O’s Down Daggers on Derby Day

Ian Hendon’s Leyton Orient made it back to back wins to open their League 2 campaign with a 3-1 one win at Dagenham & Redbridge.

Orient were unchanged from their win against Barnet, while Dagenham made four changes from their defeat at Portsmouth on the opening day.  Matt McClure, Matt Richards, Jodi Jones and Matt Partridge making way for Clevid Dikamona, Ashley Chambers, Christian Doidge and Kane Ferdinand.

The game started with a five minute spell of Orient pressure, culminating in Bradley Pritchard, a man reborn in central midfield, getting a shot away that was deflected and fell kindly into the grasp of Mark Cousins. The Daggers then had a glorious chance to score themselves. As Alex Cisak flapped at a cross the ball dropped and pinballed around in the penalty area before it hit Kane Ferdinand and cannoned off for a goal kick. Ashley Hemmings then saw a shot blocked by Sean Clohessy before Dean Cox nearly gave the O’s the lead at the other end. His shot lacked placement or power, making it an easy take for Cousins. Cox’s next contribution, however, would be much more telling.

McCallum scores past Mark Cousins.

Pritchard wound a cross into the Dagenham box, which came to Cox, who hooked it back in to Paul McCallum, whose backward header looped over Mark Cousins and into the back of the net. Daggers aggrieved by a possible offside call that never came but the Orient fans in the sold out away end of the ground were in raptures. A second goal in as many games for the ex-West Ham striker, who has hit the ground running since the move to E10.

Lloyd James scoring on game 100 of his Orient career.

Pritchard and McCallum would again go close for the O’s, before a Dean Cox corner was handballed by Daggers debutant Clevid Dikamona. The penalty was given despite claims of a push by O’s skipper Mat Baudry. All that was required for the O’s was a calm headed penalty taker and in Lloyd James they have just such a player, his spot kick sending Cousins the wrong way for 2-0. A goal on his 100^th Orient game for the Welsh/Bristolian midfielder who missed most of last season with a broken leg.

The final 15 minutes of the first half didn't have much else to show for either team, with Orient keeping the ball really well, until McCallum played Jay Simpson in on goal before the latter collided with Mark Cousins. No penalty was given and that wrapped up the first half.

Dagenham returned to the field seeming pumped up by what manager Wayne Burnett said to them at the break, with experienced front man Jamie Cureton getting into the box before a perfect challenge from Connor Essam halted the 39-year-old in his tracks.

Orient’s repost was the creation of two chances within a minute of each other. First Sean Clohessy crossed for McCallum who knocked down for Cox to miss the goal by a whisker.  Clohessy then crossed for McCallum again, but this time the striker could only find the side netting.

Then Orient won a free kick right within Dean Cox territory, and the diminutive Orient 

Even Cox couldn't believe that the free-kick had gone in.

winger/attacking midfielder put his free kick over the wall, past Mark Cousins and in to the back of the net for 3-0. The away fans, who had been in fine voice all afternoon had yet another thing to smile about as Cox has tended to attract rumours about possible moves to other clubs. His loyalty shines quite clearly on the pitch and rubs off on the fans and on his team-mates, with all 10 outfield players celebrating together. Dagenham were critical of Cox for moving the ball before the referee had put the vanishing spray down, but Orient fans, players and staff couldn't care less as they were winning a league game completely convincingly for the first time in over a year.

 Alex Cisak then demonstrated how good a goalkeeper he is by denying Christian Doidge with a fantastic one-handed save. This before Orient adjusted their approach to focus on trying to keep hold of the ball and the game, with Ollie Palmer and Blair Turgott replacing Paul McCallum and Jay Simpson. Captain Mat Baudry then twisted his ankle and had to be replaced with Alan Dunne. Dagenham, however, were to grab a late consolation.

Dikamona’s ball over the top was volleyed in brilliantly by ex-O Jamie Cureton, who showed Orient fans what he’s capable of after his entirely unmemorable season at Brisbane Road in 2011/12. That would be all there was to the game as Orient saw out the four added minutes to win away from home for the first time competitively since Coventry at Easter. Dagenham fans were left wondering what had hit them whilst Orient club president Francesco Becchetti led the celebrations on the way out of Victoria Road.

A good day all round for the O's, including manager Ian Hendon.

Man of the Match: Hard to choose from an Orient perspective, as everyone played well. Pritchard and Sammy Moore provided lots of energy in the midfield engine room, Lloyd James marshalled the midfield brilliantly whilst Frazer Shaw and Connor Essam looked like they’d been playing league football for years despite both signing from non-league. But the best player for me was Sean Clohessy. The ex-Southend right back was brilliant defensively and going forward, with many dangerous crosses from the right flank. Credit also to Ian Hendon and his staff, who have rekindled a feel good factor at the O’s.

Ian Hendon: What does he need to do over the summer?

Leyton Orient confirmed former captain Ian Hendon as their new head coach on the 28^th May. Here is my bucket list for what the new man has to do in the coming months.

Get rid of the deadwood

Dossena showing some skill.

One problem last season was the amount of overpaid players that weren’t delivering. The likes of Darius Henderson, Jobi McAnuff, Andrea Dossena and Gianvito Plasmati often left O’s fans grumbling (well, even more than they already were). That, combined with some of the players that were an important part of the playoff final squad, inexplicably transforming into players who were unable to make much useful contribution to the team at all within a matter of months, led to the eventual relegation from League 1. The new man must eradicate the problem players if he wants to succeed with the club.

Use the loan market wisely

Hedges showed passion when he played

Ryan Hedges and Alex Cisak did make very useful contributions in the second half of last season and they were borrowed from Swansea and Burnley respectively. Players like this pair can be valuable in a battle for promotion or relegation as they want to impress those watching from their parent clubs. Added to this is the fact that players like Hedges are young and hungry, and have a bit of pace about them. With Hendon’s knowledge of the West Ham academy we might possibly see some young, hungry talent coming to Brisbane Road.

