Ross Embleton EXCLUSIVE: On stepping down as interim head coach and the influence Justin Edinburgh continues to have at Leyton Orient
Leyton Orient have always played a massive role in Ross Embleton’s life.
A die-hard O’s fan growing up, pictures of Embleton as a youngster in an Orient shirt have been circulated on social media in recent months and he is among a small group of people working in football who are employed by the club they support.
Naturally, the 37-year-old was never going to turn down the opportunity to lead the east London club as interim head coach, even more so after the tragic death of Justin Edinburgh, whom Embleton served under as assistant before his passing in June.
What should have been a summer of celebration after Orient were crowned National League champions last season quickly turned into an extended period of mourning following Edinburgh’s passing.
It says a lot about Embleton’s character that he felt it was his duty to lead the club through such heart-breaking circumstances, a job he has done so honourably alongside Orient’s hierarchy.
Embleton’s work both on and off the pitch in east London has certainly not been underestimated by the club’s supporters, but after a run of six games without a win in League Two, the 37-year-old has bravely made the decision to revert back to his previous role as assistant coach.
Martin Ling, the club's director of football, is now on the hunt for a new head coach and Embleton admits a career in management has never been an objective of his.
In his first interview since the news broke, Embleton exclusively told talkSPORT: “I stepped into it because I felt it was my duty, and I wanted to give everybody a bit of a chance to settle and give some time for everybody to try to make calculated decisions rather than decisions off the back of some strong emotions.
“From the moment I stepped into it, I’ve always wondered if it was really something for me and I’ve never really perceived or looked upon myself as a manger, so I was always quite cautious.
“I think because of where we are now in the season, it’s started to become a little more important for the club and board to look towards the future and whether it was me or someone else. As soon as that started to look like it was going to be the more realistic conversation, it forces you to analyse what you’re about a bit more.
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“I love doing what I do. I’ve really enjoyed being that person but the longer term view of being a manager isn’t something that burns inside me. Whereas coaching and helping somebody who does have that burning desire is something I’m really passionate about.”
Despite spending only a short time in charge, Embleton is proud of what he has achieved and believes foundations have been laid for the next head coach to build on.
“I’m proud because under my management I've helped and allowed people to find their way through a really tough process,” he said.
“I feel that myself, alongside a number of people at the club, have really helped to try and support Justin’s family and those who were close to him. Now I can look at the boys and even though we still have those moments and all still grieve, it’s not come to that cut off point where we don’t think about Justin anymore.
“We all continue to have that feeling towards him. But what I feel now is that I look at the players, club and environment that we’re now in and we’ve got that focus at being back at work.”
Charlie Edinburgh on dad Justin’s tragic death and keeping his legacy alive
Embleton continued: “It’s a club that I have been part of since I was a kid. My granddad was a massive part of the supporters' club. There’s not many people in management or supporters across the world that get to manage the football club they followed as a kid, so I’m incredibly proud to have done that.
“Obviously I’m disappointed as taking Orient to the Premier League would have been a fantastic feeling!
"All joking aside, I never viewed myself as being Leyton Orient manager one day. But I’ve done that and I know deep down inside me that I’ve done everything to the best of my ability.
“It never quite worked out in terms of some of the results we got, but I found my achievements in other things, rather than just getting three points on a Saturday.”
A run of seven games without a win means Orient have dropped down to 21st in League Two, with lapses of concentration in defence particularly costing them.
The O’s have also had to contend with a number of injuries, with new signing Lee Angol currently out and inspirational captain Jobi McAnuff sidelined all season.
McAnuff, who was influential during Orient's promotion winning campaign, stepped up this summer to take on a player-coach role, but Embleton hinted the experienced winger could focus more on the playing side when he returns from injury.
“I think, collectively, lapses in concentration [have cost us] and probably sometimes the focus,” he explained.
“I wouldn’t like to say injuries because that sometimes looks like you’re trying to cover something up that’s not there.
“There’s been a number of very close calls, some of it luck and some of it on our own terms. We need to become a bit more streetwise and a little more aggressive at the level in terms of not giving teams the opportunity to get games away from us. We’ve got to puff our chests out and do something about it.
“McAnuff never had a coaching title [last season], he was captain and he had a real leader’s mentality in the group. So it was a natural progression for him and I think that progression needs to continue. What that looks like until a new manager comes in, I don’t think anybody really knows because there is going to be a different dynamic depending on the type of character we get in.
“I think the massive thing, and taking nothing away from the players that are in the squad at the moment, is that we’ve really missed Jobi. He was a huge part of us winning the league last year and I think we would have been a better team had we had him this season.
“With the player part in his title, we need to give Jobi the best opportunity to get fit and back in the team and back on track on that front, whilst in the background, we continue to help him evolve as a coach.”
It’s hard not to bring up the subject of the late Edinburgh, however, especially after the bond that he shared with Embleton.
Despite never previously working together, the duo forged a close friendship following Edinburgh’s arrival as head coach in November 2017, and it was this rapport which helped foster a real togetherness among the Orient squad.
The duo would often share warm embraces if the O’s scored a late winner or equaliser, and Embleton’s knowledge of the squad and overall honesty allowed him to become a trusted member of Edinburgh’s backroom staff.
Their hard work paid off when Orient achieved their main objective by securing the National League title in May but, cruelly, the last time they would share the technical area together would be in the FA Trophy final later that month.
Tragically, just over two weeks later, Edinburgh suffered a cardiac arrest and never recovered.
Edinburgh had a huge impact on everyone he met, but most importantly, those who worked closely with him. Understandably there’s not a day that goes by in which Embleton doesn’t think about the former Tottenham defender.
“His memory is always with us and we’re proud to say that and his family know that we continue to drive Justin’s memory,” he finished.
“We take pictures of Justin to every away game that go up on the wall, there’s a memorial at the training ground for him and the same at the stadium, so he’s constantly remembered.
“Away from home, we wanted to carry something with us and it’s not always easy because the dynamics and the set ups in different changing rooms are so varied. We felt that by getting a couple of pictures made up that travel with us on away days, we could stick them up on the wall and whether anybody recognises or pays any attention to them, the gaffer is always with us.
“Anybody that loses somebody knows grieving is such a strange thing and we have constant conversations about it. It gets me in strange ways as we went to Salford the other week and I woke up in a real state and I couldn’t put my finger on why. All I knew was that Justin was lingering with me all of that morning and I didn’t want him to go away. It was a real strange sensation for me.
“I go to the stadium and when I pull into the car park, I still expect to see him when I get out the car. That grieving part won’t go away for a long time. That’s going to take a long time to get over. Even when we do get over that, we’re certainly going to drag Justin’s memory along with us for so many different reasons.
“I’ve sat there today and watched a famous video of Justin, myself and Danny Webb in this room holding our interviews in preparation for a game and it’s one of the favourite moments of my life, let alone in my career. We’ll continue to make sure that he’s a huge part of what this club’s about now and when a new manager comes in and beyond.”