Orient post-match perspective

[Slade 0]

First and foremost, as you can probably guess, I''m a happy bunny. One of my all time favourite away days. Now, speaking to Norwich fans on the train, and gleaning what I gleaned from this forum before the game, you don''t really care about the FA Cup this season, and nor should you, you want to get to the premiership, and I don''t blame you one bit.And you should be in the premiership. The stadium is fantastic, compact and a terrific view, with a very good atmosphere (although I understand fully that it was hard to get you motivated yesterday), and the fans I spoke to at the station and on the train were a credit to the football club. Delia''s pies, however, are a rip off and not very nice. Dissapointed. Many will say this was Orient''s cup final etc etc, and to an extent it was, playing and beating a team from a higher league, although it was odd thinking back to last season when we were equals, albeit for one year. It really made me think you were back where you belonged, at least in the championship, looking at the facilities and the infrastructure.The game: I thoroughly believe we deserved the win. I know you fielded a weakened team, but to be fair, all your reserves are better than our team, it''s not like you fielded youth, you had experienced people come in (expcept maybe your keeper). I didn''t at first like our 4-5-1 that our mnagaer plays away from home with Revell on the right, but as the game wore on, it was effective in nullifying your numerous attacks. I felt we had more than one goal in us in truth, and when our sub Mpoku (the one I told you to look out for) blazed over, I thought a chance missed. I always expected you to score, it just seemed a given for me, and I suppose you not scoring is an indictment of our defence which were nothing short of magnificent, our entire back 4 were men of the match. I''ve never seen our defence play that well as a unit and indivudually, they literally put their head where it hurt, and we as fans could not have asked for more. Andrew Whing, Ben Chorley, Terrell Forbes and Charlie Daniels, take a collective bow.It was ironic Smith scored, it was the best game I''ve seen him play in an O''s shirt (and he''s played about 70 times for us!), and it was a wonderful cross from our midget winger Cox. As for you guys, you obviously have bags of talent, although Whitbread was crap (Millwall reject!) and Wilbraham, as I predicted, will not score and be effective at this level, odd signing by Lambert if you ask me. Hoolanhan was absolute quality which is what everyone comes to expect, and Macnamee is the most frustrating player, so much pace and trickery and very little end product, but maybe he had an off day, I dunno.Finally, over 2000 Orient fans I thought gave more than a good account for ourselves, we sung our little hearts out. We even had a trumpeter for the day! We did not stop singing, we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We manage to wheel out the fans for big cup ties, we took 6000 to Fulham 5 years ago, but long may that continue. However, we are playing Rochdale away next Saturday and I''ll be there with the 300-odd faithful, back to earth with a bump. And for those who remembered my last post, we parked in the station which was perfect for me as I had bags to take back to York, which I am posting from now, after a lengthy train journey.Best of luck for the rest of the season, hope you get promoted. Slade x

[Old Shuck 183]

Cheers Slade.

Whing is going to be a very good footballer. I don''t think it was an easy decision for Brighton to let him go and I think he''ll do well for you and get himself noted higher up the leagues before long.

Wilbraham looks like he is going to be best use as a foil for Holt, taking the knocks and the bumps for the benefit of Grant and the team. But he is a short term signing and may, ultimately, struggle to get games as Lambert up''s his preferences in attack.

Your Chairman said some very nice things about us yesterday! Cheers for that. Look at how he has reinvigorated snooker and wonder if he shouldn''t be given the same opportunity with the FA Cup!

But good luck to you all, especially for the trip to Rochdale to come. Will keep an eye on that one.

[Wings of a Sparrow 1,410]

Without sounding patronising - it''s nice to have a proper football fan on here - an enjoyable and eloquent post. Good luck to you for the rest of the season, hope you get a favourable draw in the 4th round.

[Herman 9,716]

Cheers for that Slade.All the best to you and the O''s.Now,will you build on this win and get yourelves up that league or will it be back to normal against the ''Dale?

Hopefully you get a good draw next round.Maybe Wet Sham or the Spurs? Good local derby to get some money in your kitty[Y]

[kdncfc 27]

Good luck to you in the next round, hope you get a draw that either gives you a bit of cash or a decent home draw to give you a chance of progressing further. You quite clearly wanted it more than us and even though we fielded a weakened team we should have had enough quality in the team to win the game but we just never really seemed up for it from the start and it was a thoroughly depressing afternoon to be a Norwich fan.Seven days ago we were on cloud nine after putting in our best performance in ages to beat QPR and yesterday we put in our worst performance for a while and get dumped out of the cup, can''t say I was surprised because however good we may have thought we were this has happened to us many times before.

[StevoM 0]

Don''t really want to comment on the game, we were shocking, completely wrong team selection, overconfidence from both the team and the fans and we looked totally disinterested.  Can''t take away from the fact that Orient were by far the better team and stopped us playing very well, great defensive display and always looked a threat from set plays so for me you definatly deserved the win.Honorable mention has to go to the Orient fans, probably the best away support I''ve seen this season, real football fans supporting a real club, hope you can get a massive team in the draw get some money out of it and hopefully cause another cup upset, I''ll be looking out for your result for sure.  Good luck to you Slade, really thought your guys (fans and squad) were terrific yesterday.

[Graham Humphrey 13]

[quote user="Slade"]However, we are playing Rochdale away next Saturday and I''ll be there with the 300-odd faithful, back to earth with a bump. [/quote]Now that''s dedication!  Would like to see all the armchair Man United/Chelsea fans beat that.Really good intelligent post that, miles better than most of the dross served up on here.  Thought the Orient fans were excellent yesterday, a real credit to the club.  Mind you, based on last season, I''m not too surprised - although I never want to go back there, League One is definitely ''proper'' football for me - real stadia, real supporters... you can''t knock it really.

