GUEST POST! Crewe Alexandra 1 Leyton Orient 2, 18/1/14

I wouldn't have been at this match even if I was in the country, as I am banned from the tiny medieval village of Crewe due to an ancient family feud. Luckily Andy Brown - Orient blogger for WAGU and The Two Unfortunates - took one for the team and gives us his take on events...

Robbie Simpson

A game in which... New boy Chris Dagnall made the most stunning debut since a certain Wayne Montague Purser scored a hat-trick in 2003. After a frustrating 45 minutes of having to watch Robbie Simpson lumber about the field like a stoned elephant, Dags decided he was going to show everyone how it should be done, with two clinical strikes within seven blinding minutes that made us wonder if Carl Griffiths was back in town…

Despite not really getting going until the second half, and conceding a suspiciously offside looking goal, Orient matched Crewe for effort in a midfield scrap and it was again Moses Odubajo and Dean Cox who provided the spark. Cox's lofted a ball over the top which Dagnall controlled with one touch, beating programme poster boy Mark Ellis, before lashing across Ben Garratt.

Moment(s) of magic... Dagnall’s brace. His first taken with one touch and second a clinical thumping shot into the bottom corner. The new striker will be making Orient’s thousand other forwards look over their shoulders and while it’s very early to make predictions, his interplay with Cox, James, Lisbie and Odubajo made him look as though he’d been at the club for years. (Jonah alert!)

Moment of madness... Russell Slade’s unwavering faith in Robbie Simpson (in this case ahead of the four other strikers in the bench), which lead to discussions among the Os fans that he must be seeing something really amazing in training that we’re not - or he’s Russ’s lovechild. And that's not to say he doesn’t work hard, but it’s nice if a striker can set up and score goals…

Top gun... Dags was the clear winner, but Odubajo and Cox were also candidates. Captain Clarke had another solid game, denying Aneke with a great stop near the end to prevent a 2-2 draw. This Orient team is very hard to beat and is grinding out wins in tough places, even when not playing brilliantly.

Little donkey... Crewe centre-back Mark Ellis had a comfortable first half with Robbie Simpson, but was run ragged by the guile and clever play of Chris Dagnall throughout the second.

Russell Slade picks his team

In the dugout... Despite starting Simpson ahead of arguably better options on the bench, Russell Slade continues to show the Midas touch and make changes at the right times to win games. Bringing on Vincelot for Ness made Orient’s midfield more combative and solid, and introducing Dagnall won the game. Had he perhaps brought on Loza or Coulthirst, then Orient may have potentially had more goals, but a win is a win!

View from the opposition... Crewe boss Steve Davis was pretty graceless afterwards claiming that defensive mistakes cost his team in the defeat. He did, however, admit that Orient have real quality up front. Thanks Steve - that’s why we’ve scored more than anyone else, so can’t argue with that. Crewe fan Adam Gray was also very gracious, commenting “Congrats on the win, can see why you’ll probably go up.”

Graham Westley: Yeah, well, you too would  be
upset if you were dressed like that

Tweet of the week... Commenting on his debut for Orient, Chris Dagnall displayed typical flamboyancy: “Well that was an alright debut, massive performance from the lads #topoftheleague”. Next week Dags describes getting a hat-trick as “quite fun”. Meanwhile, Graham Westley is back making friends, allegedly telling his Stevenage player to “snap him” (according to Notts County fan Andrew), before Jack Grealish of Notts County was annihilated by this challenge. Way to go Graham. If you can’t beat them, end their careers, eh?

GUEST POST! Leyton Orient 4 Carlisle United 0, 11/1/14

I followed this match via Twitter from a graffiti-strewn techno club in a subterranean bunker under Berlin. Luckily Andy Brown - blogger extraordinaire from WAGU and The Two Unfortunates - was actually at Brisbane Road and has stepped in with his own version of the day's events...

Carlisle's defending

A game in which...Orient were so ridiculously dominant in their first home fixture of the year that the game should have been declared a TKO after 66 minutes when Kevin Lisbie lashed the Os' third in off the post. 

Poor Carlisle looked like Audley Harrison on the ropes and must be sick of the sight of Orient after two 4-1 maulings last season and a 5-1 stuffing on the opening day, as Orient came at them again and again and could have scored more.

Orient's trio of new loans looked quick and sharp looked lethal: Ness lashing in a lovely 25-yard volley off the post, Loza looking lively again and Shaq Coulthirst refusing to give up and taking the ball around Carlisle keeper Fleming in injury time. 

Moment of magic... Moses Odubajo's "Cruyff turn"  in the second half to take himself away from three players and get a cross in towards Loza. Call it cheeky, call it flamboyant, it had no place in a League One football match and was made all the sweeter by the look on Carlisle Matty Robson's face as he attempted to chase and kick Orient's number 11 into the West Stand... and promptly missed that as well. 

Moment of madness...Sky’s continuous Orient amnesia on Goals Now with the Os seemingly written out of the season like Stalinist purges. After showing Brentford and Wolves’ goals, they conclude with “So that wraps up the top of League One.” Er, no it doesn’t. 

