Independent Leyton Orient Forum

If true, where is the ‘ambition’?
It would appear that the owners want to recover as much as there investment as quickly as possible!

I do genuinely believe that the owners wanted to get us out of non-league but you're a fool if you think business men took us on for that reason alone. I dont think they were fully prepared for the loss they made last year and i think they are changing their approach.

Over the last few weeks there's just the start of some little signs that worry me.

The reality is that we had to sell Bonne and Koroma but I will be disappointed if anyone else goes. and if this milking of every single penny out of the fans and the club continues I wont be happy.

No fool pal just a realist.

Possibly taking lessons from the life president

When higher clubs come in, what can you do?

Prestige Worldwide wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:13 pm When higher clubs come in, what can you do?

Show them a full house?

Prestige Worldwide wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:13 pm When higher clubs come in, what can you do?

If you have ambition, say on your bike!

cockhat wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:05 pm If true, where is the ‘ambition’?
It would appear that the owners want to recover as much as there investment as quickly as possible!

Is the squad stronger than it was at the end of last season because currently I don't think it is . More new players are needed.

We had no Choice in selling Bonne or Koroma.
Bonne wouldn’t have signed his contract extension without the release clause being in it.
ALL clubs sell players at some point and we are no different.

Cheshunto wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:27 pm We had no Choice in selling Bonne or Koroma.
Bonne wouldn’t have signed his contract extension without the release clause being in it.
ALL clubs sell players at some point and we are no different.

Fair enough but it would be nice if we could push the boat out for our next couple of signings . It would be nice to do well this season rather than just survive by the skin of our teeth.

I'm beginning to wonder about our finances and where the losses are coming from. We were meant to have started afresh after the takeover yet end up posting a bigger loss than we did back in League 1 under Hearn. Crowds are bigger, commercial income and sponsorship never been better, even the TV money was 75% there so what went wrong to be £2 million in the red last year?

Not expecting us to go and spend the £700k+ we got from Bonne and Koroma (who I both expected to go and support them in doing so) but if the owners are taking that money back to cover losses they need to be upfront about it.

RedDwarf 1881 wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:25 pm

cockhat wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:05 pm If true, where is the ‘ambition’?
It would appear that the owners want to recover as much as there investment as quickly as possible!

Is the squad stronger than it was at the end of last season because currently I don't think it is . More new players are needed.

As it stands it's weaker. If we don't replace the 6 outgoing players with an equal number (and increased overall quality) then questions start appearing not only about ambition but ability to compete as an EFL club. Still time to see a positive end to the transfer window business but does have some nagging doubts right now.

Definitely no choice with Bonne and Koroma. Kept them on for a season extra to help get us up. It did. We move on.

What matters is how we deal with it. Wilkinson and Angol for Bonne and Koroma. Decent enough I would say.

Can’t count Simpson, short term due to Alabi being poor. We still have Alabi.

Lawless and Lee being replaced by Wright. Not improving squad depth

The squad is weaker than the one that finished last season but still time. Couple of players to come in.

I don’t believe the owners are shocked at the size of the loss, they ain’t stupid and will have spoken to Bazza. The finances are OK though Im sure they don’t want to be spending too much so belt tightening and money raising schemes will be the case.

If there were financial issues we wouldn't have paid a fee for Lee Angol would we?

Bonne and Koroma had to go.

Relax we're just readjusting slightly.

dOh Nut wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:53 pm Can’t count Simpson, short term due to Alabi being poor. We still have Alabi.

Dear me if we're counting Alabi as a first team option next season we're in trouble. Need 4 pro strikers and really Harrold is an addition to that as he can't make a meaningful contribution for more than 20-30 minutes max unless we want to see him back on the treatment table again.

gshaw wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:55 pm

dOh Nut wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:53 pm Can’t count Simpson, short term due to Alabi being poor. We still have Alabi.

Dear me if we're counting Alabi as a first team option next season we're in trouble. Need 4 pro strikers and really Harrold is an addition to that as he can't make a meaningful contribution for more than 20-30 minutes max unless we want to see him back on the treatment table again.

Wouldn’t surprise me to see Alabi get another shot if we can’t offload him. The odd appearance. Though Travis did say two strikers were coming in so his chances will be limited. But if we are paying his wages then I expect him to be available to play.

dOh Nut wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 11:16 pm

gshaw wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:55 pm

dOh Nut wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:53 pm Can’t count Simpson, short term due to Alabi being poor. We still have Alabi.

