I hope we have a plan B!

[Wickford Blue]

Seriously. At what point do we stop talking about the rat legacy, delayed take over, league clubs unwilling to let players go etc.

Yes we get it. 5 months isn't that long, but come on. Are we still going to be throwing this out in 2 seasons time.

We had a pre season this year. We have signed players, Moncur and Bonne are no doubt high earners and we're completely against the type of player we were told we were going to sign.

We here that John still is watching 5 games per week scouting.

Are you seriously telling me that there isn't any talent in our own league on lower wages, or in the national south/North that are no better than some of our first team under achievers.

It's nonsense. There are bundles of class players in and around the South East who would give the left gonad to play pro football infront of 7k. The sort of players that literally cost 20k.

Where is the next GSM, Morton, Waldron.

We can't afford older players who's legs have gone. It's a Phil brown move.

We can't get players in on loan with a view to a perm signing apparently.

We cant sign lower league players apparently.

Who can we sign?

What is the point of having a legendary scouting team if they are literally doing nothing.

Other clubs are constantly signing players, and I'm not talking about FGR and York. Those with smaller budgets are also signing the right players.

If you bought a business that was on its knees would you be upset if your Shareholders were on your back after 5 months?

 

[Fitz]

Seriously. At what point do we stop talking about the rat legacy, delayed take over, league clubs unwilling to let players go etc.

Yes we get it. 5 months isn't that long, but come on. Are we still going to be throwing this out in 2 seasons time.

We had a pre season this year. We have signed players, Moncur and Bonne are no doubt high earners and we're completely against the type of player we were told we were going to sign.

We here that John still is watching 5 games per week scouting.

Are you seriously telling me that there isn't any talent in our own league on lower wages, or in the national south/North that are no better than some of our first team under achievers.

It's nonsense. There are bundles of class players in and around the South East who would give the left gonad to play pro football infront of 7k. The sort of players that literally cost 20k.

Where is the next GSM, Morton, Waldron.

We can't afford older players who's legs have gone. It's a Phil brown move.

We can't get players in on loan with a view to a perm signing apparently.

We cant sign lower league players apparently.

Who can we sign?

What is the point of having a legendary scouting team if they are literally doing nothing.

Other clubs are constantly signing players, and I'm not talking about FGR and York. Those with smaller budgets are also signing the right players.

Spot on, all this talk of sustainability and the legacy of Ron is getting a little boring, we need to get on with it. I have significant business experience, but you can not compare professional football to a normal corporate world in many respects. I under we need to be sensible, but if we want to be getting out of this league we need to be keeping players like Cardwell and Pepple.

Money talks, look at the 3 teams at the top of our league. Look at Wrexham, Notts County, Chesterfield. All paid to get themselves out of this league and played positive attacking football.

Bromley and Grimsby got lucky in the play offs…maybe we will one day but we have to aim higher in my view, we have momentum with big crowds at the moment. That may not be forever if the football is dire and the aspirations low.

 

[Wickford Blue]

I’ve found it really interesting reading all posts over the last 6 months.

And been really surprised at how folk assumed that new owners would mean we just 4 seasons the Premier League.

The problems the club has are so extensive, and difficult to solve. I cannot realistically see us promoted for at least another 2 seasons.

The problems faced are cultural and operational. They run through the club from top to bottom.

There is no easy fix nor magic wand.

I consult for enterprises. Helping them turn around failed technology departments.

So I can say this with a high of confidence

Collectively we need to temper our expectations. And get behind the team.

you can not compare professional football to a normal corporate world

Why Not?

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Spot on, all this talk of sustainability and the legacy of Ron is getting a little boring, we need to get on with it. I have significant business experience, but you can not compare professional football to a normal corporate world in many respects. I under we need to be sensible, but if we want to be getting out of this league we need to be keeping players like Cardwell and Pepple.

Money talks, look at the 3 teams at the top of our league. Look at Wrexham, Notts County, Chesterfield. All paid to get themselves out of this league and played positive attacking football.

Bromley and Grimsby got lucky in the play offs…maybe we will one day but we have to aim higher in my view, we have momentum with big crowds at the moment. That may not be forever if the football is dire and the aspirations low.

COSU have had just 6 months, the Club is in a far better place than it was in July. The playing side is just one of many things that need fixing. COSU have suggested the loss this year will be around £2 million. Doesn't take a genius to work out that isn't sustainable. I would say that many people's expectations were way too high, mine were much lower and the Club at the moment is achieving what I had hoped for.

