Leyton Orient announced today that the club have parted company with Head Coach Carl Fletcher with immediate effect.
In a statement Nigel Travis said “It’s unfortunate for the Club that we have parted company with Carl after such a short time, particularly as we are a club that tries to preserve stability.”
He continued that he felt it was in the best interests of all parties for Fletcher to leave.
Since taking over an Orient side that had earned 10 points from their last four league games, Fletcher has seen his side pick up just one point in the against Carlisle.
Defeats to bottom side Morecambe and the embarrassment of a strong O’s starting eleven being beaten by 8th tier Maldon and Tiptree in the FA Cup followed, and the inexperienced coach has been sacked after less than a month in charge.
I was hopeful when Fletcher was appointed, but results and performances have been abysmal.
I wrote optimistically about Fletcher’s potential because I trusted the club when they made the appointment.
But that first interview Fletcher gave was stunning to me. He didn't have an answer to the question 'why do you want to come to Leyton Orient?’
Considering that he had supposedly aced the interview process I was staggered that he didn’t have much clue about Orient as a club, or of the playing squad. He ummed are erred and managed to praise the ‘family feel’ and location of the club, which I found vague and unconvincing.
Fletcher’s first interview was the tip of the Iceberg
Unfortunately it was a sign of things to come, with aimless, cliche-ridden waffle in post match interviews a hallmark of his doomed reign as manager.
I think Fletcher seems a decent enough fellow. I can’t quite understand how he was considered such a leader at Crystal Palace, West Ham and in the Wales National side. I was expecting someone of his reputation to be a little more inspirational.
I think I will be in a minority of O’s fans in saying I think he still has potential as a manager. I don’t think he got to where he did under Eddie Howe at Bournemouth and into the O’s dugout by accident. Football people saw something in Carl Fletcher.
Unfortunately, the step up from Academy, U23 and loan management to first team league football has been too big for him. If Fletcher is to rebuild his coaching career he must serve as an assistant and learn the ropes. It seemed to me that he didn’t have sufficient knowledge of League Two, and that he was in dire need of some media training.
I wish Carl Fletcher all the best of luck in the future.
Ross Embleton, Danny Webb and Jobi Macanuff step back into their Interim coaching roles, personally at this point I would give them the rest of the season to show what they can do.