New assistant coach reflects on first week of pre-season and how the senior players already know what is required of them

East London Advertiser: Leyton Orient youngsters Aron Pollock, Myles Judd and Josh Koroma get put through their paces during pre-season training (pic: Simon O'Connor).Leyton Orient youngsters Aron Pollock, Myles Judd and Josh Koroma get put through their paces during pre-season training (pic: Simon O'Connor). (Image: Simon O'Connor Photography)

Leyton Orient assistant Ross Embleton was delighted with the way the club’s first week of pre-season went recently.

The O’s returned to their Chigwell Training base on Monday July 3 and were without a head coach or many players at the time.

It was left to Embleton and Orient under-18 coach Danny Webb, with the help of Nick Gearing and Peter Gill, to organise the inexperienced squad.

And the former Swindon Town first-team coach was pleased to see the E10 youngsters return without any ill-effects following a tough 2016/17 campaign.

East London Advertiser: Leyton Orient's youth-team coach Danny Webb (left) with assistant coach Ross Embleton, Nick Gearing and Peter Gill at pre-season training last week (pic: Simon O'Connor).Leyton Orient's youth-team coach Danny Webb (left) with assistant coach Ross Embleton, Nick Gearing and Peter Gill at pre-season training last week (pic: Simon O'Connor). (Image: Simon O'Connor Photography)

“I was very pleased with the first week of pre-season. You are never quite sure what you are walking into when you are sitting in front of all the staff and they are waiting for you to give them some direction and tell them exactly what you want done,” said Embleton.

“It was interesting and eye-opening for me, but I enjoyed it and it was good and the biggest plus was the attitude the players come in with.

“They were all really enthusiastic and ready to go and it could have gone the other way, returning off the back of some negatives last year, but you had no hangover or sign of that at all.

“The new players we brought in fitted in really well to the group and already identified they will be responsible for helping the young players.

“In the first couple of days, once they got their breath back after some long runs, you could see the senior players realised their role isn’t just to help the club win games, but to help the young group.

“Obviously that made things easier and it was great to work with someone like David Mooney, who has been here before, and Charlie Lee. They are two lads who have a hell of a lot of experience, so they came in and really helped that process for me.”

Embleton left Swindon in May having initially been brought to the club by ex-Robins boss Martin Ling in November 2015.

Before moving to Wiltshire, the local coach spent time working with Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City and AFC Bournemouth.

It all started for him at Brisbane Road in 2000, however, after failing to make the cut as a player and he has carved out a successful career mainly coaching youngsters since.

Therefore Embleton is delighted to be back at Orient and in particular excited to work with the teenage talent in and around the first-team squad.

He added: “My background before I went to Swindon was in youth development across a number of different clubs and I always look back at this club as the start.

“I played here as a kid and wasn’t quite good enough to go much further, but turned it into working for the community programme and managing the academy, so I have always been enthusiast about youth wherever I have been.

“At Swindon we tried to have a philosophy with the way we developed players, but there is more direction and structure as to how we do that here at Leyton Orient.

“We have a number of talented players in and around the first-team and youth-team at the moment, so we have a ready group sitting there waiting to kick on.

“We are all passionate about that, but for me personally working with young players has got me where I am so far.”