Bring stability to the club

The club has been about as stable as a badly constructed bouncy castle over the past twelve months, so Hendon will need to do more than just paint over the cracks. A stable starting XI is a must, as well as capable first team coaches and backroom staff that would contribute ably to the cause. As long as this happens the club will be in a much stronger position than it is at the moment.

Play the younger players

There is a core of about 5 or 6 young players that are on the fringes of the first team and some (e.g. Charlie Grainger and Harry Lee) have been around for what feels like ages. So this is now a better opportunity than ever to actually give these promising players some actual game time. If these players are good enough for the bench they are surely good enough to be given some opportunities in the first team, right?

Keep the better players

Super Kev will always be remembered

With Orient having already lost two of their best players in Scott Cuthbert and Kevin Lisbie, Hendon needs to do everything in his power to keep the remaining talismanic figures (the likes of Dean Cox and Romain Vincelot). A team with a younger average age than last season would show more passion and hang on every word that the new manager says and with the guidance of players like Vincelot it could be a recipe for success.

So those are the main things I would like Ian Hendon to do. Did I miss anything? Tweet me @David12Lloyd or leave a comment below and I will be more than happy to discuss with you.

O’s Give Fans Rare Home Win

Leyton Orient got themselves a vital home win against Oldham on Saturday Afternoon.

Orient started with a slightly makeshift back four, with captain Nathan Clarke dropped in favour of Mat Baudry and Elliot Omozusi replaced by Andrea Dossena due to the former sustaining a hand injury in training. The O's defence formed thus from right to left: Gary Sawyer, Mat Baudry, Shane Lowry and Andrea Dossena with midfielder Romain Vincelot taking the captain’s armband.

Orient got the game going and scored with the first real chance of the match. Auxiliary right back Sawyer combined with on-loan Swansea winger Ryan Hedges before the ball was played infield to Josh Wright. Wright then found Jobi McAnuff who gave the ball back to Hedges, cutting inside from his right-wing position, who in turn spotted Dossena overlapping on the left and floated a perfect pass into his path. The Italian left back shot across the Oldham goal and into the bottom corner past on-loan Blackburn ‘keeper Jake Kean. It was the ex-Liverpool player's first goal in an O's shirt and, with its timing at just 3 minutes in, it provided an unusually positive start for Fabio Liverani's struggling O's.

Dossena's first goal for the O's

Orient used this early springboard to their advantage and could’ve won a penalty as David Mooney was brought down in the Oldham penalty box. Referee Darren Sheldrake waved away the appeals from the home fans. Then, after Oldham made a substitution due to injury (George Elokobi replaced by Genseric Kusunga), it was a touch of “twinkle-toes” from much-maligned winger Jobi McAnuff that created the opening for Orient’s second on twenty five minutes. The Jamaican won a penalty after cutting in from the left flank and being fouled by Liam Kelly. Irish striker David Mooney calmly placed his spot kick past Kean and into the same corner of the goal that Dossena found earlier in the game. That goal seemed to settle the game down, although a free-kick from Oldham’s Joe Mills did give Alex Cisak something to think about in the Orient goal. That wouldn’t be the last time Cisak, a former Oldham player, would have something to do in the match. At half-time the score remained 2-0 and was probably a fair reflection the balance of play during the half.  A good half for the Os.

This season Orient fans have had good reason to be a bit nervous about the start of second halves in home games.  However, although Oldham had the better of the early exchanges, with Danny Philliskirk fizzing a dangerous ball across the box that Romain Vincelot cleared, enabling Orient to regroup, the Orient defence kept its shape and concentration. Jobi McAnuff then went close before being replaced by fan favourite Dean Cox. It was undoubtedly McAnuff’s best game since joining in the summer from Reading and Orient fans seemed happy that he shown commitment and made a more telling contribution to the game than he has done for most of this season. However, it would be a telling contribution of a different kind from Baudry that put Orient’s lead in jeopardy when he crudely brought down Rhys Murphy in the box, giving Oldham striker Jonathan Forte the chance to reduce the arrears. However, the Latics striker’s penalty was too close to Aussie ‘keeper Cisak who parried the penalty before Liam Kelly rattled the crossbar with the rebound. Orient were then able to clear and regroup again. 

Although Orient continued to keep their shape in defence and midfield during the second half, they also showed too much of a tendency to sit back and let Oldham come forward.  When Orient did go forward in the second half neither Dagnall nor Mooney offered much of a threat, and Mooney was eventually substituted for holding midfielder Marvin Bartley with 20 minutes left. 

Captain Vincelot and Manager Liverani after the game

The last 20 minutes were predominantly Oldham as they continued to search for a route back into the game. However, it would be a substitution from Liverani that sealed the deal for Orient, against the run of play. Ex-Arsenal striker Jay Simpson, who had replaced Hedges, received the ball from Dean Cox before slightly scuffing a left footed shot into the far corner past Kean for 3-0. A welcome return for Simpson who has just recovered from an injury that has kept him out since December. It was the icing on the cake for Orient who claimed their first home win of 2015. Overall, the 3-0 score line probably flattered Orient slightly, even though they did deserve the win.  While it hasn’t affected their league position, it might go some way to help them salvage something from what has been a disappointing season so far.  They now have only 15 league games left though and really do need to find some consistency.

Cisak saving Forte's penalty

Man of the Match: Quite a few candidates today actually. Sawyer looked accomplished in the unfamiliar role of right-back; Dossena was an attacking threat down the Orient left; Vincelot lead the team well despite a silly booking; Josh Wright linked play well and McAnuff actually seemed interested. However on-loan Burnley ‘keeper Alex Cisak looked unbeatable in the Orient goal, saving everything that came at him, catching or punching every ball into his box and commanding a defence that has been leaky at times this season. Kudos also to manager Fabio Liverani, who got his tactics spot on considering the hand he was dealt and silenced the Brisbane Road boo-boys with his team’s fine display.

