Browns time must be up!

[Up the Shrimpers]

Yep we got 54 points and went down. We had 48 points with 7 games left but won only the last game 1-0 against Chester.

Changed manager in December but even Webby took us down despite David Crown getting 25 League goals​

49 goals conceded away from home with only 3 wins but only 4 home defeats - sounds very familiar and similar to this year's record so far.

I seem to remember Dave Martin scoring a header that was my first season remember it well

Yep it was a headed goal into the North Bank by Spencer Prior. Here is a photo of the goal plus photos of fans on the pitch waiting for the result from Reading

www.flickr.com/photos/mrtipps/1442235261/

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Yep it was a headed goal into the North Bank by Spencer Prior. Here is a photo of the goal plus photos of fans on the pitch waiting for the result from Reading

www.flickr.com/photos/mrtipps/1442235261/

From about 25 yards out in my mind.

Still, relegation didn't turn out to be that bad after all.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

From about 25 yards out in my mind.

Still, relegation didn't turn out to be that bad after all.

Well about 10 yards you can see him just turning away to celebrate the goal.

 

[Firestorm]

Season 1988/89, Reading won 4-2 after being 2-0 down at half-time and escaped relegation, Southend went down on goal difference.

It was Readings first win in something like 15 games as well, they were in total free fall.
I found out on the way home !

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I’m shocked that 39 people are still voting for Brown to stay. If our poor form were all down to the excuses Phil trots out, one might have some sympathy (might, at a push). But it isn’t. Shocking team selections; left footers on the right and right footers on the left; players that move so slow they could be Elgin Marbles, causing players in front of them to play ever deeper; tactics that the 1980s would be embarrassed about and a total abject failure of man management. The only gift Phil has got is the gab, and he’s used that to full effect because fair play to Ron he’s shelled out left right and centre on this team of crocks, misfits, layabouts and no-hopers. It really is time for a new broom to sweep things clean - now before the rot really sets in.

P.s. I’ll let off ‘OrangeyBrown’ as clearly you’ve painted yourself into a corner with that username!

 

[AndyT]

Yer see 'spaceman' it's a bit of an ambiguous poll as it demands he goes now or he stays, but there are some mere mortals who are wavering but would give him until the end of the month.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Yer see 'spaceman' it's a bit of an ambiguous poll as it demands he goes now or he stays, but there are some mere mortals who are wavering but would give him until the end of the month.

The problem with that though Andy is that the transfer window closes then, and along with it the best chance of a) changing things this season and b) enticing a decent replacement manager, because of a).

 

[Rob49]

That could be too late. Transfer window would of closed.

 

[AndyT]

Agreed, but I doubt we have a replacement lined up and there'd be no harm PB getting a couple of loanees in to see if things can be turned around.

If there was an obvious candidate champing at the bit, I'd say make the switch now, but there doesn't appear to be, so allowing 3 more games and then making a decision, will just tip the scales one way or another.

My gut feeling is that PB won't have his contract renewed, so the question is who is best equipped to win the six or so games we have to, so we don't go down, then decide from there.

We could win the next three games. You know how these things work.

If we don't, RM would have had more time to line up who to succeed PB and in turn, that person will still have time to get the results needed to survive.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Agreed, but I doubt we have a replacement lined up and there'd be no harm PB getting a couple of loanees in to see if things can be turned around.

If there was an obvious candidate champing at the bit, I'd say make the switch now, but there doesn't appear to be, so allowing 3 more games and then making a decision, will just tip the scales one way or another.

My gut feeling is that PB won't have his contract renewed, so the question is who is best equipped to win the six or so games we have to, so we don't go down.

We could win the next three games. You know how these things work.

If we don't, RM would have had more time to line up who to succeed PB and he will have time to get the results needed.

The question should be who is best placed to deliver long term improvement.

 

[AndyT]

The answer at the moment is no-one, though, so it's a short-term decision to get the 20 points we need and then re-group in May and decide the plan from there.

 

[Mick]

The answer at the moment is no-one, though, so it's a short-term decision to get the 20 points we need and then re-group in May and decide the plan from there.

I think you're right. Having no-one would be better than having Brown.

(I'm convinced one of the 39 has only voted for the "Brown to stay" option so he can continue to write his (amusing) spoof diaries.)

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

That’s a fair minded approach Andy, but misguided in my opinion. A wealth of evidence has been emerging over the past few years that Phil Brown is and has been making poor tactical and commercial decisions, coupled with poor man management, leadership and coaching. What he can do is throw money at things and sometimes things will click all on their own - possibly just because the players themselves decide they’re ‘up for it’ like against Blackburn and Charlton. Throwing more money at Phil’s team in January might be rewarded with a few points in the short term or even a decent footballing performance. Will that be down to his prowess as a manager? I think the weight of evidence suggests not.

