Pain for Wellens as exciting chapter ends so soon
Heartbreak is a word thrown around with abandon after any and all Wembley defeats but when Leyton Orient boss Richie Wellens used it after the loss to Charlton, it really felt like he meant it.
He was not talking about footballing heartbreak over Charlie Kelman's deflected shot thudding the woodwork, or even Macaulay Gillesphey's free-kick sneaking past both the wall and O's keeper Josh Keeley's despairing dive to send Charlton back to the Championship.
No, he said he was personally heartbroken at the prospect of never again managing this group of players he has painstakingly assembled for Orient.
Keeley and Jamie Donley will head back to Tottenham after fine loan spells, Kelman will return to parent club QPR after 23 League One goals for the O's and Jack Currie's loan from Oxford is also up.
In all, 11 of the 18 players in the squad for the play-off final defeat on Sunday are either out of contract this summer or on loan.
The past six months feels like a work of art carved into a sandy beach, eventually washed away by the tide with nothing left to show for it but memories and photographs.
"It's really difficult for me, it's heart-breaking to be honest, it is hard," Wellens told BBC Sport.
In a division packed with financial muscle, which is only going be bolstered by relegated trio Plymouth, Luton and Cardiff next season, Orient have been shopping in a different market to most.
"Our budget is not like some of the other clubs," Wellens admitted in his post-match press conference in the bowels of Wembley.
The 45-year-old ex-Blackpool and Leicester midfielder took over with the O's 20th in League Two in 2021-22 and has guided them to the brink of the Championship.
But one of the constants has been upheaval at the end of each of his three seasons in charge.
"The end of that [first] season, I lost two or three of my best players," Wellens said.
"Next season, we got promoted, I lost a few more. It's the same every season. Potentially we're going to lose six or seven now.
"I am gutted for the supporters but I'm also heartbroken this is the last time I will ever manage this set of players as a collective."
Charlton beat Orient to win promotion to Championship
Wellens hails 'special group' after Orient reach play-off final
Wellens said he needs a break before trying to assemble an Orient 2025-26 squad jigsaw puzzle, after a gruelling season which has seen the O's play 61 games.
Their play-off campaign followed a fine run to the FA Cup fourth round where they gave then Premier League champions Manchester City a run for their money.
Wellens told BBC Radio London: "I'm tired, this week has taken a lot out of us. It's been a long season. I need a few weeks off.
"We'll dust ourselves down and try to recruit. The plan was always to be a top, top League One club. We are still not there yet, but this is a good step.
"It's been an unbelievable group of players - both on the pitch and character-wise they are a pleasure to work with every day but we just couldn't go the last step and I am gutted for them.
"We need to make sure we recruit right because we're going to lose a lot of players now.
"But I am trying to make sure it's a celebration of what we have done over a long time - the development of players, the way the club has grown - we had over 30,000 fans today, this is the biggest crowd the club have ever played in front of and Charlton are an ex-Premier League club."
Wellens also admitted promotion to the Championship might have come too soon for the Orient project had it materialised.
"I am more gutted than anybody. It's the first time I have ever lost a final, ever," he said.
"If you'd said to us at the start of the season you're going to lose in the play-off final we'd have taken it. But now it's important we grow and develop the club. We're still not there.
"If we'd been promoted today we'd still fall short in a lot of areas which are required for a Championship club. We have to try and grow from it.
"I came here and we were 20th in League Two. Charlton are ready to go up. Are we ready? As a club we probably need more time."
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