On Saturday, Leyton Orient narrowly avoided relegation from third-tier League One. Afterward, coach Richie Wellens let his team have it in a manner that has already become legendary.
It was fitting that the international portal The Athletic reported on it afterward, as was the question posed in the headline: “Was that the best rant of the season?”
On Saturday, Leyton Orient secured their survival on the final 46th matchday of League One, England’s third division. The 2-2 draw at home against Burton Albion was enough to finish the season in 20th place, just above the relegation zone, because Exeter City lost 1-2 to Bradford City at the same time and must now be relegated.
“I’ve wasted a year of my coaching career”
The manager, however, had no interest in celebrating the happy ending to a difficult season. Richie Wellens preferred to get a few things off his chest. He told his players: “Applaud the fans; they’ve paid money all season to watch us at home and away—they deserve to be applauded. But don’t celebrate with your families. Leave the field. It was an embarrassing season. Too many players have wasted ten months of their careers. I’ve wasted a year of my coaching career.”
He, too, had to ask for forgiveness. “I’ve criticized our fans a few times in the past. I’d like to apologize for that now. I’ll explain to you why I did it. We have a weak team—really, really weak, okay? And when our fans criticize them, I try to deflect that criticism away from them. So I step in front of the press and say the atmosphere hasn’t been particularly good, and then the fans take their anger out on me.” But it wasn’t worth it. His players had “served the fans nothing but crap week after week.”
An FA Cup semifinal no Orient pro wants to watch
There’s a lack of the right attitude, a winning mentality, Wellens continued his critique. When the FA Cup semifinal between Manchester City and Southampton was recently playing on TV in the team bus, “not a single one of our players” watched it. “They’re on their phones, whatever they’re doing there. How can you not watch the elite and learn from the very best?”
The 46-year-old, who has been in charge at Orient since March 2022 and led the club to League One in 2023 and the promotion playoffs there in 2025, announced a radical overhaul this summer. “There are certain players whose contracts are expiring and who probably won’t get a new contract on the same terms right now. Those who do have contracts will struggle to get a new one. And then there will be players with contracts whom we want to part ways with. We need more athleticism in our team and more character.”
Orient doesn’t necessarily need more attention, though; Wellens’ angry rant has long since gone viral across the island.