Orient Break Crawley Curse

Leyton Orient give fans added Christmas cheer with Boxing Day win over Crawley Town at Brisbane Road.

In a frantic opening exchange, Orient and Crawley both had chances. Shaun Batt flashing the ball across the face of the Crawley Goal that evaded Chris Dagnall, Jobi McAnuff and Crawley defender Ryan Dickson. Up at the other end, ex-Arsenal midfielder Conor Henderson took a strike just wide of Adam Legzdins’ goal.

Cox celebrates goal with ball boy

Orient then won a free-kick just outside the Crawley box; although Orient had appealed for a penalty after Dean Leacock (a former Orient player) appeared to handle the ball with Dagnall right behind him. However, the referee stuck to his decision after consulting the linesman. Dean Cox and Andrea Dossena both shaped up to take the kick, but Dean Cox was the player who stepped forward and put the ball right in the top corner of Brian Jensen’s goal.  That had O’s fans rejoicing after the first direct free-kick scored by an Orient player since Martin Rowlands in January 2013. Hopefully the next one isn’t as far away.

Crawley then got a soft equaliser. Dossena gave away a free kick that was floated into the box and, after Matt Harrold headed against the post, former Orient midfielder Jimmy Smith poked the ball at goal and it appeared to cross the line and it was given, making Orient’s day at the office seem a harder task. A few minutes after, another Crawley free-kick was just about scrambled away by the hosts who, with Adam Legzdins in goal, looked nervous every time the ball came into their box.

Dagnall's flying header

Then Orient found the net again. Dean Cox with the pinpoint cross, met by Chris Dagnall with a flying header to score his sixth of the season. A great moment for the Liverpudlian, who had just returned from suspension, as he had been out of favour at times but his replication of Robin Van Persie’s goal against Spain at the World Cup was well taken and a sigh of relief could be felt around Brisbane Road. The game quietened down after that, but a speculative Jimmy Smith effort didn’t go unnoticed.

The second half continued in a similar way to how the first half ended. Orient looking dangerous in attack whilst looking shaky at the back, with Andrea Dossena and Adam Legzdins seeming either lackadaisical or nervy. Orient’s substitutions were all down to injury, however, as Shaun Batt had already been replaced by David Mooney in the first half with an as yet unknown injury. Dean Cox would be replaced by Bradley Pritchard due to a back spasm, and Adam Legzdins went off with a shoulder injury and was replaced by Gary Woods. Then, with the Orient fans present having prepared themselves for a nervy end to the game, Orient found the net again. A scramble led to David Mooney having a shot parried by Jensen, but Mooney gobbled up the rebound to make it 3-1 to Orient by slamming the ball into the roof of the net. That was Mooney’s fourth goal of what hasn’t been a totally productive, although injury hit, season for the Irishman so far.

In the six minutes of stoppage time, Orient killed the game off. Good wing-play from Bradley Pritchard led to a powerful cross that Dagnall was able to just tap home for goal number four. His seventh of the season, and second of the game, from someone who Orient will have to try and hold on to in January. That was the last action of one of the more flattering score lines of the season for Orient.

Man of the Match: A tough decision as there was a minor gulf in class between those who played well and those who didn’t, but the award is shared between Dean Cox and Chris Dagnall. Cox is such a key cog to this team and Dagnall has always given 100% effort to the cause even if things haven’t gone his way. Without these two components, Orient’s all round game lacks energy and creativity.   Josh Wright also deserves a mention for always making himself available in midfield throughout the game, while Shaun Lowry was produced a solid second half performance in, an otherwise slightly shaky looking, defence. 

We Need To Talk About Orient…

Only 12 months ago I was of the opinion that Leyton Orient would be promoted at the end of the 2013/14 season. However, a weak ending to a good season became a poor start to this one. So what’s gone wrong?

Ouch, that hurts...

The first nail in Orient’s coffin was, no doubt, the mediocre end to last season which culminated in a penalty-shootout defeat to Rotherham in the Playoff Final at Wembley. Potential suitors for players from both clubs were present, including Brentford boss Mark Warburton (in a scouting capacity) and Preston manager Simon Grayson (as a pundit for Sky Sports). Now, I’m not blaming managers of other clubs for our demise, but Brentford’s capture of Moses Odubajo left a gaping hole in the Orient team that still hasn’t been filled.  While the departure of Jamie Jones may have seemed rather less of an issue at the time, Orient’s failure to find a keeper as good at instilling confidence into their own defenders has now become a very big problem.

Jobi's Had Anuff

Odubajo’s replacement, Jobi McAnuff, doesn’t possess the skill, versatility or speed of Odubajo and seems to play in 10 minute-per-match bursts, if he shows any interest at all. Jones’ two replacements, Gary Woods and Adam Legzdins, have also looked like square pegs in triangular holes. Woods’ command of his area and distribution are better than Legzdins’, but both keepers’ decision making isn’t exactly the most convincing.   The outcome, too often witnessed this season, is Orient’s habit of conceding soft goals.  A number of which have been conceded against the run of play.

It’s not just McAnuff and the keepers that haven’t been brilliant either. Captain Nathan Clarke isn’t exactly a fan favourite, but his very convincing Steven Gerrard impression in the home game against Coventry and the away League Cup game at Plymouth, both led to goals, proved why the injury he picked up (and played all the way to penalties with) at Wembley in May seems to have taken away the edge that he brought with him in 2012. Mathieu Baudry also proved that he can be, and often is, erratic and prone to taking unnecessary risks in defence. Baudry certainly is Orient’s David Luiz, the not-so-well-disciplined defender who may be better on the bench. This brings me on to poor old Gary Sawyer who, despite playing well of late, will lose his place to Andrea Dossena when the Italian returns from injury and be left with a seat on the bench.

