Charlton Athletic may have unknowingly handed Leyton Orient big advantage ahead of League One play-off final

Add as preferred source on Google

Charlton Athletic and Leyton Orient will do battle on Sunday afternoon with a place in the Championship up for grabs, but the Addicks have already boosted their opponent’s chances of success.

Both teams have enjoyed a great season, and Nathan Jones and Richie Wellens deserve a lot of credit for the way they’ve helped their sides climb the League One table as the weeks went by.

Charlton ended up having a huge say on the automatic promotion race, defeating Wycombe before losing to Wrexham.

The Addicks then fought their way past Wycombe again in the semi-finals of the play-offs, though neutrals had to endure a pretty ‘low quality’ affair between the two sides.

However, something Charlton did months ago may well come back to bite them this weekend, and Leyton Orient will be delighted if that happens.

• READ MORE: One of the EFL’s most divisive managers could be about to return to the Championship after incredible run of form

Charlton’s January transfer window decision could come back to bite them

Ramarni Edmonds-Green could end up having a massive say in how the League One play-off final unfolds, with the impressive centre-half becoming a key figure for Orient after joining them in February.

The ironic thing is, Edmonds-Green was sold by Charlton in the New Year, after just one year at The Valley. He joined Charlton from Huddersfield in January 2024 but failed to establish himself under Jones.

While Charlton are one of the best attacking sides in the division, they will now have to find a way past their former player, who will be desperate to show them what they’re missing.

How often do we see stories like this emerge, where the footballing gods decide that ex-players will have the final say on matters? Don’t be surprised, then, to see Edmonds-Green pop up with a last-minute winner at Wembley to send Orient to the Championship.

• READ MORE: Leyton Orient will dread life in Championship for one key reason, there’s work to be done if they win play-offs

What we know about Rarmani Edmonds-Green

Edmonds-Green has ended up playing all but one league game for Leyton Orient since joining in February, and of those 19 appearances he has played the full 90 minutes in all but one (plus 105 minutes in the play-off win over Stockport). To say he is now a linchpin in the team is not an understatement.

We spoke to Leyton Orient expert and supporter, James Shearman, about what Edmonds-Green has offered the O’s this season, and how he can impact Sunday’s game.

He said: “Rarmani Edmonds-Green was only really signed in January because of Orient’s centre-back injury crisis. Omar Beckles, Dan Happe, Brandon Cooper, and Jack Simpson have all dealt with physical issues at times this season.

“Considering fellow League One play-off chasers Charlton were willing to let go of the 26-year-old, little was expected from him by the O’s faithful. The only obvious positive was that Richie Wellens had worked with him previously in Swindon Town’s 2019-20 League Two title-winning campaign.

“Well, it turns out that Wellens knew what he was doing, a common theme in his time at Orient. Whatever you make of Beckles as a footballer, his place in Wellens’ side is not up for grabs because of the leadership he brings to the backline. That leaves one spot for the remaining four centre-backs, and Edmonds-Green has made it his own in recent weeks.”

On what Edmonds-Green can do on Sunday, Shearman added: “Wellens doesn’t make life easy for his defenders by playing an attacking team more often than not and asking them to play out from the back, but he’s settled in seamlessly.

“Now, heading into the League One play-off final against his former club on Sunday, he will be one of the most important players on the pitch. It feels almost inevitable that the O’s will score at least once with the plethora of attacking talent in their ranks.

“The burning question is: will Edmonds-Green and Beckles be able to cope with Matty Godden and co.? Only time will tell, but if the answer is yes, he will have an argument to be the most underrated League One signing of the January transfer window.”

High praise indeed.