Football
Charlie Kelman Urges Leyton Orient to Treat Poor Start as a “Wake Up Call”
Leyton Orient's Charlie Kelman calls on his teammates to view their tough start to the season as a "wake-up call" after four straight defeats.
Image Credits: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
Charlie Kelman stressed Leyton Orient need to use their sorry start to the season as a “wake up call”.
Shaky Start to the League Campaign
The O’s are rock bottom of League One having failed to pick up a point from their first four games.
Boss Richie Wellens, who took the reins back in 2022, labelled Saturday’s 3-0 hammering at Shrewsbury as “the worst I’ve seen since I’ve been here”.
It shows the enormity of the task at hand for Wellens this season after a transitional summer.
EFL Cup Success Offers Brief Respite
Image Credits: Ivan Yordanov/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images
The one bright spark for the club so far this term is they stunned Championship Millwall to reach the third round of the EFL Cup.
But hopes of taking that momentum into their league campaign were squashed by the Shrews, who themselves were without a point before Orient travelled to Shropshire.
It’s got to be a wake up call to us all
Charlie Kelman
Shrewsbury Defeat
“Just because we’ve done well against some big teams in the league, it doesn’t mean you can go to a place like Shrewsbury and take it for granted. They’re a decent side and good at what they do.”
“It’s still going to be a fight. Games have different challenges.”
“Fair play to Shrewsbury, they were all over us and had a game plan which they stuck to. They were tough to beat and were the better side on the day.”
“You need to take the good with the bad sometimes.”
New-Look Squad Needs Time to Gel
Kelman, who joined the club on loan from QPR, is one of nine new recruits to come through the door at Brisbane Road.
He is an exciting talent tipped with a decent future in the game, as is Jack Currie — on loan from Championship Oxford United — who scooped the Player of the Year award whilst on loan at AFC Wimbledon last term.
The new-look squad is undoubtedly taking time to gel, and former Manchester United midfielder Wellens should be afforded time to mould them into his style with a number of late additions coming through the door.
International Break Brings Opportunity to Reset
This week’s international break, with the club’s game against Peterborough United postponed due to international call-ups, has come at the perfect time for under-fire Wellens and his side.
It was a similar situation last season with the O’s picking up a solitary point at the same stage,.
Kelman, who is on his second loan spell at the club having played during the 2022/23 campaign, added: “Over the international break I’m sure we’ll work hard.
There are still over 40 games left so there’s a long way to go. It’s been a tough start.
Charlie Kelman
“It was similar to the start the boys had last year the gaffer was saying.”
“We need to sit down and analyse the last four games and see what we can do better and see how we can move forward really.”
“As soon as I knew the chance was there to come back here, I was so excited. It was a no-brainer after speaking to Richie.”
“I can’t speak highly enough of Richie, as a person, and how he is as a coach.”
Shane is an experienced sports journalist with over a decade on the front line, covering everything from football to horse racing. A familiar face in the snooker pressroom, his work regularly appears in the Daily Mirror, Daily Express, and Daily Star, alongside SportsBoom.
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