Have we ever played slicker football?

[Sussex Shrimper]

Whilst it's absolutely right to honour the contributions of those who've gone before, I don't have much time for the mentality which says that the old players were the best. Football in general has evolved beyond recognition during my lifetime. In my teenage years a team could win the Prem with Stuart Ripley a regular starter and Neil Ruddock was considered a footballing centre-back.

I'd bet on our current first XI to prove themselves fitter, stronger and technically superior to any other Southend United team in history transported to face them by the miracle of time travel, Barry Fry's boys and the League One title side included. We're being spoilt right now and need to appreciate it while it lasts.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

There are lots of fair comments above^^^^^^^^.
However if "one" was picking a 1-11 team from players past and present how many of this current squad would be in it?
Not many if any?
AND that suggests to me that the team is really a very good combination of players who compliment each others strengths and lessen the weaknesses.
As a single stand out example I name Will Atkinson, who is this "new" guy who gets forward with pace as he is a much superior version of the sideways/backways player we had 3 months ago.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Whilst it's absolutely right to honour the contributions of those who've gone before, I don't have much time for the mentality which says that the old players were the best. Football in general has evolved beyond recognition during my lifetime. In my teenage years a team could win the Prem with Stuart Ripley a regular starter and Neil Ruddock was considered a footballing centre-back.

I'd bet on our current first XI to prove themselves fitter, stronger and technically superior to any other Southend United team in history transported to face them by the miracle of time travel, Barry Fry's boys and the League One title side included. We're being spoilt right now and need to appreciate it while it lasts.

I get what you are saying and do agree a bit, but I do not think today's League 1 is as strong as when we were in Div 2.
It's 24 years since Stan Collymore played for us and you can hardly say he wasn't as fit or as strong as our current players.

 

[USAShrimper]

The best football we've played in my 45 years of watching, was the "Tilly Era" Got the ball down, quick one/two touch, great speed of play going forward. I was just back to watch a couple of games and was impressed with our current squad. A lot of good players for this level. Also the experienced players are making the difference and bringing the other players up. Always wanted PB to be given the whole season, even when some were calling for his head after 4 or 5 games. Let's keep this going and see where it takes us.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

The best football we've played in my 45 years of watching, was the "Tilly Era" Got the ball down, quick one/two touch, great speed of play going forward. I was just back to watch a couple of games and was impressed with our current squad. A lot of good players for this level. Also the experienced players are making the difference and bringing the other players up. Always wanted PB to be given the whole season, even when some were calling for his head after 4 or 5 games. Let's keep this going and see where it takes us.

Best football? most enjoyable? Most entertaining was without a shadow of doubt under Fry with the "they score 3 we will score 4" mentality and, of course, Pastor Ricki Otto.

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

I get what you are saying and do agree a bit, but I do not think today's League 1 is as strong as when we were in Div 2.

I'll respectfully disagree with you on that. Today's game is, IMO, on another level in terms of physical and technical capabilites.

It's 24 years since Stan Collymore played for us and you can hardly say he wasn't as fit or as strong as our current players.

I think you have a point about Stan, but the thing is that he was manifestly too good to be playing for us at that time and, had his health issues not intervened, really ought to have ultimately established himself firmly as an international quality player. A player good enough then to score 20 in the Prem, as SVC was, would certainly have a place in our current squad, but a typical second tier player I'm not so sure about.

 

[Benfleet Blue]

Over a sustained period of games I'd say so! There were times when Gower/Eastwood combo was top notch but this is a real team collective where the whole side is getting involved! There was a spell where our bloody right back was upfront and was doing a pretty good job! :omg:

It's fair to say the majority had lost faith in Brown (me included) but credit for the total transformation! It's nice to put in such a good 45 mins at home with a good crowd watching on. It's also nice we can dig in and defend when we need too. Smith made crucial saves at 0-0 and 2-0 and the way Thompson is playing is amazing. He is a real leader and will undoubtedly be skipper one day! The only weak link is Tims but he's doing a decent job to be fair to him! But we will need Cokes back sooner rather than later with a tough Jan!

Kev

I can't believe that you feel Michael Timlin is a weak link. He looks like he has played left back all his life !

I personally would far rather have him there than Coker who has not been a patch of the player he was last season and Michael Timlin, I think has been better defensively, delivers the ball forward quicker, rarely wastes a pass, doesn't try all the fancy step overs, and communicates as a leader.

I think he has been great and certainly would love it if he stayed there !

 

[rigsby]

I can't believe that you feel Michael Timlin is a weak link. He looks like he has played left back all his life !

I personally would far rather have him there than Coker who has not been a patch of the player he was last season and Michael Timlin, I think has been better defensively, delivers the ball forward quicker, rarely wastes a pass, doesn't try all the fancy step overs, and communicates as a leader.

I think he has been great and certainly would love it if he stayed there !

Agree with this post. Unlike most I'm not in the Coker fan club he is far to wasteful going forward. If I was PB it would be a fine of weeks wages every time he checked in on his right foot. I have never even seen him practice one free kick down at B&L and boy does it show, when scuffs one waste high into the wall.

Anyway apart from that your first job as a full back is to defend. Which as we all witnessed, Timlin was excellent at on Monday. Even smart enough to draw Taylor in for his first yellow when we were under pressure and Tims had nowhere to go.
At the moment down our left we don't actually need a LB who has to get forward, just has to make sure McL can be free to do his stuff.

