Was Leyton Orient manager’s rant the best of the season?: ‘A year of my career wasted’

It surely must go down as one of the great tirades of the English football season.

Leyton Orient confirmed their survival in League One, the third tier, on Saturday with a 2-2 draw against Burton Albion. Exeter City, who lost 2-1 to Bradford City, went down instead.

Orient’s squad celebrated with fans at their Brisbane Road stadium, including a lap of appreciation, but if they thought their manager was going to congratulate them on their achievement, they were sorely mistaken.

Instead, Richie Wellens, who has been in charge of the club since 2022, embarked on a remarkable post-match rant, calling his players “embarrassing”, “really, really weak” and accusing them of “wasting” a season of his own managerial career.

Orient finished 20th in League One, three points clear of the relegation zone — a significant drop in form since reaching the League One play-off final last year, when they lost to Charlton Athletic at Wembley.

“We had relegation written all over us,” Wellens told reporters. “So I’ve told them, clap the fans because they’ve earned it. They’ve paid their money all season to come and watch us home and away, they deserve to be clapped.

“But then don’t be celebrating with your family. Get off the pitch. It’s been an embarrassing season. Too many players that have wasted 10 months of their career. I’ve had one year of my managerial career that I’ve wasted.

“Then they’ve wasted the supporters’ time. We’ve not given them enough days to turn up to. Not enough good days.”

Wellens, now well into his stride, also revealed that he had been infuriated by some of his squad not watching live footage of Manchester City’s recent FA Cup semi-final against Southampton when it was put on the TV screen of Orient’s team coach.

“I look back and not one of our players is watching the game,” Wellens said. “They’re on their phones, whatever they’re doing. How can you not watch the elite and learn from the very best?”

Wellens, 46, ended his diatribe by warning his players that many of them may not have a future at the club.

“There’s certain players that are out of contract that, at the moment, probably won’t be given one at the same money,” Wellens said. “The ones that have got contracts are going to be struggling to get a new contract. Then there will be players with contracts that we want to move on.

“I’m not going to kid them. I’m an honest person. I’ve been questioning them in meetings and one-on-ones. I need more. We’re giving you opportunities to improve and give them all the information. We’ll put an analytical video in the players’ group and 50 per cent of them don’t watch it. How do you get that?”