[......and Smith must score. 1,336]

Just to add another '' Well Done '' to what''s been said on here already.I couldn''t be there yesterday and had to settle for the local BBC radio station, Radio Norfolk. They were praising your team''s fine display, especially that the '' O''s '' went there and played football, and they offered no excuses for City''s poor display whatsoever. Even on the post-match ''phone-in they were quick to play down any suggestion that the previous day''s carry-on regarding our manager had affected the players in any way. Personally I''m inclined to disagree with that but not to anything like the extent that produced yesterday''s total '' no show ''. It was just '' one of those days ''.Good luck in today''s draw and I hope you get a decent run this year. If your last success here in the Cup in 1978 is repeated then you''re on for a visit to Wembley in the Semi-Final at least.....( lol )

[Pete Raven 276]

The trumpet solo halfway through the second half was the highlight. Which tells you all you need to know about the game.Well played Slade.

[city till i die 0]

The trumpet solo halfway through the second half was the highlight. Which tells you all you need to know about the game.

Oh yeah forgot about that, Was funny when Rudd kicked it out and wha wha whaaaaaaaaaaa

[When Saturday Comes 0]

Best fans we''ve had at CR this season - have to admit to having a little smile on my face at the end when all your players went over and you lot were going mental. That''s what the Cup is all about. Sadly, we  wouldn''t know too much about that. Best of luck for the rest of the season.

[grantroederdisaster 0]

Good post Slade - Are you named after the 70''s/80''s iconic band led by Noddy?

 

Norwich had an understandable distinct lack of interest in the game which is why we lost, but take nothing away from Leyton Orient who were good value!

 

Great support levels from Orient, not surprising giving Leytons only down the Norwich/Liverpool St trainline but I was wondering how many of them watch Orient regularly? - Not many I suspect, giving Orient only had just a thousand at home in the previous round! 

 

I respect the regular Orient fans who go regularly sticking with the club through thick and thin when you consider all the Premiership clubs in that neck of the woods. I''m sure theres many current Norwich fans who wouldn''t go to Norwich games if we were a perenial lower League team!

 

I hope you do well for the rest of the season and as for Norwich, I think next season if we get a home game in the FA cup or League cup against lower League opposition, ST holders should be allowed in for a £10 for adults and £5 for under 16''s cause we''ve had too many lack lustre cup games over the last 16+ years! 

 

[chicken 0]

I agree with much of what you say. I think that your players rose to the occaision admirably mixing it up when they didn''t have posession and good passing when they did.

Probably more of the latter as the game went on and we had more posession. Your defence were outstanding. I would say Chorley and the left back were very very tidy players plus your number 11. The guy you had play up front was physically a handful but seemed to always want to beat his man, had he held it up more you may well have had more goals.

Macca is only as frustrating as the fact he is continuously played out of position and therefore grandly underated. He is left footed and really a left winger which is where I would like to see him given a chance because his delivery with his left foot is actually not too bad.

But like I say, in terms of attitude to the game and desire to win you guys deserved it. I think 1-0 was a fair result too, I don''t think there were many other clear cut chances for you and we had several directed straight at your keeper.

Infact I would go as far as saying that bar a couple of superb runs from Hoolahan and then Holt we lacked any tempo to our passing and at times were far too pedestrian finding the right passes several secconds too late to take advantage of any space/gaps.

Good luck in the cup and for the rest of the season.

[Mr.Carrow 376]

Sod off to your own board you cockney t*sser.....

Only joking. Personally i think yesterday was as much about your lads playing out of their skins as us being poor. Great support and i must admit to having a sly chuckle and clap at your celebrations at the end!

[Herman 9,716]

Swansea away[:S]  Nice day out in Wales for you,good luck.

[Yorkshire Canary 118]

Orient played well and dont forget they have won 2 out of the last 3 times we have played each other. They deserved to win and their following was very good

This game showed me that Norwich have a good basic first team of about 15 or so but to start with so many fringe players shows we still do not have strength in depth. Having said that even most of the first teamers that played today were poor

Well done to Orient pity the 4th round draw was not kinder

[Slade 0]

I just effing kicked a wall, so angry, why does the cup never give us a good draw? Only positive is that if we play like we did againdst you, we might pull off another result. Doubt it though. [:@] [:@] [:@]Someone asked about our attendences, we only had 1000 against Droylesden cos, well, they''re Droylesden. And it was freezing, and Barry Hearn who is a total tw@ kept the ticket prices high. We have about 3 or 4 thousand diehards, so 2000 isn''t that much of a surprise, taking 6000 to Fulham was though.

[Snakepit Lass 0]

was talking to 2 orient fans they were brother 74 years old, a credit to your club very nice people

[paul moy 235]

As they are one of our promotion rivals I hope that you get a draw there and also give them a really hard game. One day these teams will cotton on to the disadvantage of a cup run.... LOL

[......and Smith must score. 1,336]

[quote user="Slade"]I just effing kicked a wall, so angry, why does the cup never give us a good draw? Only positive is that if we play like we did againdst you, we might pull off another result. Doubt it though. [:@] [:@] [:@]

[/quote]Slade, that was a terrible draw, wasn''t it ?After all the graft yesterday at our place to have drawn Swansea at home would''ve been a downer. But away ?  They''re no world beaters but they were unlucky to lose at Carrow Road earlier this term so maybe, like us, they''ll be dreaming of next season in the Premiership and you''ll catch them on an off day too.Best of luck.

[Faded Jaded Semi Plastic SOB 1,017]

Just to add to all the other posts, well done to Orient, totally deserved it and best away support at CR this season. The draw has been unkind, and I wish Orient well in both the cup and the league.