Approaching the halfway point of the season

[Tommy2holes]

With the half way point of the season approaching, I thought it would be good to gauge some opinion on the season so far.

We currently lie in 14th spot on 25 points. Having played 19 games we have scored just 22 goals and conceding 29.

People may say we have been unlucky with injuries, particularly in defence, but we have also signed so called big names who have a history of injury. Turner,ferdinand, and kiernan were all injury prone prior to signing. Hendrie was signed as left back cover and has seemingly evaporated into thin air. Coker for me was a huge loss. He is a quality left back at our level and to break his leg the week before the season started was a massive blow.

Another big name to be added was michael kightly. Rated very highly at championship Burton, surely league one would be a walk in the park? In truth kightly has looked anything but a cut above. Poor goals and returns tally , and with a 3 year deal, will things improve?

Josh Wright scored goals for a poor gillingham side , but is another who seems to have come with a reputation he has been unable to live up to.

Another player who seems injured as much as as he is fit is Wordsworth. On his day he is a match winner. The problem is it's very often not his day.

Up top we have a mishmash of strikers. From the aged and willing fortune to the now shot shy Simon cox. We also have the completely ineffective Robinson who was playing non league for a reason and Nile I have had a 100 chances Ranger. A player who's reputation for being a complete nightmare eclipses the fact that he was once a premier league player with a very bright future.

I'll be honest I think we will finish exactly where we are now. Bang in the centre of the table.

It's not all doom and gloom.

Oxley has come on fantastically well. He now looks a very capable keeper and has definately saved us points this season.


We have a number of youth players that show promise.

Overall it appears a season of let downs, injuries and mediocre and lacklustre performances.

Still, I would take a mid table finish and stadium approval.

 

[leeblue]

We're a decent manager a fox in the box and a Ben Coker away from challenging for the play offs.

 

[MisterStubbs]

Slightly underwhelming start in truth. After the performance and result vs Blackburn where I probably like a lot were quite optimistic about the up and coming season but since then we haven’t matched the level of performance. We have enough quality in the squad to be doing better than what we currently are, there’s no doubt about that. I wouldn’t normally call for a managers head as I’m a firm believer in givin managers time and you’ll be rewarded but I do think Phil hasn’t taken us as far as he can and it’s maybe time for a new face and fresh ideas.

 

[RHB]

We're a decent manager a fox in the box and a Ben Coker away from challenging for the play offs.

 

[onceknownasrab]

A fair summary T2H. A season of possibility and promise has evaporated into constant disappointment. Our signings, far from being landmark, are closer to skidmark. The talk of having a quality squad is just that, talk. Some players have pedigree but it is historic.

Where is the future vision? If this squad had been genuinely brought together for a tilt at promotion, what would we do if we got it? It would have to be dismantled wholesale because there is too much age, inability and injury to be anything but a laughing stock in a higher division.

Perhaps Ricky Duncan can use Ferdinand to coach the kids. If he plays for the first team again then it is clear we have no desire, ambition or aspiration whatsoever.

Turner looks to have the nous but he cannot be partnered by anyone as slow or slower than himself, as he is now. Turner and Ferdinand are great names to see on the team sheet but they are going to take us nowhere. Sorry fellows, much respect to your careers in the past, but you are not what a Lg 1 team needs in order to progress.

As for the forward line, I have had hope and respect for them but they flatter to deceive. Ranger, who I feel could still do a job, spends too much time not getting booked. We need a tough guy battering ram that puts the fear of God up the opposition. He possesses the tools but I bet the opposition defenders love playing him. They know they are in for a gentle time against him.

Fortune is woefully in the wrong position most of the time. Put him at the edge of the box to receive and his ability to hold and turn will pay dividends.

Cox still has it but he needs some improved performers around him.

Yes there are positives. Oxley has been a revelation. HK, prior to injury, looked as though we had a very decent defender in the making. I like the swashbuckling attitude of Demi too. If SM can stay fit and fully regain his mojo, then he is an asset. Josh Wright shows possibility but really needs to up his passing and end game but I think he can. Lenny is Lenny and is a standard way above.

Sorry, but for me, there are too many players out there that right now I would bin and stop wasting the clubs time with. The fans do not pay to see reputation unless it is still producing performances to be proud of.