In midfield Orient are missing Lloyd James in the centre. It’s not that Josh Wright’s performances have been poor; it’s more that James plays the “Lloyd James role” better than Wright. Elsewhere I see fans on social media saying that they don’t quite understand what Bradley Pritchard’s role is. To me it’s quite clear. He is the more intelligent remake of Jimmy Smith who will play in almost every position and, thus, not be able to nail one down completely. Marvin Bartley did actually get a good run of form going. ALERT!!! ALERT!!! THE INTERNET HAS CRASHED!!! No seriously he did, before he got injured…again. Speaking of injuries, striker Darius Henderson is due to return soon.That is unless he takes the other meaning of striker and asks for a contract termination. The ex-Watford striker hasn’t really shown the form that helped him propel The ‘Orns to the Premier League, despite having ex-Millwall teammates Shaun Batt and Shane Lowry on hand to help him settle. All of Henderson’s strike partners (all EIGHT of them, to be precise) haven’t been prolific, reliable or even available in some, if not all, matches. The main highlight being the 4-1 win at home to Crewe, which was to a large extent due to perhaps the only exceptional performance by any Orient striker so far this season, i.e. an “on fire” Chris Dagnall scoring one and making the other three.  If only we could see about more of that from Orient’s now considerable strike force, but too often, in other games this season, periods of Orient pressure have failed to produce goals when they have been needed.

It’s not just on the pitch where there have been problems. The new owners have what ex-manager John Sitton would call “Airy Fairy Fantasies” of Leyton Orient becoming this big footballing power from East-London, however, if Mr. Becchetti is reading please take note. This cannot be achieved by continuously sacking managers before hiring ones with a career win percentage of 11.11%, and who can’t speak the language of the country he/she is working in.

Also, things between fans have got heated, with fans first abusing players after away defeats at Gillingham and Bradford, followed by an attack on the local newspaper’s Twitter account for (in my opinion) a rather amusing if not totally true tweet about Jobi McAnuff’s booking at Barnsley. Anyhow, it’s tough enough for players and journalists without receiving abuse from their own followers.

Not the fight we were hoping for Hendo...

Having just mentioned one booking, it might be worth also mentioning the very high number of bookings and sendings off gathered by Orient players so far this season.  Clearly, the resulting suspensions, coupled with the ever present injury list, has not helped the club at all.   The growing total of yellow and red cards is worrying for another reason though in that it suggests a lack of discipline which also can’t be helping the cause very much.

On a happier note, a merry and safe Christmas and a prosperous New Year to all reading and I hope to see many O’s fans at Brisbane Road on Boxing Day for the Relegation 12 pointer against Crawley. Up the O’s. 

Orient Finally Break Home League Duck

Leyton Orient finally recorded their first home league win of the 2014/15 season against a lacklustre Crewe Alexandra side on Saturday afternoon at Brisbane Road.

In a game that the O’s dominated, they were on the front foot from pretty much the word go. With Chris Dagnall having two early runs that caused some problems for the Crewe defenders and home debutant Andrea Dossena having a volleyed cross/shot easily held by Crewe keeper Ben Garratt. Dagnall would again run down the Orient left before teeing up Millwall loanee Josh Wright whose shot could only find the Crewe keeper.

Crewe eventually came close to scoring as Brad Inman rounded Orient keeper Adam Legzdins, but his shot was cleared powerfully by O’s Right-Back Elliot Omozusi. It would be a breakaway from Orient that would lead to them opening the scoring 23 minutes in.

Plasmati opens the scoring

Chris Dagnall again made hay down the left flank before his left-footed cross picked out the head of Italian striker Gianvito Plasmati, who only had to head down and across the goal to score his second goal in two games. The 6’6” Italian had a quiet game on the whole, but his major contribution was the goal and what an important goal it transpired to be. Being very aware that one goal wasn’t enough, the O’s would double their lead about 10 minutes later.

The ball came to Josh Wright, who looked up and saw Dagnall lurking with intent in the box. Wright’s cross seemed to be heading slightly too far to the right of Dagnall and away from the goal, but the Liverpudlian forward adjusted and stretched his body brilliantly to rifle a half-volley past Garratt and into the back of the net. The goal was just what he deserved and would add further zest to what was a brilliant performance from the man who missed the crucial penalty in the shoot-out at Wembley in May. This ended the action in the first half, but the second half was further development from a good first half performance.

Dean Cox and Nathan Clarke each had their chances dealt with by the Crewe defence, as did Vito Plasmati, before he was replaced by last season’s top scorer David Mooney. However, it would be Mooney’s partner in crime Dagnall who’s run at goal that would create another goal.   Dagnall’s shot could only be parried by keeper Ben Garratt, and Cox pounced on the loose ball to slot it home for 3-0. A cool finish from one of Orient’s Wembley scorers made a home win seem even closer, but after Andrea Dossena was substituted for Gary Sawyer after about an hour of play, it seemed to change the dynamic of the game.   We then saw a period of the game in which the Orient defence became nervy and the whole team seemed to sit back and allow Crewe more room to come at them.  Sure enough, Crewe nearly found a way back into the game. A shot from range hit Nathan Clarke, before it bounced up in a great position for Anthony Grant to fire a shot from all of 20 yards out, giving Adam Legzdins no chance as it flew past him into the top corner. Crewe then created further chances, but Marcus Haber skied the ball over and Jamie Ness found Adam Legzdins in seeming unstoppable form, with the former Derby keeper producing a world class save to thwart the on-loan Stoke midfielder.   Had that chance gone in for Crewe, Orient fans would have been in for a very nervous last 5 minutes or so.