 

[Tommy2holes]

If you bought a business that was on its knees would you be upset if your Shareholders were on your back after 5 months?

Your making it sound like we are talking about a tech company or a brewery.

We aren't.

For some reason we have struggled and continue to struggle to sign players.

This is despite having a reasonable budget for this division. Nowhere near the top end for sure.

Maher was saying we were 3 or 4 short ages ago. We have loaned out wood, walker is injured. Bim has gone back and Moncur has gone to ebbsfleet.

We already had a smallish squad to choose from. Now it's very small.

We are led to believe that our scouts are the envy of other clubs. Where are these top players in the south east or beyond.

If the best we can do is an unknown striker from Luton (on loan) Moncur on loan, and Bonne then you have to ask questions.

For context. Bim was a decent loan but he had literally scored nothign elsewhere, Golding shows promise but he is a month to month loan. Crowther, jury out. Wind, shows promise, and GSM has been the best of the bunch.

But I was expecting more of the scouting team tbh.

 

[Jai]

Your making it sound like we are talking about a tech company or a brewery.

We aren't.

For some reason we have struggled and continue to struggle to sign players.

This is despite having a reasonable budget for this division. Nowhere near the top end for sure.

Maher was saying we were 3 or 4 short ages ago. We have loaned out wood, walker is injured. Bim has gone back and Moncur has gone to ebbsfleet.

We already had a smallish squad to choose from. Now it's very small.

We are led to believe that our scouts are the envy of other clubs. Where are these top players in the south east or beyond.

If the best we can do is an unknown striker from Luton (on loan) Moncur on loan, and Bonne then you have to ask questions.

For context. Bim was a decent loan but he had literally scored nothign elsewhere, Golding shows promise but he is a month to month loan. Crowther, jury out. Wind, shows promise, and GSM has been the best of the bunch.

But I was expecting more of the scouting team tbh.

Ironically people were pretty happy and excited about Moncur and Bonne, and rather underwhelmed by Pepple. Just goes to show it's a funny old game isn't it

 

[Tommy2holes]

Ironically people were pretty happy and excited about Moncur and Bonne, and rather underwhelmed by Pepple. Just goes to show it's a funny old game isn't it

I was dubious about Moncur, not because he lacks quality, but more so that he is a strange individual who can't get fit..

Bonne was never going to work. He has been pony for several seasons and looked desperately unhappy to have signed in his pictures. He is as much a goal threat as my grandmother and she passed away 9 years ago.

 

[Wickford Blue]

Your making it sound like we are talking about a tech company or a brewery.

We aren't.

I am sorry last time I looked SUFC are a company with Employees and a product. That company has been mis-managed for 5+ Years and have eventually been taken over by people who are willing to invest in its future but have people who believe that that can be done in 5 months. If we were a brewery we would have been bought, broken up, sold and closed down!

 

[Fitz]

COSU have had just 6 months, the Club is in a far better place than it was in July. The playing side is just one of many things that need fixing. COSU have suggested the loss this year will be around £2 million. Doesn't take a genius to work out that isn't sustainable. I would say that many people's expectations were way too high, mine were much lower and the Club at the moment is achieving what I had hoped for.

If the playing side is not sorted, the rest does not matter. I agree COSU have had a short period of time and are picking up a mess, but supporter base to league position wise we are one of the worst performing teams in the country. We are in the National League, the lowest in our history. many clubs are not sustainable and spend beyond their means. I am not suggesting we go for broke and I don’t even think we have the means to do so if we wanted to.

The challenge is lowering my expectations and for many others, accepting mid table National League mediocrity in exchange for a sustainable business model. I will still go even if we are playing in the Essex Senior League, but god this is frustrating.

 

[Strykr]

I would have thought at this stage plan B is to put Waldron and Kendall up front and hope we score enough to stay mid table, maybe take an untested L1 or champ loanee, Might work.

Its such an odd feeling after all we've been through the last few years. we all really went into this season with hope at the maximum, not to win the league, but to continue the upwards momentum.

i genuinely thought we were 3-4 good signings away from having a real crack at promotion, but it just feels like lots of average or poor players have come in, players who performed amazingly well last year have really gone backwards, our best striker being swiped by Forest Green bloody Rovers, and silly gamble loans with moncur and bonne totally against the ethos we were trying to aim for, and just grim football.

I know its a long term project, i think it will work in one way or another long term and the ownership is more then we could have hoped for, but to be so mediocre in non league just wont ever be acceptable for me.

