Leyton Orient narrowly avoided relegation to League Two on Saturday, but Richie Wellens had harsh words for his underperforming team after the game.
Richie Wellens did not hold back after Leyton Orient avoided relegation due to results elsewhere (Image: Leyton Orient)
After narrowly avoiding relegation on the final day of the League One season, Leyton Orient manager Richie Wellens launched a furious rant at his “really weak” team, claiming they “wasted a year” of him and his career.
The O’s went into Saturday’s final game of the season knowing that only a win against Burton Albion would guarantee their safety. However, after a 2-2 draw, Orient had to rely on their advantage, with Bradford City beating Exeter City 2-1, eliminating Exeter City rather than the East Londoners.
Under Wellens, Orient exceeded expectations by reaching the play-off final last season and was expected to be one of the teams competing for a top-six finish this term, but there was an exodus of talent in the summer with key loan players leaving Brisbane Road. But they have instead endured a punitive campaign – and Wellens pulled no punches in a scathingly honest post-fight interview.
“We had a feeling we were going to be relegated,” the 46-year-old said after Saturday’s game.
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“We had to wait for someone to get a result, and we conceded goals from set-pieces because we lacked leadership. We conceded a lot of goals just before half-time. We conceded a lot of goals after 85 minutes. We probably conceded 20 points after 85 minutes and then conceded at half-time.”
“So I told them, clap for the fans, because they earned it. They paid money to come watch us home and away all season, so they deserve to be applauded. But then don’t celebrate with your family. Get off the pitch.”
It has become an embarrassing season. Too many players have wasted 10 months of their careers. I wasted a year of my career as a manager.
Wellens and Orient endured a difficult season (Image: Pete Norton)
“Then they’re wasting the supporters’ time. We’re not giving them enough days to come. We’re not giving them enough good days.”
Wellens went on to suggest that there will be a lot of turnover in the squad this summer, in order to ensure that there is hope against Orient in 2026-27. “We’re going to operate based on data, and that data doesn’t match up with how we want to play,” he said.
“We need people who can do that right now. Players who are under contract will have a hard time getting new contracts. And there will be players under contract that we would like to move on.”
Leyton Orient reached the League One play-off final last season but have fallen well short of expectations this term (Image: James Gill/Danehouse)
“We’re not going to make fun of them,” Wellens added of the players who will be transferring.
“I’m an honest person. I’ve been asking them questions in meetings and one-on-one. We need more questions. We give you the opportunity to improve and we give you all the information. We put an analysis video in a group of players, but 50 percent of them don’t watch it. How do they understand it?”
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