At this stage of the season I would start turning to a couple more of the youths. They may not currently be the finished product but by the end of the season they will have improved a lot. I don't think they would take us down and the current guys are not going to take us up. Lets look to the future.

 

[RHB]

I saw glimpses against MK Dons and again yesterday of the Southend style of last season when we were on a run. Yesterday the glimpses were longer and I still believe that we have a chance for the play-offs. Of course we need to improve but hey, I'm an optimist. The only little niggle for me is Anton, when he's good he's very very good, and when he's bad he's horrid. A bullet to be bitten by Mr Brown if we are to go where no (Brown)man has gone before. (Lots of plagiarisms there!)

 

[Chairman Trigg]

A mid table finish will not be good enough for Ron if FF is approved.Remember Brown is out of contract end of season and with him showing his loyalty..... to Sunderland I think unless a play off place is secured he will be gone

With the half way point of the season approaching, I thought it would be good to gauge some opinion on the season so far.

We currently lie in 14th spot on 25 points. Having played 19 games we have scored just 22 goals and conceding 29.

People may say we have been unlucky with injuries, particularly in defence, but we have also signed so called big names who have a history of injury. Turner,ferdinand, and kiernan were all injury prone prior to signing. Hendrie was signed as left back cover and has seemingly evaporated into thin air. Coker for me was a huge loss. He is a quality left back at our level and to break his leg the week before the season started was a massive blow.

Another big name to be added was michael kightly. Rated very highly at championship Burton, surely league one would be a walk in the park? In truth kightly has looked anything but a cut above. Poor goals and returns tally , and with a 3 year deal, will things improve?

Josh Wright scored goals for a poor gillingham side , but is another who seems to have come a reputation he has been unable to live up to.

Another player who seems injured as much as as he is fit is Wordsworth. On his day he is a match winner. The problem is it's very often not his day.

Up top we have a mishmash of strikers. From the aged and willing fortune to the now shot shy Simon cox. We also have the completely ineffective Robinson who was playing non league for a reason and Nile I have had a 100 changes Ranger. A player who's reputation for being a complete nightmare eclipses the fact that he was once a premier league player with a very bright future.

I'll be honest I think we will finish exactly where we are now. Bang in the centre of the table.

It's not all doom and gloom.

Oxley has come on fantastically well. He now looks a very capable keeper and has definately saved us points this season.


We have a number of youth players that show promise.

Overall it appears a season of let downs, injuries and mediocre and lacklustre performances.

Still, I would take a mid table finish and stadium approval.

 

[RobM]

gonetable? Good word. In essence I agree with the comments here. To be true, I'd be somewhat scared if we did manage to go up. It'd be a fleeting visit to L1.

 

[AndyT]

I don't think Phil Thompson's the answer!

 

[Mick]

Still, I would take a mid table finish and stadium approval.

We've had approval before; I'd set my sights a little higher if I were you.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

A few of you were happy to point out that about a month ago we were only 3 points away from the last play off place. I’m intrigued to know how you feel now that we’re closer to the drop zone than the play off pack?

 

[AndyT]

Not really concerned, TBH.

Slightly moreso if we were playing badly.

 

[Barling Magna]

Well, I suppose we can say that we're not halfway through the season yet and we already have half of the points needed to stay up.

However, we should be capable of much more and to achieve another fifty points from our remaining 27 games is quite a big ask. (To gain the 60 or so needed for automatic promotion is extremely unlikely!!!)

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

A few of you were happy to point out that about a month ago we were only 3 points away from the last play off place. I’m intrigued to know how you feel now that we’re closer to the drop zone than the play off pack?

3 points and a good performance against Oldham next Saturday will make the zone a much happier (and quieter) place.:smile:

 

[jtsouthend]

Thanks (not) for reminding me that we still have just over half the season to go...it feels like a very long season already.

i said at the end of last season that I thought we had over performed, with many players having their best seasons for many a years and so it has proved so far this season. The players that we brought in this season have not freshened up the team at all, with a number on wrong side of thirty and on contracts for the coming seasons, then it is going to be a case of treading water for a while I think (unless we unearth some youth or get lucky in the loan market).

i’ll leave the management team to worry about any targets set at the start of season, as I have to admit a good run and winning more than we lose would do for me...anything else is a bonus (we are Southend United, not Man United). But more important for me is having a few characters in the team and maybe the odd player that will get me off my seat when they have the ball at feet.