Southend till I die but apathy has taken hold, I just dont expect anything at 3pm kick off at the moment.

 

[Holy Joe]

If the playing side is not sorted, the rest does not matter. I agree COSU have had a short period of time and are picking up a mess, but supporter base to league position wise we are one of the worst performing teams in the country. We are in the National League, the lowest in our history. many clubs are not sustainable and spend beyond their means. I am not suggesting we go for broke and I don’t even think we have the means to do so if we wanted to.

The challenge is lowering my expectations and for many others, accepting mid table National League mediocrity in exchange for a sustainable business model. I will still go even if we are playing in the Essex Senior League, but god this is frustrating.

I suspect it's the order things are being done in - let's say Cosu plan is that they can put in 2m of cash in first year reducing to say 1.0m in year 5. Year 1 much of that cash has gone on paying off accrued debts and sorting essential operational items, e.g., new training ground. Next year that spend is much reduced (new training ground won't need as much spent, hopefully the debt repayments are reduced etc) so may allow more spend on the playing area.

Let's be clear - We are spending beyond our means. And if you don't sort out the gap between spending and income - then ultimately there is no playing side (unless another owner steps up)

I may just be clutching at straws, but I don't see our aims and Cosu aims as misaligned in the long term - just the short term there is a difference in priorities between some (but not all) supporters and cosu

 

[tommy tucker]

Who knows what is going on in the back ground fans went bonkers when the takeover finaly happened .Now things are going slower than some fans on hear want . I will say this RON MARTIN all but killed our club off COSU came to our club but a few months ago . They will get it right just give them the time it will take .

 

[Southend Elvis]

Who knows what is going on in the back ground fans went bonkers when the takeover finaly happened .Now things are going slower than some fans on hear want . I will say this RON MARTIN all but killed our club off COSU came to our club but a few months ago . They will get it right just give them the time it will take .

You are right no one knows what's happening in the background, so the only thing we can comment on is what we see on the pitch. Many fans just want something to be positive about, we have been on the downward spiral for so long now

 

[Leeboy]

well it’s Press day at B & L today so let’s see if Chris Phillips and / or the BBC Essex guy has the gonads to ask Kev WTF is going on

 

[Strykr]

well it’s Press day at B & L today so let’s see if Chris Phillips and / or the BBC Essex guy has the gonads to ask Kev WTF is going on

Im pretty sure he will say

1. Its dissapointing

2. this is why i dont like to rely on loans

3. we are trying to get people in but its very difficult

 

[Leeboy]

Im pretty sure he will say

1. Its dissapointing

2. this is why i dont like to rely on loans

3. we are trying to get people in but its very difficult

4. we want the right people / character
5. we know we're behind in terms of where we should be

 

[annie1954]

Don’t forget the consortium have set out a five year plan to start with and we are only around six months into that , so we must be patient I’m sure they are still busy clearing up Chairman Ron’s mess they inherited plus many other problems behind the scenes

 

[Strykr]

4. we want the right people / character
5. we know we're behind in terms of where we should be

Yep, same rhetoric.

But who knows whats going on. Maybe COSU are really limiting transfer funds, or maybe kev now realises that getting in his 4th or 5th whiteboard targets just isnt good enough.

 

[Avl1983]

I see a lot of people mentioning COSU and having only been here 5 months etc but as far as I can see no one has an issue with anything COSU are doing off the pitch, quite the opposite. The issue I believe is the style of play and the recruitment of the players. Both things which Justin stated in one of his interviews that he doesn't get involved with. I think we should get away from thinking people have an issue with COSU, I honestly don't think that's the issue. Fans for the most part will be patient with off the field activities, we've proved that over the years surely?

The impatience is directed towards the footballing side of things which didn't just start 5 months ago, but has also been hindered the entire time Maher's been in charge. I realise we have a small budget but if it had been invested better in better players and the team was playing more exciting football then I think a lot of these issues would go away. I don't think Maher helps himself sometimes either having a go at the fans. Personally I don't want Maher out but I also don't know how long I want to watch the dire boring football that he's coaching the team to play. It's like watching a Poundshop Phil Brown at times.

 

[Hooly]

It might force a change of style not having a big man to hold the ball up and muscle through, might not be a bad thing in the end.

However that wuld then rely on our less physical players a) getting in the box & more importantly b) getting some decent service.

Both of those aspects have been horribly absent recently & frankly Pele could probably be goaless for us if he was relying on the service our strikers are getting.