All the moaning and the goaning, despair and negativity

[Rayleigh boy]

Completely does my head in - we have a strong squad with quality throughout the side and should do well in this division if Orient are anything to go by -

We did actually manage to score a goal although its true Matt Harrold didn't acheive much in the second half playing up front on his own - but it really wasn't his fault we were down to 10 men -
AND its true young Hooper could have done better with a couple of chances but I don't think been anything like a consistant failure
AND its a bloody disgrace that MacDonald didn't score in 7 seconds -obviously-
AND as for Paynter he didn't score because he's bloody useless although its all that useless Tilsons fault for not playing him so we could have some-one to tear apart -

I swear there a few out there who are happy enough with the "its going to be a long hard season" and basically want to get back to a whole row of seats each and the fun and games of taking the p+ss out of our own players -

AND that JCR - hes uselss - only retains possession most of the time
AND that Hammels useless - left footed for a start and not even here
AND Gilbert - he's useless - fancy wanting to play for us
AND so on and so on -

but it Southend and its me so I guess that makes Cheltenham favourites tomorrow -

Happy Daze

 

[SUBBlue]

Hope you feel better now....:D

There IS a lot being read into the only 90 minutes of football we've played so far this season, IMO we should at least give it until 9:30pm tomorrow before tearing our management & squad to shreds.
:finger:

 

[Beefy]

The past five seasons have surely shown the folly of reading anything into the first month of the season.

 

[CC51DAS]

The past five seasons have surely shown the folly of reading anything into the first month of the season.

Yes , Maestro Tilson has secured the all important 1-2 home defeat in the first game of the season . Wait till we are almost down with Leeds - then put your money on

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

The past five seasons have surely shown the folly of reading anything into the first month of the season.

We had 6 points at the end of August last season. I would be more than happy to end up with 6 points by the end of this August:) .

 

[Beefy]

Yes , Maestro Tilson has secured the all important 1-2 home defeat in the first game of the season . Wait till we are almost down with Leeds - then put your money on

The poor bookies won't know what has hit them.

 

[CC51DAS]

The poor bookies won't know what has hit them.

Don't know if this is generally known but the year before we got promoted from League 2 after 10 games we were nearly bottom . William Hill had us at 1000-1 at that point .A few of us managed to cobble together a £300 quid bet, which they didn't want to take as it should have been 100-1 . but they took it in the end .

We were only a year out

 

[Beefy]

We had 6 points at the end of August last season. I would be more than happy to end up with 6 points by the end of this August:) .

It's an interesting point, and it's worth remebering how we've started recent seasons:

2006/07 - 6pts from first 4 games. Ended up 22nd
2005/06 - 5pts from first 4 games. Ended 1st.
2004/05 - 2pts from first 4 games. Ended 4th
2003/04 - 3pts from first 4 games. Ended 17th
2002/03 - 2pts from first 4 games. Ended 17th

Not too sure what my point is, other than that we're notoriously slow out of the blocks.

 

[CC51DAS]

It's an interesting point, and it's worth remebering how we've started recent seasons:

2006/07 - 6pts from first 4 games. Ended up 22nd
2005/06 - 5pts from first 4 games. Ended 1st.
2004/05 - 2pts from first 4 games. Ended 4th
2003/04 - 3pts from first 4 games. Ended 17th
2002/03 - 2pts from first 4 games. Ended 17th

Not too sure what my point is, other than that we're notoriously slow out of the blocks.

Couldn't possibly have anything to do with the quality of opposition in the pre-season friendlies , could it ?

 

[steveo]

Not too sure what my point is

Im not sure what your point is either Beefy but it looks like a reasonable point.

 

[Richard_Cadette]

It's an interesting point, and it's worth remebering how we've started recent seasons:

2006/07 - 6pts from first 4 games. Ended up 22nd
2005/06 - 5pts from first 4 games. Ended 1st.
2004/05 - 2pts from first 4 games. Ended 4th
2003/04 - 3pts from first 4 games. Ended 17th
2002/03 - 2pts from first 4 games. Ended 17th

Not too sure what my point is, other than that we're notoriously slow out of the blocks.

