It was the job that nobody really wanted. How do you take over at a club where a manager so adored by the fans is suddenly no longer with them? How do you manage each and every different personality trying their best to grieve and get on with their job at the same time? Nobody wanted to do it, but Ross Embleton stepped up at Leyton Orient following the sudden passing of Justin Edinburgh, and that sole act on its own should be applauded.
Ross Embleton Deserves Praise for Job Done at Leyton Orient
On-Pitch Displays
Although the summer turned sour following the tragic news of Edinburgh, transfer incomings were positive and there was a good air around the club that they could put in a good season upon their return to the Football League. It started well too, with a 1-0 win over Cheltenham Town securing the club’s first three points back in League Two – the goal fittingly scored by Josh Wright, Edinburgh’s close friend and last signing at the club.
Unfortunately, though, things haven’t got much better since that point. The O’s were knocked out of the Carabao Cup at the first-round stage against Plymouth Argyle. Despite draws against Stevenage and table-topper Exeter City, Orient find themselves in the lower echelons of League Two. Even a stunning comeback win at Mansfield Town, with Jordan Maguire-Drew’s stoppage-time winner capping a remarkable game, seems even more distant, with that being the club’s last league win.
Stepping Up and Then Stepping Down
This was always going to be a near-impossible job for Embleton, and this weekend’s defeat to Colchester United proved to be a step too far. Earlier this morning, he announced that he was to return to the assistant coach post he held under Edinburgh, with the club set to begin the search for a permanent head coach immediately.
Although fans’ thoughts of the team’s performance was not positive after Saturday’s loss, their reactions to the news that Embleton took the decision himself have been greeted well. Many acknowledge the fact that he was brave in the way he stepped into the role, and that he perhaps always knew this wasn’t going to last long and was just a plug until the initial shock of the summer had somewhat worn off.
In his interview with the club website, Embleton said: “Did I ever think I was a manager? Potentially not. I think there will be people sitting here saying that if results went differently, I might have changed my mind? Potentially, yes.
“I’ve never sat here and said I was going to be the next Leyton Orient manager, and I was incredibly privileged and proud to have been in charge of the club in recent times.”
What’s Next?
Perhaps most important for the fans is that Embleton will still be at the club. When he assumed the role, it was on an interim basis, and director of football Martin Ling made it clear that if results were not going well, Embleton would only ever be put back into his previous role of assistant coach.
For a club craving stability like Orient are, it’s excellent that Embleton will be staying put and that he will be able to continue his own development under a new head coach, perhaps with a view to taking another management job in the future.
For now, though, an excellent coach and a wonderful person in Ross Embleton, who stepped up in the most trying of times, remains at the club in the best role possible for him.
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