Everyone Calm Down

[Eastwood23]

Paul Sturrock was sacked because he failed to deliver this season. We wanted and demanded promotion. He failed to achieve the objective by quite some way. Some of the results have been absolutely shocking. But he got us to the JPT Final, I can hear you saying. So what? He got us to a final of a competition that no one actually cares about - most people are more excited about the day at Wembley rather than the result of the competition. But he kept us alive in his 1st season with only 4 players on the books, I can hear you yell. Ok yes that was good, but that was 2 years ago. You expect to see progression within a club and we have fallen way behind from last year. Sturrock was not sacked for what he has achieved in his previous 2 seasons; he was sacked for the failure of THIS season.

Alot of you have criticised the timing of the sacking but in my opinion, its the perfect time. Martin is hoping that the new manager effect will happen and we can somehow push our way back into contention of the playoffs. It's a brave call and one that I respect him for. If he left it till after the final then the season may already be over by then. It also shows that he values the league higher than the JPT which is good.

I am a Southend United supporter and I support MY club and I suggest a lot of you do too. There's so much praise for Sturrock now and so much negativity towards Phil brown - its absolutely embarrassing. These are probably some of the same people that were ridiculing Sturrock for Southend's performances recently. Southend have been poor for a while now and something had to happen - there were a lot of people that were becoming annoyed with Sturrock. However, now he's been sacked - he's suddenly the messiah. He didnt deliver promotion last year or this year, he's not that bloody amazing. The criticism for Phil Brown is so poor - he's a football manager who got Hull promoted to the Premier League - he doesnt sound too bad. We havent even played a game yet and people are already blaming him!! Who gives you the right to blame him when we havent even played a game yet? You're basing all your logic and arguments around snippets and rumours you've heard from various websites and that's it. Most of you dont have a clue who he is or how he intends to manage Southend. Let the manager manage and then we can review and analyse his performance later.

Some people here are so fickle it's unbelievable. I'm sure if we win both games over Easter then a lot of these 'fans' will start to believe that Brown is now the 'chosen one'. Just for now, calm down, we haven't played any matches yet and yes, although it's hard for you now to believe but Sturrock did fail to achieve his objectives and was rightly sacked. Whether he is a gent is another matter entirely.The league is our priority so (I can't believe it already has to be said) get off Brown's back already and cheer him and Southend on because believe it or not, Brown is not deliberately trying to fail with Southend - he will want them to win just as much as you do and hopefully this can be the start of a new era.

 

[The Prawn]

Great post!

 

[Tampa Blue]

sounds almost like an official club statement

 

[buffalowolf]

Fully agree , give the man a chance ,unite behind him, he has at this time probably one of the hardest tasks in football. Making Southend ,United again.

 

[Always a Shrimper]

Wonderful post, just how I feel. Phil Brown has done nothing wrong, no game has been played yet. The timing of Paul Sturrock's sacking was right, giving the new man just a chance of the play offs. If not the end result, he has been given time to review what is required next season.

 

[Teenage-shrimper]

Totally agree with how you say Sturrock was sacked because he failed to deliver this season, performances at home have been unacceptable and i have supported him during his reign but i did think it was time for him to go . Also if Ron Martin waited until after the JPT final to sack him what if we had won? Be a bit harsh to sack someone who just won us a trophy. They would have be an even bigger outcry. Overall i think the timing was right although i do feel really sorry for Sturrock and hope he has success at his next job unless its at the expense of us.

 

[McNasty]

I blame the players.

 

[AMOTU]

Interesting stuff ! Can't say I share all your views but on one point at least we agree. Brown needs to be given his chance. Wonder how he will deal with factors like the tax man taking us to court every week, players not being paid, transfer embargos, etc, etc.

 

[leeblue]

Its all de ja vu to be honest and a great deal of being two faced. If I went back far enough I know I would find plenty of posts from people slagging sturrock and his style of play moaning on and on. Then in the last few days these same people have been so far up his backside its laughable.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Some managers arrive at a new club to almost a heroes welcome. their predecessor being so vilified, that the newcomer is seen as a saviour...........which is not necessarilly how he turns out to be. Others arrive at a club to a hostile reception, think of Rafa Benitez at Chelsea. Phil Brown falls someway between the two, a portion of our fans are delighted with the change, whilst many others would have prefered to see Luggy given another season.
Whereas many on here had their criticisms of Paul Sturrock, I think the great majority held him in great respect. That respect doesn't come automatically with the job, it has to be earnt. I welcome Phil and hope very much that he will have a very successful time at the club and perhaps we should wish him a bit more luck than, at times, was bestowed on his predecessor. Of course, if he wants virtually immediate cult status...........he just has to get us to the play-offs! :smile: Good luck to him, I think he's going to need it.

 

[Lester Bangs]

The board handed PS a squad of 3 and demanded promotion? A great manager that did his best with a ridiculous set up and unrealistic expectations.

 

[marlow17101032]

I seem to recall that there was negativity towards sturrock when he first took over ,it's just one of those things once it all calms down it will be back to normal .so lets move on and get behind the team

 

[SupaBlues]

The board handed PS a squad of 3 and demanded promotion? A great manager that did his best with a ridiculous set up and unrealistic expectations.

I think you will find the board demanded promotion this season after allowing PS to build his own team from scratch since joining. I feel the decision made was right as I personally didnt attend Torquay at home, even tho I am a STH, as I couldnt watch any more of the dross being served up at home.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

I think PS did a good job under difficult circumstances.

However, one reason I am not too gutted is that PS has served up the most dire style of football Southend United have played at Roots Hall. Some of it - beyond boring.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

I think you will find the board demanded promotion this season after allowing PS to build his own team from scratch since joining. I feel the decision made was right as I personally didnt attend Torquay at home, even tho I am a STH, as I couldnt watch any more of the dross being served up at home.

Embargos, horrific player injuries, non payment of wages...No chairman can demand promotion with all this going on. RM picks 5 games we should have won but doesn't mention games we won that we shouldn't have on form. Teams at the bottom are fighting for their lives to stay in the league and will play up. RM has royally cocked it up.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

I think PS did a good job under difficult circumstances.

However, one reason I am not too gutted is that PS has served up the most dire style of football Southend United have played at Roots Hall. Some of it - beyond boring.

Do you mean the direct football that got us 83 points last season? Make no bones about it, any other season that would have seen us promoted

I'd rather have that than stylish football where we get nowhere

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Success in the lower leagues is certainly about the squad you have, the style you play, the tactics you employ. However,As I said on a 'thank you' thread to Luggy, it does appear to me that luck plays a far greater part now in the equation of success...........Luggy didn't have enough of that.

 

[superblue24]

I agree whole heartedly with everything the Thread Starter wrote. Brilliant.

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

Totally agree, this forum has required a sick bucket to read in the past week. The only thing I disagree with is that I really care about the result next week! We have only ever won 1 thing whilst I have been supporting the club in 27 years. I want to win badly.

 

[Fairport]

A very accurate and fair analysis on the opening post to this thread. Like many others I am not over the moon about Phil Browns appointment but the guy must surely be given a chance to prove his worth. This adulation for Sturrock is becoming irritating to some of us. He started his job here in Division 2 and ended it in ninth place despite being allowed to sign over fifty players. Not exactly brilliant is it? OK, its very difficult working under Martin's regime and Sturrock himself seems a genuine chap. He must feel dissappointed about missing out on managing at Wembley but his reign here was average compared to all the other managers that we have had. Steve Tilson, Dave Webb and Dave Smith were successful managers here, Sturrock was not.