Independent Leyton Orient Forum

Fellowo wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 6:50 pm

Token wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 6:18 pm Hayden reminds me of when Kevin Nolan came. Forgetting that he was the manager, we all had great hopes. But he was finished as is Hayden

I thought exactly the same thing, maybe playing at the very top of English football doesn't necessarily mean you're good enough to handle the pace of lower league football.

I remember when we signed Nolan as well and was very excited that an experienced Premier League player was joining Orient and I wrongly assumed he would stand out at our level. It s the same with Hayden who’s very good at 5 yard square passes but does little to ‘hurt’ the opposition, soooo disappointed so far.

Cheshunto wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:21 pm

Fellowo wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 6:50 pm

Token wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 6:18 pm Hayden reminds me of when Kevin Nolan came. Forgetting that he was the manager, we all had great hopes. But he was finished as is Hayden

I thought exactly the same thing, maybe playing at the very top of English football doesn't necessarily mean you're good enough to handle the pace of lower league football.

I remember when we signed Nolan as well and was very excited that an experienced Premier League player was joining Orient and I wrongly assumed he would stand out at our level. It s the same with Hayden who’s very good at 5 yard square passes but does little to ‘hurt’ the opposition, soooo disappointed so far.

Except for the 5 yard square passes he makes that get knicked off us & allow the opposition to score.
3 maybe 4 times its happened & cost us points

Which goals were they?

Blimey. I agree with all the comments about Hayden. He's been a real disappointment so far and he's never produced the goods for us.

El Miz is playing poorly at the moment. I can see that, but he's been one of, if not the best player(s) in the club for some time. When he's on song he will boss the midfield, gets loads of intercepts in and try to create something. He's not firing on all cylinders at the moment and I wonder if this is down to injury.

I don't believe he's suddenly become a bad player or that he's disinterested. He's clearly not fit for whatever reason. The people on here knocking him as being over-rated, quite frankly, haven't got a clue. He's out of sorts and I hope we get to see the "old" Iddy sooner rather than later.

Hoover Attack wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:40 pm Which goals were they?

Which goals
Lets Start with this one shall we,
Isaac Hayden’s mistake occurred during Leyton Orient’s 3–2 home defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on September 12, 2026.
The Mistake: In the 13th minute, Hayden took a heavy touch in defense.
The Goal: Wycombe's Jayden Wareham (or set up after Ewan Henderson pressured Hayden) capitalized on the loose touch to score the opening goal of the game.
You know the one where he Hayden's Response: Hayden later took public responsibility for the error on X, noting that it "killed our momentum" after a strong start on the front foot.

Proposition Joe wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 5:42 pm LECBVCL? I don't get it.

Me either. This OP is no John Betjeman.

PT78 wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:30 pm

Cheshunto wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:21 pm

Fellowo wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 6:50 pm

I thought exactly the same thing, maybe playing at the very top of English football doesn't necessarily mean you're good enough to handle the pace of lower league football.

I remember when we signed Nolan as well and was very excited that an experienced Premier League player was joining Orient and I wrongly assumed he would stand out at our level. It s the same with Hayden who’s very good at 5 yard square passes but does little to ‘hurt’ the opposition, soooo disappointed so far.

Except for the 5 yard square passes he makes that get knicked off us & allow the opposition to score.
3 maybe 4 times its happened & cost us points

I can accept that a player makes a mistake, they all do from time to time, it’s just the lack of anything offensively offered by Hayden.
I can’t remember too many shots at goal or anything much in an attacking sense.
I know he’s a fairly defensive midfielder but he’s played at a high level and should offer more.

Cheshunto wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:16 pm Thinking back to some midfield generals in the past like Stephen Dawson, Steve Castle and many others who would give 100% and more……….and more recently Jordan Brown………oh for one of them today.

Brown and midfield general is a hilarious combination, he's not even at boot lacing levels compared to the likes of Dawson, Vincelot etc.

