A surprise new contender emerges for Leyton Orient manager’s job with Matt Harrold acting as caretaker until a replacement is found.
At the start of the season, the O’s had hopes of getting promoted to League One for the first time since being relegated from it in 2015.
However, they will be happy to just see the campaign finish as they sit in 18th place and are just three points above the drop zone.
Kenny Jackett lost his job late last month and Harrold is in interim charge, but the need for a permanent new face in the dugout was made very clear at the weekend as relegation candidates Carlisle picked up a vital win, 1-0 in east London.
Football League World claim to have been told that Ian Morris could be the man they turn to to try and get them out of trouble.
He is the manager of League of Ireland First Division outfit Waterford, but in the past had a working relationship with Orient Director of Football Martin Ling with the pair spending time at Torquay United, whilst he has overseen two promotions in the last three years.
Meanwhile, bookmakers BetVictor have kept the market for new Leyton Orient manager open and it would seem there is a new favourite…
1) Jonathan Woodgate – 1/1
2) Luke Garrard – 2/1
3) Neil Lennon – 6/1
4) Darren Ferguson – 8/1
5) Lee Johnson – 10/1
6) Richie Wellens – 25/1
Jonathan Woodgate is an English football manager and former player – most recently the manager of AFC Bournemouth.
Woodgate started his career at Leeds United and was sold to Newcastle United for £9 million in 2003, where he impressed despite injury problems. His performances in Europe for the Magpies led to Real Madrid signing him for £13.4 million in 2004. Injuries ended his time in Madrid and he failed to make a single appearance in the entire 2004–05 season. On his debut for Real Madrid, he scored an own goal and was sent off for two bookable offences.
He went on to play 14 times for them before joining his hometown club Middlesbrough on loan, then permanently for a fee of £7 million. He joined Tottenham Hotspur for £8 million in 2008. He netted the winning goal for Spurs in the League Cup Final against Chelsea and went on to play 44 times in the 2008–09 season. After more injury problems, he only made four appearances in the next two campaigns and was released in 2011 and signed a pay-as-you-play deal with Stoke. He spent the 2011–12 season at the Potters and after his contract expired re-signed for Boro, remaining there until his retirement in 2016.
Following retirement, Woodgate took up various coaching roles at Middlesbrough until June 2019 when he was appointed manager of the club, following the departure of Tony Pulis. He remained in the role for just over a year before he was axed in June 2020. He linked up with the coaching staff at AFC Bournemouth on the 1st of February 2021 before being appointed as caretaker manager two days later, following the sacking of Jason Tindall. On the 21st of February, he was given the role until the end of the season, but left in June after failing to lead the club back to the Premier League via the playoffs.
Middlesbrough – 14 June 2019 until 23 June 2020 – 41 games, 9 wins, 16 draws, 16 defeats, 21.95 win %
AFC Bournemouth – 3 February 2021 until 30 June 2021 – 23 games, 13 wins, 2 draws, 8 defeats, 56.52 win %
Total – 64 games, 22 wins, 18 draws, 24 defeats, 34.38 win %
LEYTON ORIENT’S RUN-IN
Tue 1 Mar (A) Colchester United – League Two – 7.45pm
Sat 5 Mar (H) Stevenage – League Two – 3pm
Sat 12 Mar (A) Hartlepool United – League Two – 3pm
Tue 15 Mar (A) Forest Green Rovers – League Two – 7.45pm
Sat 19 Mar (H) Rochdale – League Two – 3pm
Tue 22 Mar (A) Harrogate Town – League Two – 7.45pm
Sat 26 Mar (H) Barrow – League Two – 3pm
Tue 29 Mar (A) Oldham Athletic – League Two – 7.45pm
Sat 2 Apr (A) Walsall – League Two – 3pm
Sat 9 Apr (A) Sutton United – League Two – 3pm
Fri 15 Apr (H) Scunthorpe United – League Two – 3pm
Mon 18 Apr (A) Swindon Town – League Two – 3pm
Sat 23 Apr (H) Northampton Town – League Two – 3pm
Sat 30 Apr (A) Crawley Town – League Two – 3pm
Sat 7 May (H) Tranmere Rovers – League Two – 3pm
Twitter users reacted with as a surprise new contender emerges for the Leyton Orient manager’s job…
@PaulRavens39: Still no appointment ahead of tomorrow. Absolutely not good enough. We have to take at least 4 points from the two games this week and the later the appointment gets, the less impact the new man will have on the team before Saturday. So poor from the board #lofc. Six days now since Jackett was dismissed. Most clubs who have been in the same position as us in recent weeks have managed to sack their manager and then appoint a new one within a few days. Carlisle managed to do it all on the same day. We’re pathetic #lofc
@richsr57: We are absolutely embarrassing… two critical matches with no Manager. Ling must go he is a joke… wtf does he do. We don’t need a DOF get rid of him and get Neil Warnock in!! We could then afford him.
@EuanCarter23: 99.9% of fans want ling to go. It’s not even funny anymore, another manager links to him, I am fed up with it all. But whoever is gonna be new manager back to the same situation we in now. Club is stagnate ling is stagnate, we not moving forward with him as common denominator
@BillyCarrollGB: Ferguson or Wellens. Simple as that
@nickclarkayles: I will back any manager though Woodgate to me has always looked a bit uninspiring. If it is him hope he proves me wrong #lofc
@orientfan_1881: woodgate no league 2 know how! garrard would be great but i cant see a manager whose doing a good job and a 5th round cup tie to look forward to leaving a job where hes probably a club legend to come and work for are joke of a club where managers always fail! #lofc
@Gambeanosnitch: Everyone deserves a fair chance and we back whoever that is. No one was upset with Jackett appointment and look how that turned out. Some managers just click. I’m behind whoever we appoint regardless of their cv
@EuanCarter23: I don’t give a shit anymore who it is everyone has lost faith in Martin Ling getting the next one right. So whoever it is same problems until he goes we got going anywhere under his direction
@Orientsphincter on Ian Morris: Ain’t failed anywhere yet. Young and ambitious Why not? 2 League titles. Seems impressive. A lot of clubs are going for these sort of young forward thinking managers. Newport, Forest Green, Cambridge bit to name a few. All a mile better than us atm. Swansea fans had the fat ump when they hired Steve Cooper. Terrific manager. Someone who has already won 2 League titles will be on the crest of a wave. Would need an experienced Assistant though. Someone like Calderwood
@PaulRavens39: Two things I have an issue with here. One, I don’t think this is the right situation to throw a young and relatively untested manager into. Two, I’m not okay with another of Ling’s mates being in charge #lofc I get that Jackett was experienced and that didn’t work either, but in hindsight he was probably past it. It needs to be someone who is relatively young but has experience – the likes of Ferguson, Wellens etc
@mollyfolly2019: @KentTeague @nigeltravis You guys clearly don’t get it do you? 99.9% of the fanbase want Ling OUT! No appt connected to him or with his involvement will be accepted. Just stop f-ing about – we’ve had enough now
@ALB5399: My main requirement for our next appointment is someone that Ling isn’t mates with. Someone that has no experience of working with Martin Ling. I’d also rather he have absolutely nothing to do with this extremely important appointment.
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