Scott Cuthbert

Top gun... Scott Cuthbert, proving that Tuesday's slightly below par performance was a blip as he defended stoically and marauded up and down the right flank like a terrier with a pork chop, as well as scoring a bullet header from a Cox corner to put the Os 1-0 up. Plaudits also go to Moses Odubajo and Dean Cox, both of whom looked like Usain Bolt compared to the Carlisle full backs, and Kevin Lisbie who looked formidable holding the ball up and creating chances.

Little donkey(s)... The entire Carlisle team have now conceded 17 in their last four matches against Orient. They say don't get mad, get even. Carlisle are doing neither. Matty Robson, for one, was run ragged and frankly embarrassed for 90 minutes by Moses Obubajo and is probably considering doing something else on Saturdays in future. 

In the dug out... Russell Slade is displaying Yoda-like wisdom this season. Bartley started well and looked

Russell Slade

good again until injured and all the players that started outclassed their opposite numbers in a scintillating display of attacking prowess. By the time the young loanees came on it was almost cruel, with Loza and Coulthirst running a bedraggled Carlisle ragged before bagging a fourth in the 95th minute.

 

View from the opposition... "Orient deserve all the praise they get. Solid platform combined with plenty of thrust. Hope they keep it up" wrote Carlisle fan John McGee in a fair, honest and generous view of the Os' performance. Jake, on the other hand, who likes to make friends and influence people, tweeted "Can't wait till West Ham get the Olympic stadium and Orient go bust". Very good, Jake. Are you bitter by any chance?

Tweet of the week.... Three crackers this week: Firstly Huw Davies tweeted this Vine of Relegation Roger’s defending against Man City for West Ham. Think Bobby Moore v Pele, only without the tackle bit. Second up, Os former promotion-winning captain John Mackie claiming that it's not pants or socks, but his occasional column in the Os' programme that's responsible for Orient winning matches. Nice idea, John, but what about away games? And lastly Dean Cox gets a mention for his #askcoxy interview, in which he admitted that he doesn't like the Tiny Cox chant, but knows he's doing something right when the fans sing it. Naturally he heard it a lot today!

GUEST POST! Shrewsbury 0 Leyton Orient 2, 7/1/14

For the moment, I'm in Germany's version of east London - i.e. Berlin - so in my absence Orient fan and blogger Andy Brown (of WAGU and The Two Unfortunates fame) has kindly stepped in to give his view of the game against Shrewsbury... 

Eldin Jakupovic

A game in which... Orient never got out of second gear, but didn’t need to against a Shrewsbury team whose striking accuracy resembled Stevie Wonder trying to hit a bulls eye at the PDC. Meanwhile Eldin Jakupovic, our new keeper on loan from Hull, also seemed to intimidate them - nothing to do with his size and resemblance to Vincent Vega from Pulp Fiction.

Orient didn’t really connect with their passing in the first half, often giving the ball away, but improved massively in the second-half. Nevertheless the Os looked sharp going forward all game and had that extra class up front. It was a real treat for the 144 hardy souls, many of whom had witnessed an unpleasant 4-0 FA Cup mauling at the hands of the Tractor Boys down in Yeovil.

Moment of magic... Jamar Loza, a 19-year-old  youth-loan arrival from Norwich City (who didn't arrive in time to make the back of Shrewsbury's programme) weaved between several players to slot through a lovely ball for January Os calendar poster boy Moses Odubajo to take it round the keeper and slot home Orient’s first from a tight angle.

Moment of madness... Former Os favourite Tamika Mkandawire, who headed firmly into his own net after a corner from Dean Cox. All the plaudits went to Scott Cuthbert, but it was clearly Tam who got the connection. Cheers for that, old chap! Scott Cuthbert had a dodgy second half, giving the ball away a few times and proving he’s about as comfortable at right back as jumping on a bike missing a saddle.

Top gun... A few candidates but Dean Cox and Moses Odubajo both looked a class apart, tormenting the full backs all night and creating plenty of chances. Lloyd James and Marvin Bartley were also excellent in preventing Shrewsbury’s midfield creating any real chances, as Jakupovic didn’t have one serious save to make.

Little donkey(s)... Tom Eaves and Aaron Wildig - aka Shrewsbury’s MIA strike-force - who despite being ably supported by the very talented Jon Taylor still couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo, even on the rare occasion that Captain Clarke was out-muscled. Easily the worst frontline the Os will face this season.

Russ wins the World Cup

In the dug out... Russell Slade got it dead right on the pitch again, bringing in Bartley and leaving Ness on the bench and the Os looked hard to breakdown throughout the game. The gaffer also came right up to the fans at the end punching the air like we’d won the World Cup, rather than away at Shrewsbury on a Tuesday night. High-fives all round and real togetherness in the club right now. Can you feel the love?

View from the opposition... A pretty quiet bunch all in all, despite piping up with “same old cockneys, always cheating” after various two-footed lunges on Dean Cox and Lloyd James that that should have resulted in dismissals. Also confusing was the number of fans wearing Man Utd gear in the Pro-Sport bar before the game - maybe they missed the coach to Sunderland? However, they are decent bunch who are really struggling for home form right now, which Os fans will hope changes when Brentford visit them in a few weeks!

Tweet of the week.... Our good friends in claret and blue up the road and their salad-dodging manager. They are the gift that won’t stop giving. After losing 5-0 at the weekend to Forest and getting annihilated 6-0 by Man City, Big Sam now has his own board game according to Tim Bolton.