You know I thought you was going somewhere with that Beefy, but it never quite got there did it!!

I think the point you originally set out to make actually wasnt quite as valid as you first thought it might have been - that being, when we start badly, we do well... which looking at those stats, is clearly not always the case :)

 

[BoyWonder2]

Couldn't possibly have anything to do with the quality of opposition in the pre-season friendlies , could it ?

I think you'll find the vast majority of teams will play weaker opposition in pre-season, with a couple of "glamour ties" at home against bigger teams.

 

[Beefy]

You know I thought you was going somewhere with that Beefy, but it never quite got there did it!!

I think the point you originally set out to make actually wasnt quite as valid as you first thought it might have been - that being, when we start badly, we do well... which looking at those stats, is clearly not always the case :)

I think that was half the point I was trying to get towards. I genuinely don't think that you can read anything into the first four, six or even ten games of the season. Teams are still bedding down at that stage, players are settling in and it isn't until October, November and onwards that any league table starts to take shape. Look at Cardiff last year in the Championship - they raced out of the blocks but couldn't sustain it as teams learned to play against them and as their small squad started to get depleted by injuries and suspensions.

I don't subscribe to the theory that when we start poorly we do well because clearly there is no logical reason why that would be the case. I think that there is little or no corrolation between how we start the season and where we end up in the league and I think that the stats that I showed from the past five years would suggest that I'm right.

 

[CC51DAS]

I think that was half the point I was trying to get towards. I genuinely don't think that you can read anything into the first four, six or even ten games of the season. Teams are still bedding down at that stage, players are settling in and it isn't until October, November and onwards that any league table starts to take shape. Look at Cardiff last year in the Championship - they raced out of the blocks but couldn't sustain it as teams learned to play against them and as their small squad started to get depleted by injuries and suspensions.

I don't subscribe to the theory that when we start poorly we do well because clearly there is no logical reason why that would be the case. I think that there is little or no corrolation between how we start the season and where we end up in the league and I think that the stats that I showed from the past five years would suggest that I'm right.

You are most definitely right

And am I right in thinking that if the seasion finished after 5 matches , Port Vale would be in the Champions League ?

 

[Richard_Cadette]

I think that was half the point I was trying to get towards. I genuinely don't think that you can read anything into the first four, six or even ten games of the season. Teams are still bedding down at that stage, players are settling in and it isn't until October, November and onwards that any league table starts to take shape. Look at Cardiff last year in the Championship - they raced out of the blocks but couldn't sustain it as teams learned to play against them and as their small squad started to get depleted by injuries and suspensions.

I don't subscribe to the theory that when we start poorly we do well because clearly there is no logical reason why that would be the case. I think that there is little or no corrolation between how we start the season and where we end up in the league and I think that the stats that I showed from the past five years would suggest that I'm right.

I was only messing with you matey.

You are correct, but that is something a lot of people on here are failing to grasp for some reason. Yes, of course it was dissapointing, and no one wants to start the season with a defeat, purely because no one wants to lose any game, but I doubt the fact we lost to Orient 2-1 will have much of a bearing on where we finish come May.

Everybody knows where the weakness in our squad is, I and fail to believe Tilly hasnt spotted it either, but for goodness sake, one game and the doom merchants are crawling out from underneath the rocks they have been inhabiting since May and are feasting!!

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Our first 6 fixtures this season are the hardest I can ever remember us having at this level of football.

3 local derbies at home & 3 tricky away games at Leeds, Brighton & Oldham.

If we can come out of that lot with 3 wins then we will have done well.

 

[biffo]

Everybody knows where the weakness in our squad is, I and fail to believe Tilly hasnt spotted it either, but for goodness sake, one game and the doom merchants are crawling out from underneath the rocks they have been inhabiting since May and are feasting!!

Oh come on RC,
Where's the fun of it if we all sing from the same hymn sheet! You as much as anyone has shown that a bit of tail pulling makes this forum lark a bit more interesting.