Hornchurch tonight

[DuvB]

I thought we were a quality mobile midfielder short of promotion last season
==============================
So did the management and that's why they tried to sign Wright in January.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Then players like Alabi, Harold, Gorman, Dayton, will be out of contract and some will be replaced for better players. Continual improvement. A cycle that will be repeated until we have a promotion capable team without spending too much money. With the kids coming along too things don’t look too bad.

Sure we have weaknesses but I guess we need patience. We are ahead of the plan

We have a lot of fans who don't do patience - the old ones probably as they want to see Orient at a higher level and are running out of time to see it. Trouble is they tend to have an entitled approach to how the club should be run. They see other teams sign several players and want us to do the same instead of deviating from the plan that we clearly have.

What you say makes sense. We may also be able to replace some of the out of contract players in January if the security of a deal is offered to them then. And scaremongering about the budget is just that. The brains trust clearly want to see how this squad does for the time being before making decisions about spending on further personnel. I do think it's flawed if we do not bring in two more players before the end of August to provide more depth, but then I thought we were a quality mobile midfielder short of promotion last season.

It’s definitely a multi year plan and as critical as I’ve been sometimes, you do have to trust them. They got us promoted after all.

I think realistically, every single fan will settle for mid table obscurity this season. My concern (as it stands today) is that if we get some bad luck with injuries, we have a risk of being in a relegation fight. The thought of going back down again isn’t something I can consider and therefore just one or two more players would stop those fears for me.

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

^yes, that's the same reason I'd like two more players, perhaps three. In reality I suspect one more will come in at most before the season starts and another in late August.

[gshaw]

Anyone know anything about Brill and Jobis injury?

Slightly worrying that two key players from last season haven’t featured yet with 2 weeks to go?

Someone told me the other day the Brill had a frozen shoulder and to stop mentioning about him not being present as he'd be back for the next game...

Hadn't even thought about McAnuff but that doesn't bode well either. Leaves us with no cover in two positions. Bit odd to not have any updates from the club about them other than "carrying a knock".

[Adz]

When I broke my collar bone and shoulder blade the doctor warned me that if I got frozen shoulder it would take 6 months to a year to clear up, so it can't be that.

[BIGRON]

Anyone know anything about Brill and Jobis injury?

Slightly worrying that two key players from last season haven’t featured yet with 2 weeks to go?

Whisper at the game last night was tha that Jobi is only gonna play in extreme emergencys ☹

[Chief crazy horse]

As we are not around the training ground every day nobody here can really comment on how good the youngsters are. All I would say is that I presume they are decent and that is why we have not bought one or two more players in. Good players. I assume the management know what they are doing. They have not anyone down so far. If on the other hand, it’s more in hope than expectation and Ling etc think the squad of senior pros is strong enough to get at least a play off spot then in my humble opinion. They are mistaken. Aside from the defence we are weak and we will struggle this year.

I agree we will struggle, unless we get in a couple more players. I do get the impression that the owners are taking the view, before forking out any more dosh; 'let's see how we cope for the time being'.

[Rich Tea Wellin]

Some interesting comments re Brill and Jobi.

Without trying to start a conspiracy...a few people mentioned that because Brill retired and therefore would have got his pension, he may not be able to play league football again. Wonder if this mysterious injury is a bit of a cover from them trying to sort that. At this stage, it wouldn't surprise me if Sarge is our number one for the first few weeks, at least.

Regarding Jobi...i can understand that he is getting on and wont play as much but its disappointing if he is only emergency cover. When he's on the field he's a key influence, even if he isn't playing that well. It leaves us very short too.

[eagwgw]

Not very realistic to me. From an insurance point of view, why would there be a difference between League and non-league?
In the past this line separated pro and semi-pro clubs, but not anymore.

A pension doesn't make much sense either, he is still being paid a salary by the club.

Even if it was true, Brill surely would not be breaking any rules by playing in a pre-season friendly.

Jobi I can understand. He was terrific in the first half of the season. He then got injured, and I feel he was rushed back into the team because even a half-fit Jobi was better than Gorman, Lee or Lawless. If we are going 5-3-2, Josh Wright has more or less taken his role, I wouldn't want both of them in the same side.

[Top of the JES]

[quote="Top of the West." post_id=29350 time=<a href="tel:1563402341">1563402341</a> user_id=151]
If you take what most people write on facebook seriously I'd question your judgement tbh, I saw no one on this board, even the most optimistic of posters predicting we would win the league based on that friendly result.

At the moment we are no weaker in the goalkeeping department, No weaker in defence, possibly a man light in wide areas and possibly a "fox in the box" striker with a bit of pace wouldn't go amiss, but squad depth isn't much different to last season and that squad was good enough to win the league and get to the FA trophy final despite some on here wanting to pull out of or throw games in that competition because "the squad isn't big enough to cope and we will get injuries".

