Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens insisted he would win League One with Wanderers’ squad following his side’s 3-2 defeat at the Toughsheet Community Stadium.
Wellens made the bold claim while voicing his frustrations about some chants from the away end after going 3-0 down inside the opening 10 minutes. Josh Dacres-Cogley, Dion Charles and George Thomason were all on target for the Whites.
The visitors hit back after the break, with Shaqai Forde and Theo Archibald scoring in a ruthless five-minute period. Ian Evatt’s men survived some late pressure to secure all three points heading into the Christmas period.
Wellens said: “After 15 minutes they were singing, ‘It’s only 3-0, how sh*t must you be?’
“We have had two years of constant success and we’re going against Bolton Wanderers. We started poorly, we have to realise where we are going.
“I would love to be their manager with that squad, I would win the league with that squad!
“But we are where we are and our supporters need to be patient and go through the process.”
The result leaves Orient 16th in the table as they aim to build on winning the League Two title last season.
“The first 10 minutes, we were awful,” Wellens continued. “There was no pressure on the ball. You have to be careful because if you leave distances, you get the number eights running through gaps and they can manipulate the ball.
“Every time they go with Bodvarsson, he wants to open himself up and play to the opposite side of the pitch, and the wing-backs and eights cause you a problem.
“We worked on that, keeping the same side and our wing-back being narrow on their midfield, but we Hunt is too wide and the lad runs off and scores.
“The first 10 minutes was nothing tactical, just pressure and desire. Some of the young lads were caught like rabbits in the headlights, it was the first time they had played at a big stadium.
“We recovered well and for the rest of the half, I thought we were the better team. Every time it goes in the penalty area, Charles has quality, the movement is good and they get a lot of first contacts.”
He added: “It is difficult because we are a club who is trying to get where they are. Bolton should never be a League One club so to come here and dominate for 45 minutes, I actually think 60 or 65 minutes, but you can’t start like that.”
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