Dear me if we're counting Alabi as a first team option next season we're in trouble. Need 4 pro strikers and really Harrold is an addition to that as he can't make a meaningful contribution for more than 20-30 minutes max unless we want to see him back on the treatment table again.

Wouldn’t surprise me to see Alabi get another shot if we can’t offload him. The odd appearance. Though Travis did say two strikers were coming in so his chances will be limited. But if we are paying his wages then I expect him to be available to play.

If we keep him around to save legs of our main players for the tinpot EFL cup etc. then fair enough but if he's retained in lieu of a new signing then that will leave us short. Let's hope that second striker will come through.

gshaw wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:45 pm I'm beginning to wonder about our finances and where the losses are coming from. We were meant to have started afresh after the takeover yet end up posting a bigger loss than we did back in League 1 under Hearn. Crowds are bigger, commercial income and sponsorship never been better, even the TV money was 75% there so what went wrong to be £2 million in the red last year?

When you say start afresh, you do realise that the club had to literally be rebuilt from bottom up and top down after T&T took over and that doing so incurred a lot of cost spread across year one and year two to get to where we are today. Despite doing due diligence the club were picking up hidden debt accrued by you know who for several months after the take over.

Commercial income and sponsorship are only where they are now because the club have invested heavily in those areas to maximise income going forward, the whole infrastructure had to be put back in place after he who cannot be named systematically destroyed the fabric of the club. From what I understand Travis and Teague have/will write off our losses with from last season in what Teague described at the AGM as "a gift" which will in effect I guess be a US tax write off against his US business ventures. He is the most approachable owner we have ever had, I'm sure if you are that worried if you contacted him he would help you.

At present the squad is weaker than what we finished last year with. Justin had decided who he wanted to keep and had a list of who he wanted. Hopefully the players that have come in were on his list, what is concerning is the other players that he wanted where are they? We knew we needed them, that has not changed and I know discussions can take time however, Ling seems to be a bit slow out of blocks.

I’d have wanted the players in ASAP so they could undertake my pre season, be on the bus to Spain for team bonding and really get the squad to gel together especially after losing the best manager we’ve had in many a year.

gshaw wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 11:27 pm

dOh Nut wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 11:16 pm

gshaw wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:55 pm

Dear me if we're counting Alabi as a first team option next season we're in trouble. Need 4 pro strikers and really Harrold is an addition to that as he can't make a meaningful contribution for more than 20-30 minutes max unless we want to see him back on the treatment table again.

Wouldn’t surprise me to see Alabi get another shot if we can’t offload him. The odd appearance. Though Travis did say two strikers were coming in so his chances will be limited. But if we are paying his wages then I expect him to be available to play.

If we keep him around to save legs of our main players for the tinpot EFL cup etc. then fair enough but if he's retained in lieu of a new signing then that will leave us short. Let's hope that second striker will come through.

We have some two strikers and signed two new ones, haven't we?

With all the selling going on = two players? Maybe three and you're kicking up a fuss? You've made no mention that we paid for two players either. So what if we sell Judd and bring in an equivalent player.

I've said it before and will again...this is going to be a tough season after Edinburgh's death and a bit of squad churn this season will do no harm.

Cockhat by name...

Too many people panicking on here.

Smendrick Feaselberg wrote: ↑Wed Jul 03, 2019 8:22 am With all the selling going on = two players? Maybe three and you're kicking up a fuss? You've made no mention that we paid for two players either. So what if we sell Judd and bring in an equivalent player.

I've said it before and will again...this is going to be a tough season after Edinburgh's death and a bit of squad churn this season will do no harm.

Cockhat by name...

Childish last line, but that sums you up!

I think the plan is to field a basic side at minimum cost that is just about capable of staying in League 2.

Article_50 wrote: ↑Wed Jul 03, 2019 9:48 am I think the plan is to field a basic side at minimum cost that is just about capable of staying in League 2.

What a load of nonsense. Why would we have gone out and paid a fee for both Conor Wilkinson and Lee Angol? Josh Wright's wages won't be cheap either.

cockhat wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:16 pm

Prestige Worldwide wrote: ↑Tue Jul 02, 2019 10:13 pm When higher clubs come in, what can you do?

If you have ambition, say on your bike!

... Especially when you talk about the likes of Shrewsbury Town.