El Miz needs to be played as a Pratley, just focus on winning tackles and breaking up play. Never been keen on the way he's been deployed since rejoining in League 1.

PT78 wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:55 pm

Hoover Attack wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:40 pm Which goals were they?

Which goals
Lets Start with this one shall we,
Isaac Hayden’s mistake occurred during Leyton Orient’s 3–2 home defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on September 12, 2026.
The Mistake: In the 13th minute, Hayden took a heavy touch in defense.
The Goal: Wycombe's Jayden Wareham (or set up after Ewan Henderson pressured Hayden) capitalized on the loose touch to score the opening goal of the game.
You know the one where he Hayden's Response: Hayden later took public responsibility for the error on X, noting that it "killed our momentum" after a strong start on the front foot.

I vaguely remember that one but would have to watch it back to confirm.

What about the other two or three?

Hoover Attack wrote: Sun Oct 25, 2026 12:11 am

PT78 wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:55 pm

Hoover Attack wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 10:40 pm Which goals were they?

Which goals
Lets Start with this one shall we,
Isaac Hayden’s mistake occurred during Leyton Orient’s 3–2 home defeat to Wycombe Wanderers on September 12, 2026.
The Mistake: In the 13th minute, Hayden took a heavy touch in defense.
The Goal: Wycombe's Jayden Wareham (or set up after Ewan Henderson pressured Hayden) capitalized on the loose touch to score the opening goal of the game.
You know the one where he Hayden's Response: Hayden later took public responsibility for the error on X, noting that it "killed our momentum" after a strong start on the front foot.

I vaguely remember that one but would have to watch it back to confirm.

What about the other two or three?

Have you got a Warrant ? If not then the answers is bugger off.

o-no wrote: Sat Oct 24, 2026 5:23 pm El Miz has been Mr Consistent until this season. I don't know what's going on there.

Hayden - Looked like a good signing on paper, but he probably should have called it a day last season.

El Miz was dropped by RW a few games ago and he did not like it according to Richie. Obviously there is still something going on there. Hayden appeared to be a good signing but appears to be here for the money. Our strikers Kabia and Scarlett don’t have the experience for League 1 and playing alone upfront will never reach the standards of Kelman and Ballard. If Richie keeps playing them as if he feels they will reach that level he is wrong. How on earth Wellens Junior was selected yesterday before the experience he had on the bench was madness in my view. It is now time to change the manager and his outdated tactics that other managers know how to play against.

Hayden isn’t 32 till next March
He should be performing way better
Looks like he’s here to pick up his pay cheque for the next few years
Wants fcking off in the summer, waste of space

I thought Burton's Vickers stole the show but he often was allowed space and time in our half. Was that cos he's brilliant or cos we were lax in midfield? If we were lax, Iddy and Hayden take the blame. If it's cos he's brill at 21 years of age, how come our higher pedigree Jusuf spent the afternoon sitting on a benvh in the rain?

I don't think Hayden is coasting or not putting the effort in, seems like a decent pro. He's just a formerly decent player who's body has given up on him after a career full of serious injuries. That he's only 31 doesn't matter, it's the toll all of those knocks have taken on him that counts. He can't cover the ground we'd need him to. This was one of the summer signings I was skeptical about as we had QPR fans warning us he was finished.

Mistadobalina wrote: Sun Oct 25, 2026 11:18 am I don't think Hayden is coasting or not putting the effort in, seems like a decent pro. He's just a formerly decent player who's body has given up on him after a career full of serious injuries. That he's only 31 doesn't matter, it's the toll all of those knocks have taken on him that counts. He can't cover the ground we'd need him to. This was one of the summer signings I was skeptical about as we had QPR fans warning us he was finished.

Depends what we want/need him to do, surely?

If it's just sit in front of the back four, provide protection, break up play, play simple five yard passes to our more progressive/attacking players, I don't see any issue.

If we need him to be box-to-box or covering vast areas of the pitch, then he's obviously not going to be able to do that.

