Richie Wellens, the usually affable manager of Leyton Orient, found himself in the hot seat on Saturday evening after a poorly-timed quip about Tottenham Hotspur’s injury woes landed him in hot water.
Following a frustrating 1-0 defeat to Stockport County, Wellens, when asked about the impact of injuries on his team’s performance, blurted out: “I’m not going to make excuses, I’m not Ange Postecoglou.”
The comment, seemingly intended as a lighthearted dig at the Tottenham boss, who has been forced to contend with a crippling injury crisis this season, quickly backfired.
Wellens swiftly issued a grovelling apology, admitting his comment was “stupid” and expressing deep embarrassment. He acknowledged the strong relationship between the two clubs, citing the presence of Tottenham academy players on loan at Orient and the close proximity of the women’s team to Brisbane Road.
“Their manager, Ange Postecoglou, is a world-class coach,” Wellens conceded, “and I want to apologise for my comments and wish Spurs all the very best for the second half of the season.”
Wellens will undoubtedly be hoping that his gaffe doesn’t overshadow his team’s impressive recent form, which has seen them climb into the League Two play-off places.
The O’s face a daunting test next weekend with an FA Cup fourth-round clash against Premier League champions Manchester City. Let’s hope Wellens can keep his wits about him and focus on the task at hand – pulling off a shock result against Pep Guardiola’s men.
