COSU

[WillMay333]

I agree but COSU have to realise we are Southend united and the best supported club in the national league we aren't hornchurch! No disrespect to hornchurch but the players COSU are signing are the sort of players hornchurch would

COSU are not recruitment, please do not get that mixed up. If recruitment make a case for a potential signing, COSU will fund it.

 

[Southend Elvis]

We are all glad that we were saved from going under by COSU, but how long are we going to be watching what we spend because of the debts Rat family left. If it's 5 years or so, what would going to the wall and starting again have looked like?
Not that I ever wanted us to fold and start again, but if as it looks like we are going to be scrapping the bottom of the barrel and playing so bad for years would that have been an option.
I'm sure things will turn around and COSU will do the right thing if not.

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

If they don't have the money then they shouldn't of bought the club! They knew what they was getting into and now they need to act.Keeping the clubs head above water is key but so is success on the pitch and all supporters really care about is winning games of football! It's harsh but it's the truth.

I disagree. Fans dont expect to win every game, its what they hope for and it isn't everything. Otherwise i'd go and follow the biggest London club. Its the identity. I grew up in and around Southend and its my home club. My family generations have spent time on the terraces and every 10yrs maybe we have some success which bring great memories. We also endure horrible games where we'll get battered, those also create memories. Good or bad on the pitch, SUFC is my identity club. I travel away to matches, its like a band of brothers up at outposts such as York and Rochdale.

 

[Tommy2holes]

Don't we have a Q and A soon.

Let's see what info that brings

 

[Dave Smiths Love Child]

Yeh I'm sure anton ferdinand and the likes of simon cox was close to being on around 5k a week and I'm sure we was the highest wage payers under ron in league 1! Ron didn't have the money but at least he tried but took us to the wall doing so.

Don’t make sense, “ Ron didn’t have the money” “ Took us to the wall “
But he tried?
He didn’t try he abused others in trying to get out of the mire

 

[Shrimpet steve]

Rubbish! COSU set the budget then the recruiters find what's available within the budget and from what we can all see the budget obviously isn't big enough because we are signing unproven players for national league level when we should be signing league 1 and 2 players to get us promoted.

COSU are not recruitment, please do not get that mixed up. If recruitment make a case for a potential signing, COSU will fu

 

[Thundersley]

Whatever we say about Ron Martin we ALL enjoyed the finest moments in our clubs history. We are now struggling in the National League losing to the likes of Maidstone!! We need to do better under COSU and sadly the success of any owners is measurable on the pitch. Not survival at any cost! So please let's get rid of Maher and his many assistants and strive to reach that goal! We are so much better than this!!

 

[Dave Smiths Love Child]

Whatever we say about Ron Martin we ALL enjoyed the finest moments in our clubs history. We are now struggling in the National League losing to the likes of Maidstone!! We need to do better under COSU and sadly the success of any owners is measurable on the pitch. Not survival at any cost! So please let's get rid of Maher and his many assistants and strive to reach that goal! We are so much better than this!!

Agree we ALL enjoyed the good times, but how many of us knew what he was really doing behind the scenes which basically killed the clubs future
I was never fooled by what a swell guy he was etc, but again couldn’t believe anyone could be so cynical and watch others suffer through his ineptness and greed

 

[Liam AAS]

Whatever we say about Ron Martin we ALL enjoyed the finest moments in our clubs history. We are now struggling in the National League losing to the likes of Maidstone!! We need to do better under COSU and sadly the success of any owners is measurable on the pitch. Not survival at any cost! So please let's get rid of Maher and his many assistants and strive to reach that goal! We are so much better than this!!

That is precisely because of Ron

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Rubbish! COSU set the budget then the recruiters find what's available within the budget and from what we can all see the budget obviously isn't big enough because we are signing unproven players for national league level when we should be signing league 1 and 2 players to get us promoted.

You've sort of answered some of your objections. You got this bit right....COSU set the budget then the recruiters find what's available within the budget.
So it's not COSU buying these players. You say we should be signing League 1 and 2 players, but that would probably not fall within that budget.
So you could say you would like COSU to increase the budget to enable Kev, John Still and Tom Lawrence to sign better standard players. But then the sustainability of the club can't be met. Their main goal when taking over was to cut the losses each season, and make the club self sufficient.
COSU are in a terrible situation due to results and performances on the pitch. They have invested £Millions, and now have a big decision to make that will affect their balancing of the books goal. I bet quite a few of the COSU members, do not want to dig deeper into their pockets.

 

[Holy Joe]

Whatever we say about Ron Martin we ALL enjoyed the finest moments in our clubs history. We are now struggling in the National League losing to the likes of Maidstone!! We need to do better under COSU and sadly the success of any owners is measurable on the pitch. Not survival at any cost! So please let's get rid of Maher and his many assistants and strive to reach that goal! We are so much better than this!!

What time period do you measure success over? Was Ron's ownership successful? Is COSU's terrible?

 

[Thundersley]

2016 -2017 just missed out on Championship Play-offs calls for Phil Brown to go! Losing to Sittingbourne, Maidstone etc all good???

 

[Liam AAS]

2016 -2017 just missed out on Championship Play-offs calls for Phil Brown to go! Losing to Sittingbourne, Maidstone etc all good???