I think its like Forrester - looks a bit shaky and injury prone in a back four, has looked imperious and robust in back five.

Orientnil wrote: Sun Oct 25, 2026 11:13 am I thought Burton's Vickers stole the show but he often was allowed space and time in our half. Was that cos he's brilliant or cos we were lax in midfield? If we were lax, Iddy and Hayden take the blame. If it's cos he's brill at 21 years of age, how come our higher pedigree Jusuf spent the afternoon sitting on a benvh in the rain?

Not Just Vickers, Webster has been
outstanding for them

Hayden has offered absolutely nothing in midfield.
Dreadful signing.

Watching the highlights of the burton game time after time they strolled straight through our midfield, pathetic.

Yeah, the first goal we conceded was something I didn't think we'd see when we had El Miz and Hayden at the start of the year.

Guy picks it up 10 yards beyond El Miz, drives through the middle with no one picking him up, with El Mizouni seemingly jogging behind never looking like getting a tackle in.

It was the most worrying because we know from experience that he is an absolutely fantastic player who normally plays full of heart and desire.

Is he injured/fatigued or is it a sign of players not looking bothered.

Really hope it is the first.

FilipinO wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2026 10:38 am Yeah, the first goal we conceded was something I didn't think we'd see when we had El Miz and Hayden at the start of the year.

Guy picks it up 10 yards beyond El Miz, drives through the middle with no one picking him up, with El Mizouni seemingly jogging behind never looking like getting a tackle in.

It was the most worrying because we know from experience that he is an absolutely fantastic player who normally plays full of heart and desire.

Is he injured/fatigued or is it a sign of players not looking bothered.

Really hope it is the first.

You have conveniently ignored Wellens who the goalscorer runs past.

Houdini wrote: Mon Oct 26, 2026 9:22 pm Hayden has offered absolutely nothing in midfield.
Dreadful signing.

I agree . My QPR supporter friend at work said Hayden's legs had gone . Looks like he was right. We're now going to need to sign another midfielder to replace him .

RedDwarf 1881 wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2026 11:07 am

Houdini wrote: Mon Oct 26, 2026 9:22 pm Hayden has offered absolutely nothing in midfield.
Dreadful signing.

I agree . My QPR supporter friend at work told me Hayden's legs had gone . Looks like he was right. We're now going to need to sign another midfielder to replace him .

When?

cockhat wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2026 11:45 am

RedDwarf 1881 wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2026 11:07 am

Houdini wrote: Mon Oct 26, 2026 9:22 pm Hayden has offered absolutely nothing in midfield.
Dreadful signing.

I agree . My QPR supporter friend at work told me Hayden's legs had gone . Looks like he was right. We're now going to need to sign another midfielder to replace him .

When?

When we signed him during the Summer . He said he looked like he was blowing out of his arse early in the second half . I think at Orient that has now moved to the first half as well . He went on to say they let him go and signed a major upgrade

Hoover Attack wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2026 10:48 am

FilipinO wrote: Tue Oct 27, 2026 10:38 am Yeah, the first goal we conceded was something I didn't think we'd see when we had El Miz and Hayden at the start of the year.

Guy picks it up 10 yards beyond El Miz, drives through the middle with no one picking him up, with El Mizouni seemingly jogging behind never looking like getting a tackle in.

It was the most worrying because we know from experience that he is an absolutely fantastic player who normally plays full of heart and desire.

Is he injured/fatigued or is it a sign of players not looking bothered.

Really hope it is the first.

You have conveniently ignored Wellens who the goalscorer runs past.

I don't want to get into an argument about Wellensjr as it seems to really inflame the passions here. Suffice to say, Wellen's getting run past is less a worrying sign of potential disgruntlement in the squad then Mizouni seemingly jogging and looking unbothered.

Not sure he looked unbothered. He looked like he had just puffed on 20 B&H and was going into cardiac arrest.