Not saying he will stay at LB but it has been a great opportunity to get back match fit and to feel part of the team. When he is needed in mid-field he will be ready. The new loan rules have helped us on this one, as it would have been the norm to get a LB in for a few months. As fan isn't better to use one of your own....Especially if their name is Michael Timlin

 

[Tommy2holes]

The Barry fry era for me.

That team had some real swagger in a tougher league.

It's a joy to watch some of our football at the moment.

 

[Thundersley Blue]

I would suggest we could all name a player in each position that would be better than we have at the moment. However, as teams go the current side is definitely getting there as a collective. I too remember the Everton cup tie. Sill in awe of Neville Soiuthall that day, how on earth did he make that save right at the end ? Had we not had stage fright early doors we would have got at least a replay.

 

[AndyT]

Yep, incredible save :-

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

Something else you have to consider before comparing teams/era's, is the quality of opposition. A 5 a-side team can play slick football on Wednesday night over your local 3G pitches but whose the opposition? League One is a lot more stronger now, incorporating much more quality from a lot of different teams. When we won League One under Tilly the league wasn't as strong, Col U was even up there!
The money driven Premier League has forced better quality players to filter down the leagues, we have 5 prem players on our books now! A reality check was even needed when looking at Wimbledons team yesterday. They were 7+ leagues away from League One not long ago, and now they have a £1m+ player (Barnett), on the bench!

I would conclude that the football is better/more impressive now, simply because it's being achieved against better sides in a stronger league.

This and changes over the years (for the worse IMHO) in the rules on tackling which have brought about hesitation for the defending teams players to dive in.

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

For me has to be Fry's team. Away at Derby was just superb.

Some of the football under Barry Fry was just jaw dropping at times - and we still only got 7 thousand or so through the gates.
Collymore obviously looked like he came from another planet when he turned up but it wasn't all about him - Big Brett played his part.
I saw the game at home against Posh this season and really felt like ending it all - just dreadful.
What on earth has happened since? early signs were at Millwall away - thought we played them off the park.
Some of the football, no, an awful lot of the football has been a joy to watch - Swindon at home was the best one all I'm likely to watch for a while.
I put it down to having a handful of players not quite up for the championship but far too good for league one - thinking of Cox,Ferdinland,Fortune,Ranger and one or two others. Shows the gap is growing I'm afraid from the bottom two divisions.
This is some of the best football I've seen in over thirty years watching Southend - and for that, Phil Brown I salute you.

 

[Ricky Otto]

I found it interesting that in the after matchinterview PB was still stressing how a clean sheet mentality was his 1[SUP]st[/SUP]priority. We do seem to be much better going forward but it is not at theexpense of our defending. The Tilly era was always entertaining, even when wewere relegated back to league two I was enjoying the way we went forward. Theproblem was we made too many defensive mistakes and we played in areas weshouldn’t have been playing in. PB will always prioritise the solidity of theteam and make us hard to score against ahead of attack minded football. Acommon Criticism aimed at PB was that the best players he has had in his reignhave been ones he inherited rather than signed himself, I think this has beenblown out of the water this season. McLaughlin and Wordsworth have taken aseason to shine, mainly due to injury. Atkinson for me has always been theright part of the jigsaw, he’s just not the type of player that makes thingshappen on his own. If he has good players around him it is mutually beneficial,he works hard for them and is the teams engine and when he busts a gut to getin advanced positions he is getting intelligent balls into him now. Then youhave this seasons additions. Ferdinand who has brought calmness to our wholeback line which has allowed Thompson to shine. Ranger, Cox and Fortune, threevery intelligent footballers who’s interplay is wonderful. I can’t rememberhaving 3 strikers at the club who are on each others wavelength like these guys.We are playing our best football of the PB era with a team of PB players, Lennyand Timlin are the only survivors every other player is a PB signing. I wasnever one calling for PBs head, I thought he should be given a shot to showcasehis team when his signings were fit but I certainly had my doubts and didwonder if it was too much of a mammoth task to turn things around and whetherthe team spirit could return under his stewardship. Credit to both PB and RMfor sticking to their plan

 

[bazzashrimper]

I was one of those calling for PBs head. The football and results now are fantastic though, so well done PB for proving me wrong.

 

[mrsblue]

Phil has gone from playing the most boring dour football I have ever witnessed to sublime fast tempo attacking play which was a joy to behold,we have rapidly climbed the table by outscoring the oppo and outplaying them.

Never been a Phil admirer but the first 40 against the Dons was beautiful to witness.

Well done Phil and all at the club....my kind of soccer.

 

[Agent Lomas]

Well done Phil and all at the club....my kind of soccer.

:stunned::stunned::stunned::stunned::stunned::stunned:

 

[rigsby]

soccer[/B].

Don't use that silly word in Swansea at the moment.

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

:stunned::stunned::stunned::stunned::stunned::stunned:

Sorry but he's right - the term is soccer and it is a english invention, not a americanism.

 

[mrsblue]

Sorry but he's right - the term is soccer and it is a english invention, not a americanism.

Association Football or soccer...it's ok Lomas is still learning,but thanks anyway.