We have still time to bring in one or two if we can get the right ones, if not a chance for Shabani, Kyprianou and Sotiriouto step up in the same way the Happe, Koroma and Judd have done in the past.

Being ‘no weaker’ isn’t great when you’ve gone up a division, is it.
[/quote]

If you take what most people write on facebook seriously I'd question your judgement tbh, I saw no one on this board, even the most optimistic of posters predicting we would win the league based on that friendly result.

At the moment we are no weaker in the goalkeeping department, No weaker in defence, possibly a man light in wide areas and possibly a "fox in the box" striker with a bit of pace wouldn't go amiss, but squad depth isn't much different to last season and that squad was good enough to win the league and get to the FA trophy final despite some on here wanting to pull out of or throw games in that competition because "the squad isn't big enough to cope and we will get injuries".

We have still time to bring in one or two if we can get the right ones, if not a chance for Shabani, Kyprianou and Sotiriouto step up in the same way the Happe, Koroma and Judd have done in the past.

Being ‘no weaker’ isn’t great when you’ve gone up a division, is it.

We were strong enough to go on a run and be top of the league, no reason we can't be top half with this squad nowhere near as "weak" as some would believe.

[gshaw]

Some interesting comments re Brill and Jobi.

Without trying to start a conspiracy...a few people mentioned that because Brill retired and therefore would have got his pension, he may not be able to play league football again. Wonder if this mysterious injury is a bit of a cover from them trying to sort that. At this stage, it wouldn't surprise me if Sarge is our number one for the first few weeks, at least.

Regarding Jobi...i can understand that he is getting on and wont play as much but its disappointing if he is only emergency cover. When he's on the field he's a key influence, even if he isn't playing that well. It leaves us very short too.

No Jobi leaves us with nothing in CM outside of the starting players, asking for trouble if true.

Sargeant in goal doesn't fill me with confidence either. As good as our defenders are Brill's experience and leadership are what gets them so organised.

[Red_Army]

Some interesting comments re Brill and Jobi.

Without trying to start a conspiracy...a few people mentioned that because Brill retired and therefore would have got his pension, he may not be able to play league football again. Wonder if this mysterious injury is a bit of a cover from them trying to sort that. At this stage, it wouldn't surprise me if Sarge is our number one for the first few weeks, at least.

Regarding Jobi...i can understand that he is getting on and wont play as much but its disappointing if he is only emergency cover. When he's on the field he's a key influence, even if he isn't playing that well. It leaves us very short too.

No Jobi leaves us with nothing in CM outside of the starting players, asking for trouble if true.

Sargeant in goal doesn't fill me with confidence either. As good as our defenders are Brill's experience and leadership are what gets them so organised.

Not true- without McAnuff we have 3 senior central midfielders. Wright, Clay, Gorman.

[Long slender neck]

Yes, but we have been playing 532 and 433

[Red_Army]

Yes, but we have been playing 532 and 433

Yes, but with a number 10, not 3 central midfielders. The 10 role is taken up by JMD, Brophy or Sotiriou.

[gshaw]

Some interesting comments re Brill and Jobi.

Without trying to start a conspiracy...a few people mentioned that because Brill retired and therefore would have got his pension, he may not be able to play league football again. Wonder if this mysterious injury is a bit of a cover from them trying to sort that. At this stage, it wouldn't surprise me if Sarge is our number one for the first few weeks, at least.

Regarding Jobi...i can understand that he is getting on and wont play as much but its disappointing if he is only emergency cover. When he's on the field he's a key influence, even if he isn't playing that well. It leaves us very short too.

No Jobi leaves us with nothing in CM outside of the starting players, asking for trouble if true.

Sargeant in goal doesn't fill me with confidence either. As good as our defenders are Brill's experience and leadership are what gets them so organised.

Not true- without McAnuff we have 3 senior central midfielders. Wright, Clay, Gorman.

Read that back, only 3 senior pro CMs for all competitions. One suspension or injury then there's no-one to fill the bench.

[Red_Army]

No Jobi leaves us with nothing in CM outside of the starting players, asking for trouble if true.

Sargeant in goal doesn't fill me with confidence either. As good as our defenders are Brill's experience and leadership are what gets them so organised.

Not true- without McAnuff we have 3 senior central midfielders. Wright, Clay, Gorman.

Read that back, only 3 senior pro CMs for all competitions. One suspension or injury then there's no-one to fill the bench.

The season hasn't even started yet, and there is, because we have McAnuff.

[RedDwarf 1881]

Anyone know anything about Brill and Jobis injury?

Slightly worrying that two key players from last season haven’t featured yet with 2 weeks to go?

Whisper at the game last night was tha that Jobi is only gonna play in extreme emergencys ☹

Even more reason then to bring in a couple of more players.