Far better then to make a change. When making a change I also wouldn’t go in for ‘stop gap’ solutions that are a bit of a lottery and could do as much harm as good. Instead decide what sort of club we want to be, what’s our footballing ethos? If it’s passing and movement, bringing through youngsters and growing from within then look for a manager who embodies that and go all out to get them. I don’t care if the manager is from Mars, if they’re the right person for the job. Just look at Mauricio Pochettino - what a great strategically chosen signing he was for Southampton, or Nigel Adkins at Scunthorpe. I’m not saying it’s easy, but I’m confident it’s the right approach to be taking.

 

[Brett Angle]

The question should be who is best placed to deliver long term improvement.

Yes but a lot of people (including me) are saying it is a question for the end of the season - and not now.

Let us stabilise the situation with three or four solid signings - aim for finish in the top half of the table - and then the club
have a big decision to make in May. I'm just not convinced bringing someone new in now is going to improve the status quo. I think there is every chance the uncertainity could make the matter worse. If I was RM I would go the other way - confirm PB will be here until the summer (minimum), back him in the window but be clear that it is going to take a monumental upturn in our fortunes to offer anything to the manager beyond the summer. PB is then fighting for his managerial future period.

 

[AndyT]

I think you're right. Having no-one would be better than having Brown.

(I'm convinced one of the 39 has only voted for the "Brown to stay" option so he can continue to write his (amusing) spoof diaries.)

LOL :smile: .. There is that!

 

[AndyT]

That’s a fair minded approach Andy, but misguided in my opinion. A wealth of evidence has been emerging over the past few years that Phil Brown is and has been making poor tactical and commercial decisions, coupled with poor man management, leadership and coaching. What he can do is throw money at things and sometimes things will click all on their own - possibly just because the players themselves decide they’re ‘up for it’ like against Blackburn and Charlton. Throwing more money at Phil’s team in January might be rewarded with a few points in the short term or even a decent footballing performance. Will that be down to his prowess as a manager? I think the weight of evidence suggests not.

Far better then to make a change. When making a change I also wouldn’t go in for ‘stop gap’ solutions that are a bit of a lottery and could do as much harm as good. Instead decide what sort of club we want to be, what’s our footballing ethos? If it’s passing and movement, bringing through youngsters and growing from within then look for a manager who embodies that and go all out to get them. I don’t care if the manager is from Mars, if they’re the right person for the job. Just look at Mauricio Pochettino - what a great strategically chosen signing he was for Southampton, or Nigel Adkins at Scunthorpe. I’m not saying it’s easy, but I’m confident it’s the right approach to be taking.

I think a fair number of people want to discredit PB as some sort of lucky fraud, but the facts are clear that, over his tenure we have improved as a club, so he obviously knows what he is doing.

At the moment, things do look bleak. Moreso because there appears to be a divide amongst the players and PB himself is under immense pressure and is saying and doing some odd things as a result.

The long term is almost certainly without him and having the right guy to take over is crucial in getting the best out of the players we have.

My point remains that we have a short-term objective to survive and I'd give him a little more time to turn it around if it was me.

We've been in slumps before with PB and his head has been called for, yet off the back of that, a run of good results has followed.

 

[Richard Hearn]

If Brown is still here in May he will be offered (and will sign) a new contract. I'll wager a crisp 10 bob note on it.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

There’s another reason I’d like to see the back of PB too Andy, and that is that the smarmy git has been hawking himself in public for job after job, demonstrating not just ambition (which is fair enough) but total disregard for the impact the public nature of his actions will have on our club or squad. By all means throw your hat into the ring for a better job, but do it quietly - that’s what telephones, email and hushed-up meetings in disguise in motorway services are for. We have a chance to lance the boil now, so let’s take it.

 

[AndyT]

Not disagreeing with you at all, but as 'brett' says, give him the ultimatum to turn it round or face the chop.

We have time to see if that has an immediate effect or not.

Looking at the fixtures, we've played six of the top eight away already and the other two are in April, so there's a run of fixtures after 31st January, to put things right under a temporary fella, until a more permanent appointment is made.

In the meantime, two home games and an away game at Rochdale would definitely sway PB's standing, one way or another.

I'd say let's see what happens.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

Permission to tell Andy to sod off for being wrong please, OBL :angel::smile: