How would you describe PS's style of play

[OldBlueLady]

What I do know is that in under 4 months these tactics took us from top of the league to play offs to failed playoffs in turn. What I do know is that you have tactics and players; the successful manager adapts tactics to players which he has signally failed to do throughout our decline.

I think it's a lot more simple than that, our tactics got found out. Ryan Hall received closer attention from opposition teams from the mid point of the season on, and unfortunately there didn't seem to be much else in the way of creativity from other members of the team that was anywhere near in the same league (and I'm not counting flick ons).

 

[Firestorm]

What were the tactics that took us to the top of the league ?

 

[lobalong]

It was / Is football that is effective and got us 83 points not easy on the eye but effective . Got to give PS a chance next year to say October / November and review things then If we suffer post playoff blues and / or are not in the title race as teams have worked us out so to speak then will be the time to review things and maybe make a change pre January . Now is the time for us all to have a summer off relax see who comes into the squad and to really get behind the lads in August a 4-0 win opening day will soon have the memory of last Wednesday down as a thing of the past .. as long as we have learned from it and other matters this season that have happened on and off the pitch we should be bang there next year

 

[Hawkwell Blue]

HB do you enjoy watching this particular style of football?

I've only see us play a handful of times this season and can't get excited by it. I accepted it to get us out of league 2 and the reality now is another season of league 2 and this direct style, so I understand and appreciate the frustrations.

Having supported the Blues for over 40 years I enjoy any style of football we play that is successful. So the answer to your question has to be yes. A night in the Railway is a lot better if we've won no matter of the "style".

 

[Kent Shrimper]

Having supported the Blues for over 40 years I enjoy any style of football we play that is successful. So the answer to your question has to be yes. A night in the Railway is a lot better if we've won no matter of the "style".

I agree but it wasn't successful, we are still in league 2. Yes we amassed 83 points which without promotion means nothing. I think people would be happier to have watched the direct style and been promoted but the thought of league 2 and the direct style doesn't fill me with the joys of spring.

On a different note I will be a Southend fan til the day I die and like you have supported them a long time. However what impression do the fans of tomorrow get by seeing that type of football? It's unfashionable enough to support Southend without being branded a hoofball side.

I have grown to like, respect and have faith in PS but I don't have to like the style of football.

 

[BluesyShrimper]

I dont think the play style is the reason we are still in league 2. Highest points for 21 years and a lot of goals. Not having a steady 11 on the pitch from xmas onwards was a factor imo. We never got a settled team, always changing personnel and their positions. At least it felt that way, plus the January additions were largely a disaster.
With a settled midfield and strikeforce I believe we would have got autos.

 

[CC51DAS]

With a settled midfield and strikeforce I believe we would have got autos.

If we had had the foresight to have a decent electrician on the team coach to Aldershot we would have made the autos ;-)

 

[Ron Manager]

Based purely on the televised games this season, so a very small sample of football to go on, I'd say direct.

There was a definite gameplan, the long balls weren't indiscriminate but aimed for certain areas and specific targets with an outcome in mind. Hoofball would suggest just lumping it forward devoid of ideas. Now, there may have been games where we resorted to hoofball because the direct approach wasn't working. I didn't see it in the games I watched, but quite possibly it happened.

To be honest I was just so pleased to be able to see us play when I had the opportunity the style wasn't a huge issue to me. However knowing some of the people who are quite anti the way we've played this season and knowing they wouldn't say such things lightly I do think it must have been pretty bad at times.

 

[dingleydangley]

I remember many games under Tilly where we played attractive football but couldn't get through the cavemen standing in our way (by the way, I loved Tilly). League Two is, by nature, not very cultured and you have to adapt. I'd rather watch Arsenal than Stoke, but I'd be perfectly happy if I were a Stoke fan. You cut your cloth accordingly.

I much prefer passing football to the long ball game that we often play. Unfortunately, as I chose my local lower league club to follow in the seventies, pretty football's been a rare treat. Some of the games this season have been excruciating, but the facts speak for themselves. We nearly did it, and some matches were fantastic. Sturrock gets my vote.

 

[Pubey]

Can hoofball become a '******' word now please!

 

[Beefy]

Hoofball implies that we're just smashing it upfield to anywhere. I'm fairly sure that we generally aim it in the direction of the forwards at least.

It's not pretty, whatever it is.

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

Hoofball is such a myth. Ridiculous.

Remember chaps, again, we are playing in LEAGUE TWO with league two players.

Unbelievable that this debate continues.

We play balls into our strikers who play out wide, sometimes balls go over the strikers head, which is basically the same as giving the ball away in midfield. We have played a mixture of this style of play.

PERSPECTIVE.

 

[McNasty]

Hoofball is such a myth. Ridiculous.

Remember chaps, again, we are playing in LEAGUE TWO with league two players.

Unbelievable that this debate continues.

We play balls into our strikers who play out wide, sometimes balls go over the strikers head, which is basically the same as giving the ball away in midfield. We have played a mixture of this style of play.

PERSPECTIVE.

and despite your blind optimism we are STILL in League 2.

 

[Jai]

The problem was that when teams worked out our plan A, there was a lot of chopping and changing of tactics, styles and personnels to find the plan B that didn't really work from December until April. Sturrock will have learned a lot from this and next season I hope he will know when to mix things up.

 

[blue79]

I repeat I think Sturrock should be given more time but if we are going to have a new shed load of better players things may take time to gel but hopefully they would hit it off right away. I fear the current contingent of better players won't be around to learn from this season's situation.

 

[Mick]

The problem was that when teams worked out our plan A, there was a lot of chopping and changing of tactics, styles and personnels to find the plan B that didn't really work from December until April. Sturrock will have learned a lot from this and next season I hope he will know when to mix things up.

Sturrock has been a manager for nearly 20 years and a player for a similarish period before. It would have been nice if we hadn't been derailed by his learning processes !!

 

[Jai]

No but you also have to remember that teams perhaps wouldn't have tried so hard to work us out had he not got us into such a lofty position in the first place.

Every team is different, no matter how many years you have been managing. With this particular squad, our poor mid-season spell should mean he knows where to strengthen.

 

[Clinton Baptiste]

Its no surprise that we started getting some good results towards the end of the season with the introduction of Eastwood, and Timlin and Grant partnering up in the middle. We started playing the ball on the floor more and created tons of chances. Contrast with our performances in feb and March when we were mostly hoofing it long to Sampson who was frankly rubbish. If you look at the teams who got promoted, they nearly all played good football on the deck, partiucarly Swindon and Shrewsbury. Crewe beat us playing good football. My worry for next season is that Grant disappears and JPK comes in the middle. Hes not a bad player but he is without doubt one of the worst passers of the ball Ive seen. I can see the back 4 just bypassing him and lobbing it forward. I think Luggy will be in for a targetman type also in the summer. This will only work if we have some more goalscoring midfielders alongside Hall (and maybe Mohsni if he stays).

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

and despite your blind optimism we are STILL in League 2.

Oh my god Mcnasty, blind optimism? See this is the problem. The style of play would have been the same whether we were promoted or not. Just because we weren't promoted doesn't mean that it's right to start slagging everything off. It's completely ONE EYED.

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

You say I have blind optimism, which in actual fact is complete ********. However you have BLIND PESSIMISM. Must be very hard to live this way!