East Londoners will go head-to-head with five old players over next few days at Brisbane Road in League Two
Leyton Orient will come up against several familiar faces in League Two over the next five days. Blackpool visit Brisbane Road tomorrow and have two players in their squad who represented O’s last season.
Armand Gnanduillet has scored four times for the Tangerines after signing for them in August. The French striker only moved to east London in January from Chesterfield and struggled in E10.
He was mainly used as an impact substitute and although he arrived after Kevin Nolan’s appointment, he was actually Ian Hendon’s target.
But Andy Hessenthaler allowed the forward to leave and join Blackpool in the summer transfer window.
Initially Gnanduillet was a regular in Gary Bowyer’s team, although he has only started one of the last four games and may be on the bench this weekend.
Jack Payne is set to be included from the off by the Tangerines at Brisbane Road and in the process face his old club.
The 24-year-old spent all of last season with Orient on loan from Peterborough United, but rarely featured after Nolan’s arrival.
Payne scored once for O’s, a lucky goal in a 1-0 win at Morecambe in October, before leaving at the end of his loan.
Although he was sent off just six minutes into his Blackpool debut, the midfielder has settled since and been a regular in the team.
Both Payne and Gnanduillet will be determined to show the Brisbane Road faithful what they can do this weekend.
A few days after they return to their former stomping ground, three Exeter City players could line up against Orient on Tuesday (November 22) having represented the east Londoners in the past.
Lloyd James is the most recent member of the Grecians squad to have been at O’s and is the longest-serving.
The former Wales under-21 international spent four seasons with the east Londoners and admitted it was sad to leave when he wasn’t offered a new deal this summer.
James, who struggled with injury problems in his final two campaigns with Orient, demonstrated his quality when fit and will start for Exeter on Tuesday.
Since signing for the Grecians, the 28-year-old has virtually been included from the off in every match.
In midfield alongside James will be Jake Taylor, who had a loan spell at Brisbane Road during the 2014/15 campaign.
The ex-Reading youngster only featured three times for O’s under Fabio Liverani and it was a forgetful spell for the 24-year-old.
Taylor signed for Exeter in January on a free after leaving the Royals and has scored three goals this season and should start against his old club next week.
Robbie Simpson is the final player to go head-to-head with his former team, though he will most likely be a substitute.
The experienced forward signed for Orient during the memorable 2013/14 season, yet struggled to make an impact.
Simpson failed to find the net once despite making 16 appearances and is set to be among the replacements for Exeter on Tuesday.
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