 

[stewart]

I've not got a bad word to say about COSU - they saved the club, have put millions into servicing debt and are trying to improve Roots Hall.

My only issue is they are great businessmen, but there is no sentimentality in business and they are being just that by keeping Kev.

At this rate I can see gates dropping by over 1000 next season, the football is turgid, our manger is obsessed with tippy tappy across the back line Guardiola crap, but without Guardiola level players to execute it.

Yesterday I realised the Kev may actually be deluded, we have been playing well witn the 3 up top, we play a bottom team and revert back to 2 and we revert to being crap again.

COSU have to pull the trigger soon, or they too will look as clueless as Kev

I have stated that if COSU dont pull the trigger on Maher and very quickly it wil show on STH revenue and falling attendances etc, this in the long run will hurt them as they will lose more money than it costs to keep Maher on. Give the reins to Currie for the rest off the season lets see what tune he can get from the players before they decide to rid themselves of them. Currie did well when in charge of Barnet took them to the playoffs and played some decent attacking football . If JS had anything to do with the players Maher has signed he can go too. but no reason to dismiss Currie or Benno let them take the reins until seasons end, lets see if they can play a decent tune with these players .

 

[stewart]

Moncur stated when he left , that Maher has no idea how to get the best out of these players , i tend to agree with him Tt,and i firmly believe Maher and his tactics / Formation is the reason. This formation is not Curries formation or Bennos, so Cosu give those two a chance until seasons end ,lets see if theres a difference in the players attitude.

 

[KiwiRob]

Moncur stated when he left , that Maher has no idea how to get the best out of these players , i tend to agree with him Tt,and i firmly believe Maher and his tactics / Formation is the reason. This formation is not Curries formation or Bennos, so Cosu give those two a chance until seasons end ,lets see if theres a difference in the players attitude.

Thanks Stewart for this. I must have missed this, but if Moncur said that there maybe an element of sour grapes in his comment (although he is a seasoned pro and never came across as a bitter or petty person).

In any event, I agree with your recommendation concerning Currie and Benno. Many players have gone out of their way to praise Currie and I believe making him Head Coach for the remainder of the season would be a sensible move. No one should doubt Currie's passion for the club and I think this change would lift the players and produce a much more attacking brand of football.

 

[bluesfansince1952]

Facts of life:
The NL is tough competitive attritional league consisting of twenty four teams. At least half of these might be described as ambitious and some are much better funded than others. There are some, but not many, easy games.
Without doubt we are one of, if not the best, supported teams in the league but it is now 2025 and not 1925. Bodies through the gate no longer make you a financial powerhouse.
Not only are some of our rivals better funded than we are but there is always the possibility that some errant millionaire might show up at a hitherto minnow rival club and decide to turn around their fortunes.
Spending 300k on Pebble, sacking KM (and/or others) or even pouring millions into the club will not guarantee success.
These are the facts of life.
Southend United were rescued from potential extinction by some well heeled but not super rich individuals. They cared enough to make a fairly substantial commitment to the club but COSU have no other alternative than living within the means they have set themselves.
Given the identities and resources of the members of COSU it is safe to say Southend will not be pursuing the so called 'Wrexham Model'. Their priorities must be spend money thoughtfully and prudently. Once COSU took over the club a relatively long term commitment was made in respect of securing KM's services and splashing out money that could surely be better spent elsewhere to buy out his contract seems to me to be self defeating in the extreme. Not only that but no one can guarantee improved results even if KM's services were to be dispensed with.
What funds they can make available for the purchase of players depends entirely on how much they feel can be sensibly allocated for this purpose.
Realistically patience (a virtue seldom associated with football fans) is required. At the end of the season two teams will be promoted and they will be the ones to claim they enjoyed success. For the majority it will be failure. I suspect many on here underestimate just how hard it is to achieve consistently good results in the NL.
The Ron era was characterised by chaos instability and money mismanagement. More than once in those days I said that poor administration and management off the field was unlikely to result in success on the field. COSU have made real progress offf the field but it does not mean that on field success must immediately follow.
No one is going to roll over for us in this league and it may well be more Maidenheads and Sittingbournes await before we turn the corner. But things can do change quickly in football. Three home games in quick succession await us and three wins would change the mood. Remember how it felt after the recent Dagenham win?
Patirnce and stability please.

 

[blues exile]

Calls for patience seem to be based on hope rather than realism. Maher's management has run its course. He no longer appears to have the motivational qualities required to get the best out of what on paper at least is a decent enough squad to at least make the playoffs. His media appearances show he is in denial, hiding behind spurious 'data' and refusing to acknowledge his own responsibility for the poor performances and results this season. The evidence is piling up that it's time for COSU to act now. Not to do so is just putting off the inevitable.

 

[southchurch]

OK, I'll bite. Spend what?
There's an entire thread pointing out COSU's financial limitations. You read that, right?
Simple question therefore: would you rather they spend invisible money and risk the club going under, or would you rather the club keeps its head above water?
Answer A or B, please...

A

 

[Holy Joe]

Moncur stated when he left , that Maher has no idea how to get the best out of these players ,

Have you got a link to the Moncur interview?