City had to dig deep and battle really hard to earn three points at Sincil Bank against Leyton Orient on Saturday. Kyle Fox reports that a disgruntled Richie Willens spoke up during the afternoon football game.
The Imps were not at their best in the first half, which Leyton Orient took advantage of and dominated. They did some fantastic stuff and pinned us in at times. We had the work rate, but the execution was the issue.
The second half was an entirely different story; we came out strong and were the stronger team overall. However, Orient had more shots (three for us, two for them) and remained dangerous in the second half, scoring their sole goal of the match.
They were a good club, and their league position does not accurately reflect their current status or performance. They were just missing the final ball or stroke. They lacked a clinical edge in front of goal, but they were excellent in and out of possession for much of the game. Richie Wellens, Orient’s manager, felt the same way and shared his unique comments on the game with the media following the encounter.
“That’s the bare minimum (when asked about his team not giving up), we’ve got hundreds of supporters coming to follow us today and that’s the bare minimum.”
“In terms of the game, it’s likely a mirror image. We’ve played ten games, and this is probably a mirror version of nine of them. Should have gotten something from the game.”
“We dominated–we struck the crossbar and had a few ricochets. But the number of times we get into very good places and don’t get a shot or a slide cross in is far too frequent.”
“What sums the game up for me, we’re playing a team (Lincoln City) that just basically sits off you.”
“We’re playing against a team that only wants to counter attack you. What did they accomplish today to win the game against Leyton Orient? Nothing. I’m not criticizing them for that because that’s what they do.”
“It’s us, this is our fault, we’ve got a soft underbelly and we allow teams to score when I wouldn’t even say they were on top because it was straight after half time.”
“They passed the ball, and this gigantic center forward rushes into the middle of our box, free. I understand if it was switched and occurred quickly. However, the ball is not on the same side from whence it originated. Incredible objective to give away. The second goal is probably worse. We finish the second one to clear our space, too hungry to chase the equaliser.”
“I’m the biggest one to look in the mirror, and if somebody saw our first ten games of the season and asked them to criticize us. There wouldn’t be much wrong. They would describe themselves as a good team that is on the front foot, energetic, and gets into fantastic situations. But we don’t get enough shots, we don’t work the goalie enough, and we concede in small momentum changes throughout the game.”
“How many shots have they taken on target today? Two? I believe we’ve conceded about 70-80% of our shots on goal, and we don’t concede many shots.”
“Jack Simpson was on the verge of getting sent off (because of Jovon Makama)”
“I’m not making excuses; we have a soft underbelly, which costs us goals. We’re wasting points that we should be getting.”
“I feel sorry for our supporters- I see a lad nearly in tears in an Orient kit and it hurts, it hurts me.”
“But the game plan was right on–but we didn’t want to take advantage, particularly in the first half. You (the interviewer) said we dominated the first half, and we did. But they (Lincoln) are passive, and they sit off you. If I’d played against them, I could have had 90% of the ball by standing in the middle of the park, getting into pockets, and playing it. We’re not bright enough or acute enough to do countermovements.
“They’re a good team when they break; they come in and gallop. They’re an excellent team at that.”
“We let them off the hook first half, we don’t make enough chances with the amount of ball we have and the areas we get in.”
“I feel for a lot of people at the club who are doing a lot of good work, but ultimately you need to start winning football matches.”
Later, in his post-match interview, he opted to convey a message to his own players after announcing changes for their midweek meeting against Colchester United:
“I hope the players look at this interview, and please take the shirt by the scruff of the neck.”
“Not one player has come in and said, ‘this is my shirt I’m going to keep it’.”
He then complimented our supporters near the end of his interview, saying, “Their supporters were really good at the end.” “I thought it was a nice atmosphere.”
It’s fair to say Wellens didn’t hide his irritation during the interview, and it was primarily directed at his own side. He believes they should not have lost because of their lack of skill in the last third and the aggravation of losing several games this season. That includes this game.
He made both positive and negative comments on Lincoln. He appreciated the Lincoln fans and our transitional play as we counterattacked. He remarked we’re a very good and fast team at it. However, he also stated that he believes we are a side that simply’sits off you’ and ‘want to counterattack on you’.
Overall, he felt upset, which was understandable given that Leyton Orient should have gotten something out of the game and deserved something out of it.
Orioles fans online were equally dissatisfied with the outcome and their team’s overall performance this season. Some supporters are unhappy with Wellens, primarily because of what he said in the interview. It is the reality that they continue to perform well and come near in games but do not cross the finish line and have yet to produce results. A few fans have also criticized the recruiting, citing their continued lack of performance in the closing third of games. However, many supporters continue to support Wellens and recognize how terrible Orient has been. They may also observe what the squad is attempting to do and how close they are to achieving their goals of winning games.
Orient are a good team, and the bulk of their performances have been positive (except Shrewsbury away). If they keep it up and add a little more in the final third, they will see results.
Read more news on:https://sportupdates.co.uk/
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