Richie Wellens has admitted that Leyton Orient's home form is giving him genuine cause for concern, after a defeat to managerless Wycombe Wanderers at Brisbane Road on Saturday extended the O's run without a league win on their own patch to seven matches, a sequence that stretches all the way back to March.
Speaking to BBC Radio London after the game, Wellens did not reach for the sort of upbeat deflection that managers often default to when results are uncomfortable. "It's concerning because how do we change the feel about the place?" he said. "You can't just be reactive where you win and everybody's happy, you lose and everybody wants to rip everything up and start again. You have to go through processes."
It is the kind of candour that tends to be refreshing in the short term and quietly alarming in the long term. Seven home league games without a victory is a significant run for any third-tier club, and losing to a side without a manager in the dugout will do little to lift spirits around east London.
Wellens, though, appears to be pinning his faith on the squad developing collectively rather than looking for a quick fix. "I think we've got the nucleus of a good team," he added, "but people need to learn things; people are playing at this level for the first time." That framing puts some of the responsibility on inexperience rather than on system or personnel, which will satisfy some Orient supporters more than others.
Injury concerns mount
The defeat to Wycombe also brought a fresh batch of injury worries. Defender Joseph Olowu went off with an Achilles problem, while Demetri Mitchell was sent for a scan after picking up a knock in the same game. Neither prognosis was confirmed in Wellens's post-match comments, which suggests the club is waiting on results before saying anything definitive.
Ipswich Town loanee Somto Boniface, signed on a temporary basis to bolster Orient's left-back options, is also absent and likely to miss another couple of weeks with the knee injury he sustained against Sheffield Wednesday last month. Three defenders in various stages of doubt is not an ideal position for a team trying to shore up a leaky home record.
Loan contingent in line for EFL Trophy minutes
On a more positive note, Wellens confirmed that loan defender Alfie Gilchrist is returning from injury and will be handed minutes on Tuesday, when Orient face Arsenal's Under-21 side in the EFL Trophy. Goalkeeper Oliver Dovin, who arrived on a deadline-day loan from Coventry City, is also expected to start that game. Trophy football rarely moves the needle for League One supporters, but getting minutes into recovering players is a practical use of the fixture.
Whether those returns can feed into improved league results at Brisbane Road remains the more pressing question. Seven games without a home win is the sort of run that can quietly drain a season of momentum, particularly if the away form is not picking up the slack. Wellens has spoken openly about wanting processes rather than panic; the patience of Brisbane Road's regulars will be tested if those processes do not begin to show results soon.
Orient's League One campaign is at a point where the home record needs to turn. A ground that should be an advantage has become, at least on recent evidence, something closer to neutral territory. Wellens knows it, said so publicly, and will now be judged on what he does about it.
Frequently asked
- Why has Leyton Orient not won at home in the league?
- Manager Richie Wellens has cited a lack of experience in his squad and the need to stick to a process rather than making reactive changes. Orient have gone seven league games without a home win at Brisbane Road, a run stretching back to March.
- Who is injured at Leyton Orient?
- Somto Boniface (knee, expected back in a couple of weeks), Joseph Olowu (Achilles) and Demetri Mitchell (scan awaited) are all doubts, while Alfie Gilchrist is returning from injury and should get minutes in the EFL Trophy.
- Who is Oliver Dovin and why did Leyton Orient sign him?
- Oliver Dovin is a goalkeeper signed on loan from Coventry City on deadline day. He is expected to start for Orient in their EFL Trophy fixture against Arsenal Under-21s.