LOFC-CM-CH02 | Progress & Redemption

Chapter 02: The Rise of the O’s: A Tale of Progress and Redemption

It’s 1st January 2025, marking the half way point of the season. Let’s look at a review of how we have done so far: As we reach the midway point of the 2024/25 season, the O’s sits firmly on top of the table with 56 points, 4 points clear of Birmingham City. Our record of 17 wins, 5 draws, and 1 loss puts us in prime position for promotion if we maintain this form.

The team has been exceptional at both ends of the pitch - clinical in attack while keeping clean sheets in most matches. Alexis Vega leads our scoring charts, Aaron Nemane provides the creativity, and loanee Will Lankshear has made valuable contributions. In goal, Josh Keeley has been outstanding, with Jamie Norman proving a capable deputy.

Dele’s Redemption Arc

When I learnt about Dele Alli signing for Como 1907, I knew that was an opportunity - one for his redemption. Having followed his journey at Tottenham - from winning PFA Young Player of the Year twice to his courageous revelations about childhood trauma and addiction battles - I felt he deserved another chance away from the spotlight.

And so I handed him a loan offer with option to make the move to Brisbane Road permanent. I am not expecting him to be the same player who lit up White Hart Lane. People change, evolve, face challenges. What the O’s is offering is a supportive environment where he can rediscover his love for the game and rebuild his career at his own pace. The pressure of League One is different from the Premier League or Serie A. Here, he can focus on playing football and being a leader for our younger players. After a few rounds of negotiations, he accepted the move.

The early signs are promising. In just his first few appearances, Dele has already shown flashes of the creative genius that once made him one of England’s brightest prospects. Within 36 appearances, which includes 2 MOTM performance, he has contributed 3 goals and 5 assists, and an average performance rating of 7.11.

Some might question why a player of Dele’s calibre would drop to League One. But sometimes a step back is needed to move forward. At 28, he still has his best years ahead of him. Our ambition matches his - we want to climb the leagues, and he can be central to that journey.

His story isn’t over - it’s just entering a new chapter with us.

The task ahead

While our league position and overall performance have been strong, we face some significant challenges as we enter the January transfer window. Two major concerns have emerged that could potentially disrupt our promotion push:

1. Several of our key players who joined as free agents are showing signs of unrest
2. We’re losing some loan players, with their parent clubs considering early recalls

Unsettled free agent players

While our success this season has been remarkable, I’ve noticed something that’s affecting my enjoyment of the save. The free agents we signed at the start of the season have proven to be almost too successful - performing at a level that makes League One feel somewhat unrealistic.

Looking at their attributes and performances, it’s clear why. These four players in particular stand head and shoulders above typical League One quality:

Name	Age	Nationality	Overall Rating	Market Value	Wage
Alexis Vega	26	Mexico	77	£5,500,000	£11,000
Florinel Coman	26	Romania	75	£6,500,000	£12,000
Jesús Angulo	26	Mexico	75	£5,500,000	£11,000
Erik Lira	23	Mexico	74	£6,500,000	£9,000

These players are dominating matches in a way that feels almost unfair. They can easily dribble past opponents or outmuscle challenges, making our games feel less competitive than they should be at this level. Alexis Vega alone has bagged 19 goals!

To maintain the challenge and immersion of this save, I’ve created a narrative where these players are becoming restless at Leyton Orient. In my story, they’re pushing for moves to clubs that offer more challenges, even threatening to terminate their contracts if we can’t arrange transfers by the end of January.

I’ve already begun implementing this self-imposed challenge. We’ve arranged two deals: Florinel Coman will move to Birmingham City in exchange for Jay Stansfield; and Erik Lira will join Tottenham, and in return, Jamie Donley AND Josh Keeley (both currently our loanee) will make their move permanent. These arrangements feel more appropriate for our level while maintaining the narrative integrity of our journey.

As for Vega and Angulo, I’ll be looking to craft similar realistic solutions as we progress through the January window. This self-imposed restructuring should help maintain the authentic challenge of managing in League One while still keeping our promotion push exciting and believable.

Loanee being recalled

Another challenge we’re facing is the potential recall of several loan players who haven’t received the playing time they were promised. Three players, in particular, have expressed their frustrations:

Player Name	Age	Position	Alt Position	Parent Club
Jack Currie	22	LB	-	Oxford United
Dilan Markanday	23	RM	CAM	Blackburn Rovers
Charlie Kelman	22	ST	-	Queens Park Rangers

While these players weren’t regular starters, they’ve proven to be valuable squad members, providing crucial depth and stepping up admirably when called upon. Their potential departures would leave significant gaps in our squad depth.

The situation with Currie is especially concerning, as we currently lack another natural left-back in the squad. His recall would leave us particularly vulnerable in that position and finding a suitable replacement in January could prove challenging.

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