From the resulting Crewe corner, Orient broke and Chris Dagnall found substitute Mooney, who finished his chance and the game superbly with his first goal in 11 games. That proved to be the end of Orient’s goal scoring, but before full-time Scott Cuthbert had a shot blocked by the Crewe defence. A 4-1 home win for Mauro Milanese’s side, who had only won once at home all season before that, moves Orient up to 19^th in League 1. Crewe, on the other hand, fall to the bottom of the table, piling more pressure on boss Steve Davis.

Andrea Dossena's volleyed cross/shot

Man of the Match:  Many candidates as Orient played very well, but one constant in all four goals was Chris Dagnall. The man who missed the crucial penalty at Wembley delivered what was his best performance in an Orient shirt since signing from Barnsley in January. A very tough call, but Dags’ work rate and pace caused Crewe all sorts of problems and his goal was superbly taken. Mentions also for Romain Vincelot, Andrea Dossena, Josh Wright and Scott Cuthbert. 

Orient, How We Got This Far...

As I, as well as most Orient fans, prepare for the biggest game in the club’s history, I take a look at the Orient’s season and look forward to a day out at Wembley this weekend.

What a Start

Eldin: "Bosnia's Number 1"

It says something about the strength of Orient when they went all the way up to Carlisle on the opening day of the season and won 5-1, the only bad points being Carlisle’s goal (coming from a questionable penalty) and Nathan Clarke’s injury. In fact 12 games unbeaten from a team that only had a 19 man squad before a ball was kicked is quite something. The performances were impressive and the football was slick, but the defeat at Coventry in October opened the door to patchy form until the arrival of Eldin Jakupović.

Goalkeepers

Shwan Jalal: Nervous

This season has carried on the theme of previous seasons of late; the theme of many goalkeepers. Jamie Jones was the first choice up to his injury over Christmas.  Jake Larkins played well when called upon immediately after Jones was injured, but was dropped in favour of fan favourite Eldin Jakupović.  After Jakupović’s first recall to Hull, Ben Alnwick’s disappearance was as quick as his arrival.  It was the low point of the season for the Os as well, because his very short term replacement, Shwan Jalal, had a stay at the Matchroom Stadium that Orient fans will prefer not to look back on. Jakupović then returned for a while the steady the ship before his second and final recall by Hull. Jones was by then ready to come back, thankfully, but surely one big reason that the automatic promotion push failed was the forever changing wearer of the gloves. It never helps a defence when they don’t have complete confidence in the man behind them. Rumour has it that, to fill the unexpected void left by Alnwick, Russell Slade was actually trying to loan in Jalal’s Bournemouth teammate Ryan Allsop (a former Orient favourite) but was told to have Jalal. Anyway it’s happened and we move on.

Strikers that can’t score

Simpson: 100% effort, 0% goals

We’ve seen it before haven’t we? Jamie Cureton, Michael Symes and David Mooney mark 1 (2011/12 version) ‘couldn’t hit a barn door with a banjo from a yard away’. Yet again there have been a couple this season: most noticeably Yohann Lasimant, who has hardly ever come off the bench, and Robbie Simpson, whose stoppage time miss against Preston in November set the tone for his season. Luckily Mooney mark 2.5 and ‘Super’ Kevin Lisbie have got 39 goals between them in all competitions, and January signing Chris Dagnall has now got the goals flowing after a quiet spell that followed his two goal debut. The problem I have with that is that even in some games where the Mooney/Lisbie partnership hasn’t produced goals they have still tended to keep ‘Dags’ on the bench without much of a look in. I’m happy to concede though that having 4 strikers like Lisbie, Mooney, Dagnall and Batt provides a good balance of attacking options, with Batt often proving difficult for opposing defences to handle when coming off the bench. Finally, having said something about strikers who can’t score, some mention ought to be made about two midfielders who can. Dean Cox and Moses Odubajo, who score and create chances, have been a revelation on the wings. Full-backs sometimes look baffled when the pair switch wings or have ‘free’ roles, while some opposing defenders have been seen to freeze at the sight of

Odubajo running directly at their goal. Cox’s determination and industry makes up for his lack of height while his leadership led him to captain the team twice in 2012/13. Besides, Mooney’s red card obtained while standing in as captain should mean he is unlikely to be offered the armband again any time.

Coxy is used to celebrating

Going Up?

Let’s not tempt fate…

Watford Sting Toothless Town

Beppe Sannino's Watford side beat Mick McCarthy's Ipswich Town on Saturday afternoon at Vicarage Road. 

In a rather underwhelming first half, Ipswich had the better of the opening 15 minutes. Frank Nouble was a thorn in 'Orns wing-back Davide Faraoni's side. But Johnny Williams' movement was stretching Watford's defence, with a shot from Williams not convincingly dealt with by Manuel Almunia, who was lucky that neither Anthony Wordsworth nor Daryl Murphy were following in on the Watford captain's risky punch away. But, and against the run of play, the Hornets then took the lead. 

Riera celebrates with Daniel Tőszer

The ball came to left wing-back Albert Riera, who took on Ipswich right-back Luke Chambers, before leaving him for dead and cutting inside and unleashing a curling shot past ex-Bristol City goalkeeper Dean Gerken into the back of the net. The ex-Liverpool player showed why he might well be loaned back to Watford when he starts his contract at Udinese in the summer with a goal that would be more expected in front of the Kop at Anfield. 

After Watford had taken the lead, the remainder of the first half settled into more of a balanced contest. The first half ended with a good chance for the visitors, with Nouble’s athleticism causing havoc down his sides left, before the ball came to Johnny Williams. However, the on loan Crystal Palace man couldn’t find the target with his shot missing the goal by a relatively small margin. 

