Independent Leyton Orient Forum

If 78 points will get us playoffs we need to win 8 draw 1 and can only afford to lose 1. I wouldn't write off Richie Wellens because he can work miracles but I think its fair to say for the most part, playoffs are gone - with how good the teams around us are.
But how do we prepare for next year, who's contracts sre up at the end of the year, how do we replace the loans. I know it is the start of March but should we start thinking about building for next year where - looking at teams like walsall donny wimbledon notts county and Bradford look mich weaker than the bottom 4 in league 1 and derby plymouth and Luton (there's no Birmingham there) - it looks like the teams in the league will be much weaker. We would have taken top half this year in august so its still a positive season for us but with investment from the potential new investors, we could go up next year if we keep richie

We start having discussions with potentials now. This should be Lingys busiest time of the year.

Hoover Attack wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 7:19 pm We start having discussions with potentials now. This should be Lingys busiest time of the year.

And you know full well that isn’t going to happen.

cockhat wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 7:25 pm

Hoover Attack wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 7:19 pm We start having discussions with potentials now. This should be Lingys busiest time of the year.

And you know full well that isn’t going to happen.

We don't know what the player budget is yet. With new "investor/owners" sniffing around all of our assumptions and preconceived negativity could be out the window.

They could be and we all know pigs can’t fly!

It’s going to be the usual massive restructure, but we have some solid players under contract who give us a decent base to build on.

HackneyO wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 8:04 pm It’s going to be the usual massive restructure, but we have some solid players under contract who give us a decent base to build on.

Who is under contract for next season?

Hoover Attack wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 10:43 pm

HackneyO wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 8:04 pm It’s going to be the usual massive restructure, but we have some solid players under contract who give us a decent base to build on.

Who is under contract for next season?

REG
Cooper
James
Happe
Clare
Brown
Galbraith (one year option in club favour)
Obiero
Abdulai
O’Neill
Perkins
DJ

At least 6-7 of those are decent 1st team/squad players.

Hopefully less loans... no matter how good some have been or not, need a real.team.

Massive influx of players needed then

Eggski wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 10:53 pm Hopefully less loans... no matter how good some have been or not, need a real.team.

So you’d rather we didn’t have, say, Donley this season?

HackneyO wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 10:48 pm

Hoover Attack wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 10:43 pm

HackneyO wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 8:04 pm It’s going to be the usual massive restructure, but we have some solid players under contract who give us a decent base to build on.

Who is under contract for next season?

REG
Cooper
James
Happe
Clare
Brown
Galbraith (one year option in club favour)
Obiero
Abdulai
O’Neill
Perkins
DJ

At least 6-7 of those are decent 1st team/squad players.

Richie will want rid of Cooper, and Galbraith will likely be sold.

But you’d imagine discussions are being had with, amongst others, Beckles, Markandy, Agyei, Williams, Kelman.

Lots of new faces needed though, obviously. Let’s hope we don’t leave all our business until the last minute.

OyinbO wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 8:44 am

HackneyO wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 10:48 pm

Hoover Attack wrote: ↑Sat Mar 08, 2025 10:43 pm

Who is under contract for next season?

REG
Cooper
James
Happe
Clare
Brown
Galbraith (one year option in club favour)
Obiero
Abdulai
O’Neill
Perkins
DJ

At least 6-7 of those are decent 1st team/squad players.

Richie will want rid of Cooper, and Galbraith will likely be sold.

Yep didn’t count either of those in the 6-7 decent players under contract for those reasons.

Hoover Attack wrote: ↑Sun Mar 09, 2025 9:10 am But you’d imagine discussions are being had with, amongst others, Beckles, Markandy, Agyei, Williams, Kelman.

Lots of new faces needed though, obviously. Let’s hope we don’t leave all our business until the last minute.

Beckles will definitely be offered, wellens said they gave him assurances after he got injured. So I’d expect him to be around.

I guess we’re very limited in what we can do to prepare for next season at this stage
We can use the next 10 games to decide if we want to keep ‘fringe’ players like Obiero, Sweeney, DJ, Cooper. Assume Warrington will be moved on
Decide if we want to try to get any of the loanees, guess that boils down to Kelman, who could well be in command, and Keeley if possible. Donley, Currie are beyond us. Markanday a strange one, started off great, good v Man City , since then seen very little of him. Not even in squad yesterday, injured?
I assume we will not be offering Theo & Graham new contracts, but I hope we can continue to support them in their quest to get fit, esp Theo who has become a fans favourite and has played a significant part in recent seasons.
We can decide on the out of contract players and will take up the option of a further year on Galbraith.
Dan A must be high up our list to sign a new deal.
Prats, that’s a hard one, is it time to call a halt?
Dom Ball, not done enough imv
Least we get Piggit & Moncur off the books
It’s going to be a vastly different squad next season.
The essential element we need is RW
He is the guy that can make it happen, what a job there is to be done for 25/26.

Don’t give a fuc about next season.

