Blackburn Rovers, Richie Wellens update hands Leyton Orient major promotion boost | OneFootball

The news that Richie Wellens won't be interviewed by Blackburn Rovers is a massive boost for Leyton Orient's promotion hopes.

Leyton Orient have been handed a vital boost in their unexpected promotion charge, as Richie Wellens has reportedly not made the cut to be interviewed for the vacancy at Blackburn Rovers.

The former Premier League champions have been left without a manager following John Eustace's shock departure to Derby County. Their controversial ownership group the Venky's have once again come under fire for its contribution to the 43-year-old’s move to Pride Park.

Reports suggested that Blackburn were eyeing up Leyton Orient boss Wellens, having taken the League One club from a relegation battle to a fight for promotion. This saw the popular manager in the frame for the job at the Championship play-off hopefuls.

However, the O’s have been dealt a huge boost in their hopes of promotion. Journalist Alan Nixon reported on Thursday morning that the popular boss hadn’t made the final interview stage at Ewood Park, and this looks to be crucial news for Orient and their chances of promotion.

Blackburn Rovers make decision on Richie Wellens after initial interest

It’s no surprise that after an incredible turnaround at Brisbane Road this season, Wellens is being monitored by clubs higher up the food chain. The 44-year-old is building something special in the capital, and promotion to the Championship would be a remarkable feat.

After Eustace’s shock departure earlier in the month, Wellens emerged as one of the early candidates for the job in Lancashire. It was later revealed that any club wishing to poach the Orient manager would have to pay a £250k compensation fee to the League One club.

A very real frustration of third-tier fans is when a young manager jumps from a project too early, should a Championship side come calling.

We’ve seen this recently with Matt Bloomfield, who departed promotion-chasing Wycombe Wanderers for relegation-threatened Luton Town. Since his arrival, the Hatters have failed to win in seven attempts, slumping to the bottom of the table.

However, it seems that Orient supporters can put their minds to rest, as the latest report from Nixon suggests that Wellens hasn’t made the cut to be interviewed regarding the Blackburn job. This could be a massive boost for the O’s promotion chances, as they will have a better chance of promotion if Wellens remains.

Retaining Wellens offers Leyton Orient a huge promotion boost

Orient have been impressive after a rocky start to their League One season. The East London outfit were tipped to struggle in League One before a ball was kicked, and it seemed those predictions may have been correct based on early evidence.

However, some strong additions in the transfer window saw the O’s go on an excellent unbeaten run, which resulted in them going from flirting with the bottom four, to in the race for a play-off position at the minimum. Wellens’ side also gave a very good account of themselves against Manchester City in the FA Cup, narrowly losing out 2-1 to the Premier League champions.

A strong January has seen Wellens able to add to his already strong squad, with some impressive additions coming through the door, such as Azeem Abdulai and Randell Williams. With the news emerging on Thursday that Orient’s manager hasn’t made the cut to be interviewed by Blackburn, this could be better than any January business.

Wellens is well respected by everyone at the club, being seen as the man to take Orient forward long-term. The club showed their faith to back him during tough times, and are now reaping the rewards of this decision.

With no managerial departure imminent that could unsettle the squad, the news from Thursday will be music to the ears of O’s fans, and having won 12 of their last 15 league matches, there is only one way that Orient are going, and that's up.