the real problem for me at present is the “beige” nature of the squad and I think we are seeing this in the fans apathy both at games and also for pre and post match threads. Who are the characters we’re going get behind like in the recent past (Moshni, BBBC, Bentley. Cresswell...even Deegan) and the flair players (Hall, Britt, Tomlin)?

to me it looks like a team going through the motions and there have been no fresh ideas on style of play, set peice approach et in the summer. When we eventually lose Ryan Leonard then the “gaps” are even going to be more transparent, as his performances cover up so much

it’s going to be interesting to see where we end up at the end of the season. Personally a promotion in an ever increasingly competitive championship could be a bit of a car crash at present. I would more than happy with a comfortable finish this year in league 1 and a review of the squad in the summer (with youth playing more in the second half of the season).

up the shrimpers

 

[Bearded Shrimper]

It's been an underwhelming to mixed season so far.
We haven't won nearly enough games, we haven't kept enough clean sheets and we haven't been good enough in the final third.
we haven't been shocking but we haven't been good enough. There have been positives which, for me, are:

Oxley
Demetriou
White
Turner
Elvis
Kyprianou
Lenny (for now)
Yearwood
Wright
McLaughlin
Fortune
Cox

I think those players have been let down by those around them. Also, I personally think we started poorly because we couldn't get a settled defence. We've been playing catch up ever since.
we have played some decent football and going to matches hasn't been a drag so I'd say it's not been terrible but we have much more to do to get the top 6 place we should do this season.

Rant
I personally think all those people gloating over our underperformance this season should be ashamed of themselves and should really stop and think whether they really are supporters. Is it really worth your while to be so full of misery? I for one am sick of it
Rant over

 

[Tommy2holes]

It's been an underwhelming to mixed season so far.
We haven't won nearly enough games, we haven't kept enough clean sheets and we haven't been good enough in the final third.
we haven't been shocking but we haven't been good enough. There have been positives which, for me, are:

Oxley
Demetriou
White
Turner
Elvis
Kyprianou
Lenny (for now)
Yearwood
Wright
McLaughlin
Fortune
Cox

I think those players have been let down by those around them. Also, I personally think we started poorly because we couldn't get a settled defence. We've been playing catch up ever since.
we have played some decent football and going to matches hasn't been a drag so I'd say it's not been terrible but we have much more to do to get the top 6 place we should do this season.

Rant
I personally think all those people gloating over our underperformance this season should be ashamed of themselves and should really stop and think whether they really are supporters. Is it really worth your while to be so full of misery? I for one am sick of it
Rant over

I get your point about supporters. My main gripe is that Brown is very stagnated in his tactics and team elections.

He seems unable to motivate what on paper should be a good team. Confidence at both ends of the pitch. I always want the team to win, but I always want the team to be able to express themselves in a way which is enjoyable to watch and yields results.

I haven't found this season particularly easy to watch and have found the constant playing of certain players who are performing badly, has left a bad taste in the mouth.

It's simple. The reason for the squad is to provide cover and competition. We are not using the cover or the squad to it's potential.

Do we need a change of ideas (ie) management? It's irrelevant what we all think as Ron is in charge.

 

[tallboyblue]

Not really concerned, TBH.

Slightly moreso if we were playing badly.

We might not be playing badly but we are not winning games which are there for the taking. It only needs for two or three clubs below to go on a run and PB will feel the heat.

 

[AndyT]

..or for us to go on a run of results.

There's so much fear around, like we are doomed to fail, for some reason.

We are 11th on current form over 6 matches and 10th over 10 matches.

Hardly a major cause for concern.

Interestingly, bottom of those form tables are :-

6 matches - Rotherham, with all their Championship money and their big goalscorer
10 matches - Peterborough, with their enviable transfer policy.

 

[LBBlue]

Really it's all about WORDSWORTH.



Ignoring the Checkatrade games as they don't count, the only first team game we have won when he wasn't playing is Blackburn -the first game of the season.

We've only scored more than once in a game 5 times in 21 games.

As Paul Clark said after yesterday's game, the finishing is abysmal. It's abysmal in the pre-match warm up and they take it into the game.

Once the opposition score it's odds on we won't win. Mid-table looms.