moments of the season 2013/14

Whatever happens in the play-offs, this has been a season to remember for Orient fans. Here some of them pick out their highlights so far...


When David Mooney felt "Glad All Over"

"I have to say my highlight of the season was away at Swindon. With the PA still waiting for the final bars of 'Glad All Over' to finish while announcing Swindon’s goalscorer, Mooney was busy applying the finish to make it 1-1. I don't think they were feeling 'Glad All Over' after that - particularly when one of their fans swung a punch at Jonesy."

Laurie Hann. Read Laurie’s Orient blog Hannover And Out 

Jump around!

"My favourite moment so far this season is without doubt Peterborough away. I got goosebumps watching 60- and 70-year old men getting up and singing with us."

Frank Bish

Romain the Lionheart

"Not often are the Orient crowd treated to a display of passion and true grit as they were when Romain Vincelot, bursting with Gallic flair and an impressive beard, did his best lion impression against Hull City in the second round of the Capital One Cup. Beating his chest and roaring at the West Stand crowd, Vincelot showed how passionate he was, not only about winning the game but also preserving the boys 100 per cent record from the start of the season.

"Romain has proved to be a big hit amongst the fans throughout the season and this was easily my favourite moment from him. I’ve seen many gestures from the Orient players since but this had to be the best."

Evy Stark

Batt batters big club

"It has to be when Shaun Batt came on away at Brentford and put those smug mugs in their place!"

Julian Lloyd-Webber. Hear more from Orient's number one celebrity fan

When we all became Lisbians...

"Kevin Lisbie’s winning goal against Port Vale in September. Orient’s perfect record was under threat as the Valiants had made it 2-2 early in the second half, but just when it looked like the Os would drop points for the first time, Lisbie grabbed the winner in the 88th minute. Not only did the goal keep Orient’s unprecedented start intact, it was also Lisbie’s 100th career goal.

"However, the goal is of even greater significance to me because it encapsulates the spirit around the club this season. The players celebrated the goal in among the Orient fans, showing the strong connection between the team and the supporters. Furthermore, the Os had to come from behind after initially going a goal down and they fought until the end to claim the victory, epitomising this season’s mantra: ‘This group never gives up’."

James Mealing. Read James’s blog Total Orient

Running with the Wolves

“I’d go with the consensus and say Peterborough away - perhaps the most accomplished away performance I’ve ever seen Orient turn in - but my girlfriend is a Posh fan and said game was thus capped by the most miserable Nandos visit ever. Instead I’ll go with Wolves away. Sure, it was a bit like The Alamo, and debutant goalie Jake Larkins most likely still wakes up screaming in the night about men in gold shirts running at him. But somehow we got away with it and it was delicious. Honorable mention: Mathieu Baudry wearing his head bandage all winter despite nothing really being wrong with him, he just thought it looked cool. And it did.”

James McMahon

Bosnia's number one

"I think it has to be Eldin. Never has a man been so passionate about doing his job. The way he would make a save and then roar at the South Stand was just amazing. I also loved it when we were winning against Colchester and a steward was about to throw the ball back to him and he screamed at him to drop it and leave it where it was. Essentially he was a bit mental but he was fucking brilliant. So his brief but brilliant stay has been my highlight. I actually enjoyed teams having shots at our goal!"

Adam Meagher

James on target

"The penalty brace from Lloyd James against Swindon in February is what stands out from the 2013/14 season. It fills me with dread. Since then Orient haven’t been awarded a single penalty. Not from lack of trying though (I’m looking at you David Mooney).

"Play-offs are sometimes decided by penalty shoot-outs. I can’t name an Orient fan who could name the team’s current penalty taker, let alone five of them. Matty Lockwood, he will always be first choice. Any player in a Lockwood mask would be an acceptable compromise for me.

"Ask again in the beginning of June for my season stand outs and I’ll deliver. Tales of Moses and Cox. Being a practising Lisbian. For now, I’m having nightmares imagining the referee pointing to the penalty spot at Wembley. Five minutes to go. The game is tied. Robbie Simpson picks up the ball and I wake up screaming!"

Robert de Mander. Read Robert’s blog View From Downstream

Heads up, Kev!

"The standout football moment for me was Super Kev's flying header against Gillingham. It confirmed that he was back on top form and to me it summed up all the hopes and dreams of the club in one moment."

Lin Wells

The return of Bosnia’s number one

"It has to be the first game back in Eldin's second era, against Preston. A very defining moment of our season having him back - he only let in a handful of goals (most of which he had a hand to anyway) in his time. After the Jalal hiccup against Bristol City, felt great to have him back. Loved by all and gutted for him not to be in the Bosnia World Cup squad."

Ellen Kaye

Away day magic

"My favourite two games of the season have got to have been Brentford and Peterborough away. Brentford was a really good atmosphere on the terrace and we maintained our 100 per cent start. Didn't expect to beat Brentford especially being on Sky and previous times we have been there and been disappointed! Peterborough away for me was definitely the away performance of the season - hope we can repeat it Saturday. Mooney was excellent, but I think as a team at Peterborough we showed why we were up there. We looked solid and so good going forward!"

Hannah Smeeton

Nathan's tackle 

"In a season like no other in terms of quality and quantity of goals, I'm going to be contrary and pick a non-goal, in fact one of the most memorable preventions of a goal I can recall - Nathan Clarke's tackle on Clayton Donaldson just before half-time against Brentford. Our first seven straight wins of the season were mostly pretty emphatic - the thumping statement our win at Carlisle sent out, or the elegant slicing apart of Notts County. 

"But Brentford away, game number eight, was the toughest on the lot, and boy did it feel like it in that first half when the Bees really came at us. It looked like our resistance was going to break in the 43rd minute when the ever-tricky Clayton Donaldson barged his way through our defence and deep into the penalty area with only the keeper to beat. From nowhere Clarke zoomed across and whipped the ball from the striker's feet without coming close to fouling - from a player not always known as the most graceful, the timing and guts was astonishing. The game turned our way after that."

Tom Davies 

And finally...

"My favourite moment of the season is yet to come I believe..."

James Masters