Time to get tough, Cooper, Moncur, Piggott out, don't offer Theo and Graham a contract but offer them to train with the squad if they want

Dom Ball is a funny one, as he hasn't really done much yet came in with lots of Championship/League One appearences yet he doesn't start nor looked above the level

Prats I would offer a deal, he has been great this season plus so much leadership, experience - Would've been against this a few months ago but need another first choice midfielder in

Keeley I think will still be here next season, no where near Tottenham or the Championship

Currie would come back I think but depends on Oxford plus fees and so forth

Markanday unless he starts the next few won't be here

Kelman one is odd as QPR as a club seem to rate him but none of there managers do, think 4 or 5 over the last few seasons and Cifuentes is a quality manager

Donley, no chance he stays at all, will go on to bigger and better things

I'd like to see Markanday back next season. He's shown enough to be given a proper chance but is nowhere near Championship standard. Local lad, another posho so fits our squad, works out well for all parties.

Kelman will be here next season if Wellens is. His improvement has been incredible and is an important part of how we play. Goal return has gotten better but he's basically doing the modern version of a target man - sacrificing himself to improve the overall set up.

Keeley has shown in the last month that he is a League 1 keeper for the time being. Great shot stopper but erratic kicker, straight up poor at dealing with corners, and has a screw up in him. He loves it here so easy to see him coming back.

We need to overhaul central midfield, a couple of new full backs, a new striker, potentially someone to replace Agyei and likely a new winger. 6-7 players is a lot but feels like we'll be building from a better base than we were last summer.

Mistadobalina wrote: ↑Mon Mar 10, 2025 9:17 am Kelman will be here next season if Wellens is. His improvement has been incredible and is an important part of how we play. Goal return has gotten better but he's basically doing the modern version of a target man - sacrificing himself to improve the overall set up.

Keeley has shown in the last month that he is a League 1 keeper for the time being. Great shot stopper but erratic kicker, straight up poor at dealing with corners, and has a screw up in him. He loves it here so easy to see him coming back.

We need to overhaul central midfield, a couple of new full backs, a new striker, potentially someone to replace Agyei and likely a new winger. 6-7 players is a lot but feels like we'll be building from a better base than we were last summer.

There will be no better for Wellens to recruit than now for next season. A permanent keeper is a must. As good a shot stopper as Keeley is, he’s weak in the air and to small. All these injury prone players need outing. Agyei,Happe. Ball ect are good players but there no good on the treatment table for half the season each and every year. We need Currie here next season and more physical players for this league which next year should be less competitive No more sick notes such as Graham and Theo(as good as gesture as it was) this is a small club with a tight budget.The money we get from Gailbraith( should be at least 3 million imo) Wellens needs to use very wisely .

We won't get £3m for Galbraith, not with 12 months left on his contract. Not saying that he's not worth it but financially it wouldn't make sense for a club to spend that much on him. Depending on who bids but in terms of concrete interest i.e someone making a bid rather than just rumored to be then its only Swansea so theres not even hope of pushing the price up with a bidding war. He'll go for relatively cheap compared to what he is worth somewhere around £1.5m would be my guess.

Turk wrote: ↑Mon Mar 10, 2025 10:06 am We won't get £3m for Galbraith, not with 12 months left on his contract. Not saying that he's not worth it but financially it wouldn't make sense for a club to spend that much on him. Depending on who bids but in terms of concrete interest i.e someone making a bid rather than just rumored to be then its only Swansea so theres not even hope of pushing the price up with a bidding war. He'll go for relatively cheap compared to what he is worth somewhere around £1.5m would be my guess.

So if all we can get is £1.5m that's what he is worth. No?

Monkey Boy wrote: ↑Mon Mar 10, 2025 9:59 am

Mistadobalina wrote: ↑Mon Mar 10, 2025 9:17 am Kelman will be here next season if Wellens is. His improvement has been incredible and is an important part of how we play. Goal return has gotten better but he's basically doing the modern version of a target man - sacrificing himself to improve the overall set up.

Keeley has shown in the last month that he is a League 1 keeper for the time being. Great shot stopper but erratic kicker, straight up poor at dealing with corners, and has a screw up in him. He loves it here so easy to see him coming back.

We need to overhaul central midfield, a couple of new full backs, a new striker, potentially someone to replace Agyei and likely a new winger. 6-7 players is a lot but feels like we'll be building from a better base than we were last summer.

There will be no better for Wellens to recruit than now for next season. A permanent keeper is a must. As good a shot stopper as Keeley is, he’s weak in the air and to small. All these injury prone players need outing. Agyei,Happe. Ball ect are good players but there no good on the treatment table for half the season each and every year. We need Currie here next season and more physical players for this league which next year should be less competitive No more sick notes such as Graham and Theo(as good as gesture as it was) this is a small club with a tight budget.The money we get from Gailbraith( should be at least 3 million imo) Wellens needs to use very wisely .

Although lacking in sentimentality, I agree with the necessary clear out and the introduction of a permanent GK so long as its not Jones or Hemming.

Turk wrote: ↑Mon Mar 10, 2025 10:06 am We won't get £3m for Galbraith, not with 12 months left on his contract. Not saying that he's not worth it but financially it wouldn't make sense for a club to spend that much on him. Depending on who bids but in terms of concrete interest i.e someone making a bid rather than just rumored to be then its only Swansea so theres not even hope of pushing the price up with a bidding war. He'll go for relatively cheap compared to what he is worth somewhere around £1.5m would be my guess.

Have to disagree, he’s young an international and can play in several positions, maybe a few months ago perhaps worth only 1.5 million imo but not now there will be clubs queueing up for him. Personally I think Brown could be a target as well. He’s very underrated but has come to the fore this season.