New Orient Manager?

[OyinbO]

Yeah - I think the club should be more transparent in its dealings with fans- would it hurt them to state that Wellens is in discussions with another club, if that is the case? We can read that he is favourite for the post on betting forums. If he does go, he goes - no need to exacerbate the situation by refusing to communicate with fans.

Or have I got it wrong?

Imagine if the club had to put out a statement every time a complete half arsed rumour kicked off. It'd be ridiculous. This is partly of their own making by releasing an interview implying the manager might be off, but there hasn't been a single credible person making the link to Barnsley.

Not sure you can call it a half arsed rumour when he is 1-4 on to get the job now. In betting terms that’s a done deal. Hope it don’t happen of course.

The market for this will be almost entirely made up of people who spend too much time on message boards and Twitter.

[Hoover Attack]

No matter what the club say, it won’t be enough for a lot of the fans. There’s a weird inferiority complex.

The club are the ones that bang on about how transparent they are, not us.

If there was nothing up - if Richie was ill, had a prior engagement or whatever and couldn't attend the end of season awards do, it would have been mentioned on the night.

There is clearly something up. I'm not expecting the club to give an announcement at this time whilst they're dealing with the situation.

Relentless.

It can be both true that something is up and that there's also nothing to this Barnsley link.

Definitely.

I'm just saying the evidence we have to go on - the MH interview, Richie missing the Starman Awards, the club ignoring Richie's non-attendance - points to something being the matter.

The Barnsley stuff is understandable conjecture based on the little we have to go on.

[Reflecto]

He is 1 to 4 odds on as next Barnsley Manager.

[Long slender neck]

[CEB]

1: the odds don’t matter. The market is almost entirely made up of people on message boards either insuring against something they don’t want to happen or chancing their arm on a rumour about which they know as much as we do

2: Richie not being present at things doesn’t hint that he’s off. The club not being casually open about why hints that something is off

3: the club shouldn’t be expected to make statements about everything people get antsy about, but the current pattern of events combined with radio silence from the club is exactly in keeping with a reasonable policy of “we won’t say anything official until there’s something official to say”

4: three becomes more pertinent when you consider that we’re the club to issue any reassurances about the manager that they couldn’t keep, it would go down very badly with fans who renewed season tickets after a reassurance, who were then less than impressed with the replacement

5: the season is over. Have a little break. In a week you can start moaning about how late we’re leaving transfer activity again

[Rich Tea Wellin]

1: the odds don’t matter. The market is almost entirely made up of people on message boards either insuring against something they don’t want to happen or chancing their arm on a rumour about which they know as much as we do

2: Richie not being present at things doesn’t hint that he’s off. The club not being casually open about why hints that something is off

3: the club shouldn’t be expected to make statements about everything people get antsy about, but the current pattern of events combined with radio silence from the club is exactly in keeping with a reasonable policy of “we won’t say anything official until there’s something official to say”

4: three becomes more pertinent when you consider that we’re the club to issue any reassurances about the manager that they couldn’t keep, it would go down very badly with fans who renewed season tickets after a reassurance, who were then less than impressed with the replacement

5: the season is over. Have a little break. In a week you can start moaning about how late we’re leaving transfer activity again

Blimey. 5 things I agree with, in a row

[Hoover Attack]

I wonder how many season ticket applications the club have had today and yesterday?

That might spur them into saying something.

[Long slender neck]

Will people really not renew if he goes?

As a fan of a couple of decades, it doesnt feel like a choice.

[Omygawd]

Managers come and go as do players. Unlike some of the bed wetters on here I don’t have RW down as a Messiah, if he goes he can be replaced. If he stays I hope he is focussed as we have real potential in the squad at present.

[Mistadobalina]

Under current ownership, we've improved our league position every single season aside from one. Seems to be an idea amongst some that this success has been despite them and that they were somehow 'forced' into making good appointments against their judgment, which is obviously bollox.

We have the core of a good squad emerging with some excellent young players. There's a few positions we need to sort out but even if Wellens went, there's a lot of positives to work with.

[CEB]

Managers come and go as do players. Unlike some of the bed setters on here I don’t have RW down as a Messiah, if he goes he can be replaced. If he stays I hope he is focussed as we have real potential in the squad at present.

He told me that if he stays, he won’t be focused. It’s a shame, as I agree there’s real potential in the squad at the moment.

[CEB]

Under current ownership, we've improved our league position every single season aside from one. Seems to be an idea amongst some that this success has been despite them and that they were somehow 'forced' into making good appointments against their judgment, which is obviously bollox.

We have the core of a good squad emerging with some excellent young players. There's a few positions we need to sort out but even if Wellens went, there's a lot of positives to work with.

I think it’s a bit more nuanced than that. It’s more that some are saying that the club has sometimes prioritised qualities about fitting in with existing structures, above qualities that would push us to the next level but with that push partly coming from putting pressure on upper levels of the hierarchy.

Of course, once success of one type is achieved, what success looks like shifts - despite “league finishes”, no ambition manager (and no fan) will be happy with the “higher league finish” of, say, 15th in league one over 1st in league two, for an indefinite period of time. So the manager with ambition will eventually push further, and probably realise that there’s a limit to how much he can push.