As they had in the first half, Ipswich started off the stronger side with Williams feeding Frank Nouble, but the ex-West Ham striker got too far underneath the ball and sent it flying somewhere in the direction of Stevenage. Watford’s repost was a shot by Troy Deeney that, despite being on target, wasn’t challenging Dean Gerken. 

The game was about to get more frenetic, however, when after having been put under pressure by a back pass Manuel Almunia had little option other than to gift Ipswich a throw in. From it, Nouble’s deflected cross found Anthony Wordsworth. His side-foot finish was a very easy one in truth, with poor marking from Swede Joel Ekstrand, and a lack of authority from Almunia gifting the former Colchester man a rare goal. Town would then have another chance when another Johnny Williams cross was headed towards goal by Luke Hyam, but Almunia tipped the ball on to the bar, before Daryl Murphy fouled Albert Riera before missing the rebound. 

The save by Almunia would be the turning point in the game. A free-kick from Daniel Tőszer floated on to the head of Gabriele Angella, the Italian defender getting a free run on goal and flicking the ball past Gerken for Watford’s second of the afternoon. Mick McCarthy accused his defence of “Switching off” at that set-play, and they did in all fairness allowing Angella to bag his eighth goal of his first season in England. And as if the “Yellow Army” weren’t getting enough enjoyment from watching their team, Watford would score again. 

Scorers Riera and McGugan celebrate with Almen Abdi

Davide Faraoni had the ball on the right wing and passed it to Tőszer, who managed to avoid the temptation of going down under the challenge of two Ipswich defenders but lost the ball. Luckily for Watford, Lewis McGugan pounced on the loose ball to get Watford’s third.

The former Nottingham Forest midfielder managed to thread the ball through the legs of both Christophe Berra and Dean Gerken on the way into the net. That was the end of the goals, but that wouldn’t stop both teams having two similar chances to add to their tallies.

First, Stephen Hunt, on as a substitute for Ipswich, took the ball down before volleying just over. Watford sub Sean Murray would also take the ball on the volley, but his dipping shot didn’t dip enough for a fourth. 

Man of the Match: Albert Riera was a threat down Watford’s left flank, scored the goal of the game, and received a standing ovation when he was taken off for Daniel Pudil late on. The former Liverpool and Manchester City man is set to join Udinese in the summer but, as most of the players in Watford’s match day 18, may be loaned back to Watford next season.

Gillingham undone by fluent Os

David Mooney scores Orient's first goal of the game

Leyton Orient returned to form with a 5-1 thrashing of a lacklustre Gillingham side on Saturday afternoon at Brisbane Road. The match itself started, like every other match in the top five divisions, seven minutes later than usual as a mark of respect to the 96 Liverpool fans that had died at Hillsborough in 1989, but Orient seemed unaffected by the relative sombreness of the occasion. At the heart of what was an excellent first half performance by them was the quality and, at times, incisiveness of their passing, which enabled them to dominate play and helped to revive their main strikers, all of whom had been rather quiet for several games. 

Orient’s first goal came following a great passing move down the left-side that found Everton loanee John Lundstram, who’s beautifully weighted through ball gave David Mooney what looked like a tight angle to shoot. But shoot he did, and drilled his shot past former O Stuart Nelson to score his 19th goal of the season in all competitions. With the goal timed at just five minutes, Gillingham fans and players must’ve been expecting a long day at the office. However, even the most optimistic Orient fan couldn’t have envisaged what was about to happen.

 A few minutes later Orient left-back Elliot Omozusi received the ball from Lundstram, and advanced into the Gillingham penalty area before finding Mooney. The Irishman managed to turn 2 Gillingham defenders and laid the ball off to Dean Cox, who scored his 14th goal of the season with a right footed 20-yard pile-driver which flew into the corner of the net.

And it was Cox switching the play to Moses Odubajo that set up the third of the afternoon. The young wide man, who has been scouted by Tottenham recently, baffled Gills left-back Joe Martin before firing in a powerful cross for Kevin Lisbie, who used the power from the cross to head home past Nelson, giving the Gillingham bench plenty to consider. Orient, on the other hand, were flying high and scored again about 30 seconds later.

 Almost straight from the restart, dawdling by right-back Elliott Hewitt allowed Lisbie to knick the ball from the young Welshman, before heading straight for the Gillingham penalty. As Lisbie cut in from the left, his strike partner Mooney anticipated his intentions perfectly, latching onto a perfectly weighted squared pass to bag his 20th goal of the season. The striker is currently having his best season in England and, despite inconsistent form recently, is only two more goals away from 20 league goals. Gillingham fans were probably wishing that they had a striker of Mooney’s calibre as the goal prompted a notable exodus from the visiting supporters' stand for some early refreshments. Those who weren’t heading for drinks were chanting “We want our money back”, which was justified considering Orient’s whirlwind 35 minutes. Gillingham hardly posed a threat all half and were thankful that Orient didn’t score again.

The second half was a more cagey affair, but with 12 minutes to go, after a Gillingham corner was cleared by Lundstram, Lisbie knocked the ball down 40 yards out for Mooney’s replacement Chris Dagnall. Dagnall then ran forward to the edge of the Gillingham penalty area, with both Jake Hessenthaler and Adam Barrett desperately trying to usher him to a safe area. Just as it began to look as if Dagnall’s chance to score had gone, he managed to slot the ball between the two defenders and past Nelson for goal number five. The goal itself led to a great number of Gills fans heading for the turnstiles. But those who stayed were to witness a late consolation.

Joe Martin’s cross from the left came all the way to Craig Fagin, whose volley hit defender Mathieu Baudry, who was trying to clear the ball, before finding the net. The Gillingham fans that had stayed then began ironic chants of “Easy, Easy, Easy”, which was greeted by laughter from around the ground. But the damage had already been done and Orient fans could go home happy with the result.

Man of the Match: There were several really good performances from Orient players in the game and picking a single man of the match isn’t easy. However, Orient’s domination of most of the game was made possible by the excellent central midfield pairing of Romain Vincelot and John Lundstram pulling a lot of the strings. Vincelot looked back to his best, but Lundstram showed why Everton may need him in a few years’ time. His tackling was spot on, his passing was top notch, and even experienced players like Nathan Clarke were looking for the Liverpudlian at times which just shows how good this young man is. My man of the match award therefore goes to John Lundstram.

Was the Derby a Wake-Up Call for Moyes?

Last week, Manchester United lost quite comprehensively to their big rivals Manchester City.  I watched the match and found some of United’s defensive play rather disappointing. I’ve set out below what I saw as their main defensive weaknesses and have added some thoughts on what I think they could improve upon.

Defending Issues

Obviously, Moyes’ hand had already been played in terms of who was playing at right-back. Rafael was unfit and Chris Smalling has previous experience of a Manchester derby. So, in respect, it might have been a good move, but Smalling was given a hard time by Aleksandar Kolarov and Samir Nasri, thanks to Antonio Valencia’s seeming inability to cover for his team-mate. Meanwhile, on the other side of the United defence, there was a similar ill-balanced contest going on in the form of a one-man roasting of Patrice Evra by Jesus Navas. Turning to the middle of the defence, a Sir Alex Ferguson Man United team would more likely have had a younger centre-back with Rio Ferdinand or Nemanja Vidic and Michael Carrick would’ve been sitting deeper in his midfield role.  However, David Moyes has signed Marouane Fellaini to play in that position but obviously he doesn’t want to defend.

Of particular concern was the fact that all of City’s goals came from crosses into the box, while David De Gea’s failings in relation to communicating with his back-four seems to be, and always has been, a problem and a liability.

Lack of Ability

Another reason that United lost the match is the lack of meaningful cover upfront. After Robin Van Persie and Wayne Rooney, there is precious little in terms of back-up. Danny Welbeck has the first touch of a League Two Goalkeeper, “Chicharito” is out of favour, and Angelo Henriquez is out on loan. So keeping RVP fit would be crucial, surely? Obviously not though, as United look to play-on without the man who is arguably their best player. Added to these problems are Ashley Young’s inability to stand up for more than five minutes, Wilfried Zaha’s inexperience, and the whole Shinji Kagawa affair, which I think Moyes could’ve dealt with better by just playing him when Rooney was injured. Furthermore, the lack of strength in midfield for United (Carrick and Fellaini) allowed Yaya Toure and Fernandinho to dominate proceedings. And the lack of looking for the midfield rock to build the team on has seemingly come back to haunt the Red Devils. In fact, if you look at the successful Premier League teams of the past, there was always some sort of strength in that department. Arsenal’s Invincibles had Patrick Viera and Gilberto, Chelsea had Claude Makelele and Michael Ballack, and the current Man City side being tipped for a good year has the aforementioned pairing.

So if United are serious in mounting a title challenge this season, they need to strengthen in those areas. 

What do you think? Post your thoughts in the comments below.

Do We Really Need the International Break?

Tonight, on ITV (in England), it’s England vs. Scotland. It’s a fiercely contested derby game between bitter footballing, and now seemingly political, rivals. And for these players, after tonight’s game, the whole English and most of the Scottish squad can return to their respective clubs without a fuss. But other times England might be playing Australia or Brazil away from the comfort of Wembley, and returning back to England can be a hassle to say the least. I am now going to look at what effects far-flung international friendlies can have on the players and their clubs, as well as the fans home and away, also taking into account their usefulness to the international squad’s manager, before making my own conclusion on the matter.

I heard, the other day, that the Spanish national team were travelling all the way to Columbia to play in an international friendly. Now, the amount of air miles racked up by the players in that squad will be beyond belief, considering that there is also jet-lag and acclimatisation to contend with. Then there is the flight back to Spain and the subsequent journey to places such as Barcelona, Manchester or any other city in Europe. And that’s not the only problem that domestic clubs have when players return.

Players have previously come back with injuries, keeping them out of domestic action for up to Christmas and New Year, and sometimes beyond. Another problem is if players return late from midweek international duty, it means that they aren’t ready for Saturday afternoon at 3pm when their season starts. And if it’s not injury or lateness, there’s fatigue or just generally not feeling up to playing on the following weekend.

From the country’s perspective, it’s a good thing to have a friendly before the start of the season. It whets the fans’ appetite for the new season and is also a good way of assessing where the national team stand. But the negatives for the players and squads seem to outweigh the positives on this front, because as good as international friendlies can sometimes be, they seem to be of little value for most teams.

In my opinion, friendlies in the international game just don’t get me jumping out of my seat. They are full of offside strikers, substitutions, and general "flim-flam" building up to, and in the aftermath of, the match. So please FIFA, make international breaks just for competitive matches!!!

Premier League Predictions - Part 2

So here's my predictions for the remainder of Premier League clubs:

Manchester United 

The legend might be gone but his squad still remains, which means that David Moyes should have no problem in bringing the squad together. But the £1mln signing of Uruguayan right-back Guillermo Varela is a strange one; United already have stength in depth in this position, with Rafael, Fabio, Phil Jones and Johnny Evans. And at left-back there’s Patrice Evra, Alex Büttner, Fabio and, as a last resort, Anderson. Anyway, besides this, with few changes to the squad, United look on target for European Qualification, so I predict a 2^nd place finish for the Red Devils with Robin van Persie getting the golden boot. I suspect that Mourinho's greater experience at the top will give Chelsea the edge over Moyes' United this season.