At that point, the club, having just lost an ambitious manager, would have the problem of trying to attract good managers whose ambition is mitigated by a pragmatism. And it’s that appointment that can end up with friction between the fans and the board.

[Hoover Attack]

Under current ownership, we've improved our league position every single season aside from one. Seems to be an idea amongst some that this success has been despite them and that they were somehow 'forced' into making good appointments against their judgment, which is obviously bollox.

We have the core of a good squad emerging with some excellent young players. There's a few positions we need to sort out but even if Wellens went, there's a lot of positives to work with.

We have made 2 good appointments for the main job - Justin then Richie. We have made countless duff appointments for the main job. It's not that we've made steady, continual progress over the 7 year window. We have made huge leaps under the decent appointments, the rest of the time we've stood still, despite the heavy investment.

There's no way we're going to appoint a better replacement than Richie, I accept that. My concern is Lingy makes one of his usual duff appointments.

[Hoover Attack]

Managers come and go as do players. Unlike some of the bed wetters on here I don’t have RW down as a Messiah, if he goes he can be replaced. If he stays I hope he is focussed as we have real potential in the squad at present.

He won't be replace by anyone as good. How much worse they are then him is my concern.

[Long slender neck]

"Duff appointments" that improved our league position year on year?

[JimbO]

Managers come and go as do players. Unlike some of the bed wetters on here I don’t have RW down as a Messiah, if he goes he can be replaced. If he stays I hope he is focussed as we have real potential in the squad at present.

He won't be replace by anyone as good. How much worse they are then him is my concern.

Not sure how anyone can say that for certain nobody knows who a new manager would be if one is incoming. You'd also have thought that the calibre of manager applying would be a bit higher as it's not the usual circumstances of appointment where you're in fear of relegation.

[Mistadobalina]

4 of them came in the 18 months following Justin's death, where they definitely fluffed it but in difficult circumstances. Davis was rubbish but appointed in difficult circumstances as well, Jackett had the strongest CV we've seen at Orient in decades.

They definitely have credit in the bank regardless of what happens with Wellens.

[OyinbO]

Under current ownership, we've improved our league position every single season aside from one. Seems to be an idea amongst some that this success has been despite them and that they were somehow 'forced' into making good appointments against their judgment, which is obviously bollox.

We have the core of a good squad emerging with some excellent young players. There's a few positions we need to sort out but even if Wellens went, there's a lot of positives to work with.

We have made 2 good appointments for the main job - Justin then Richie. We have made countless duff appointments for the main job. It's not that we've made steady, continual progress over the 7 year window. We have made huge leaps under the decent appointments, the rest of the time we've stood still, despite the heavy investment.

There's no way we're going to appoint a better replacement than Richie, I accept that. My concern is Lingy makes one of his usual duff appointments.

Ling hasn't had executive power for appointing a Manager since Embleton the second time. Jobi, Jackett and Wellens all went above him.

[Hoover Attack]

"Duff appointments" that improved our league position year on year?

Ok you're right, Emblefud, Fletcher and co were genius appointments.

[RedDwarf 1881]

By the way some of you are talking you want him to go . Are you mad ? Richie is one of the best managers we’ve ever had.

[Hoover Attack]

Managers come and go as do players. Unlike some of the bed wetters on here I don’t have RW down as a Messiah, if he goes he can be replaced. If he stays I hope he is focussed as we have real potential in the squad at present.

He won't be replace by anyone as good. How much worse they are then him is my concern.

Not sure how anyone can say that for certain nobody knows who a new manager would be if one is incoming. You'd also have thought that the calibre of manager applying would be a bit higher as it's not the usual circumstances of appointment where you're in fear of relegation.

Valid point that we should be able to attract better. But there's still the elephant sized problem in the room. Not many high calibre managers will want to work under a Dof like Ling.

[ChorizO]

By the way some of you are talking you want him to go . Are you mad ? Richie is one of the best managers we’ve ever had.

Calm down. People are entitled to feel disappointed about the possibility. You have such a one dimensional default setting when it comes to reactions.

Let it play out.

[CEB]

The long & short of it is that the things that’d need to be in place to attract a manager who wants to take us to the next level are the things that’d need to be in place to keep Wellens happy. So if Wellens goes, it’s reasonable to infer that the next manager will be hired on the basis of not demanding the resources Wellens will (unless they somehow manage to hire someone who thinks he can push orient to the next level on a budget)

[Mistadobalina]

He won't be replace by anyone as good. How much worse they are then him is my concern.

Not sure how anyone can say that for certain nobody knows who a new manager would be if one is incoming. You'd also have thought that the calibre of manager applying would be a bit higher as it's not the usual circumstances of appointment where you're in fear of relegation.

Valid point that we should be able to attract better. But there's still the elephant sized problem in the room. Not many high calibre managers will want to work under a Dof like Ling.

Didn't expect you to go proper football man here. Derby, Portsmouth and Bolton all have a dof or equivalent in place. As do Barnsley, which I hope Wellens can make his peace with.

[Hoover Attack]

Derby, Portsmouth and Bolton all have a dof or equivalent in place. As do Barnsley, which I hope Wellens can make his peace with.

Do the Dofs at Derby, Portsmouth, Bolton and Barnsley think that Dan Adu-Adjei and Khayon Edwards are an adequate strike-force for a L1 promotion chasing side?