Newcastle United 

Alan Pardew’s French Revolution was taking shape in January: Moussa Sissoko’s one man show against Chelsea, Yoan Gouffran and Hatem Ben Arfa out wide. But since Joe Kinnear has come back in through the door, the spending has stopped and signs of discontent have emanated from St James'. Kinnear has not endeared himself to the Newcastle faithful; fumbles in an interview with talkSPORT have highlighted this, where he referred to “Yohan Kebab” and “Hatem Ben Affri”. With little transfer movement, the Newcastle tactics are unlikely to change. The performances of the team must improve though if they want to avoid a relegation scrap, which I think they will. The season is unlikely to be extraordinary for the Toon Army, but a solid 16^th place finish is possible, avoiding a relegation scrap.

Norwich City 

The Premier League’s East Anglian representative has had two good seasons of mid-table Premier League football. Despite this, there were some nervous times last season. Chris Hughton has spent his money on securing the services of Javier Garrido, Leroy Fer, Ricky van Wolfswinkel, Nathan Redmond (who worked with Hughton at Birmingham), and Martin Olsson. Though, he lost club captain Grant Holt toWigan. With question marks over the Premier league abilities of his new signings, I don't expect Norwich to perform as solidly as they did last year. I think that they’ll finish 18^th and lose their place in the Premier League.

Southampton 

Last season, the team had a shaky start under Nigel Adkins, but were given a new lease of life when Mauricio Pochettino came through the door, avoiding relegation safely come May. Saints fans will hope that the club's progress since January will carry on into the new season. Pochettino is now speaking English, is signing players to add to the squad he inherited, and has the support of the clubs fans and board. So Southampton with Dejan Lovren and Victor Wanayama look on course for 10^th place in my opinion.

Stoke City 

Mark Hughes arrives at Stoke with a mission to turn the team into a footballing side, who play more than just the long-ball. The hallmarks of the Pulis-era are likely to remain though: Ryan Shotton is a long-throw specialist; Peter Crouch is a target man; and January signing Jack Butland is now a full-time Stoke player. As with many clubs, Hughes's signings lack Premier League experience: Alex Grant (Portsmouth); Marc Muniesa (Barcelona); and Erik Pieters (PSV Eindhoven). Hughes himself will be looking to dispel his torrid time at QPR. With new players on board, the transition is underway. Though, I don't predict this transition will be swift; a slow start to the season is likely to leave them 14^th in May, though the City display in the second half of the season should leave them in good stead for 2014-15.

Sunderland 

Last season Sunderland's performance got progressively worse, leading to the sacking of Martin O’Neil and his subsequent replacement by Paolo Di Canio. Di Canio has bought in bulk, bringing in nine new players: Emmanuale Giaccherini, Vito Mannone, Jozy Altidore, El Hadji Ba, Cabral, David Moberg Karlsson, Modibo Diakite, Valentin Roberge and Duncan Whatmore. Though only two are from English clubs and one (Mannone) from the Premier League. Nevertheless, the squad and new signings have quality, which should see Sunderland finish 11^th in the table. Perhaps if Di Canio proves himself managerially, he may become a contender for future vacancies at the 'big' clubs.

Swansea City 

Michael Laudrup came into English football and set out his stall very early. He signed Michu on the cheap, then beat QPR 5-0 and West Ham 3-0. Swansea were the surprise side of the last season: winning the Capital One Cup, beating Arsenal at the Emirates, and giving Liverpool a lesson in Tipi-Taka football at Anfield. This year they have brought in Jordi Amat, Wilfried Bony, Jose Canas, Jonathan De Guzman (Loan),Alejandro Pozuelo, Jonjo Shelvey and Jernade Meade. The Europa League is an obvious distraction for Swansea; many clubs have tried to compete in both Premier and Europa leagues in the past and failed. Despite that, I think Laudrup can weave his managerial-magic again, as long as he keeps key players fit for the whole season. If he does this, the Swans will finish 8^th, with Michu and Wilfried Bony fighting it out a top club goalscorers.

Tottenham Hotspur 

“Gareth Bale FC” risk losing their strongest asset as the new season begins. To add to this, Spurs have struggled to bring players in, with the £17mln Paulinho, Chadli and Soldado being the only notable new players at the club. Spurs have failed to attract their other targets though: Christian Benteke has agreed a stay at Villa Park and Udinese forward Matej Vydra has not made the switch. Bale's future is integral to Tottenham's season. If he stays, the club will be able to challenge the top-four; if not, they may struggle to keep the pace. Either way,a 5^th place finish is well within their grasp.

West Bromwich Albion 

The loan capture of Romelu Lukaku defined WBA's 2012-13 season; he scored countless goals for the Baggies and was their star player. With Lukaku back at Chelsea, Steve Clarke has brought in Goran Popov (Loan) and Nicolas Anelka. Whether Anelka can reproduce his past goalscoring magic is an open question. I think not and believe that he'll be overshadowd by Shane Long in the goalscoring stakes. With a strong back-bone in thesquad, the Baggies look set for mid-table safety - 12^th place.

West Ham United

The Hammers met most people’s expectations last season: a safe mid-table finish. “Big Sam” Allardyce has looked to improve on this, spending money on Goalkeeper Adrian, Defender Razvan Rat, Midfielder Danny Whitehead and Striker Andy Carroll. Carroll showed in 2012-13 that he fits into the Allardyce style of play perfectly. With Carroll leading the attack, West Ham look set for 13^th in the table. However, the improvement Hammers fans crave is unlikely.

To summarise, here's my predicted Premier League table:

POSITION	CLUB
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20	Chelsea Man Utd Man City Arsenal Tottenham Everton Liverpool Swansea Fulham Southampton Sunderland West Brom West Ham Stoke Aston Villa Newcastle Cardiff Norwich Crystal Palace Hull