I'm losing faith in Chris Powell. Are you?

[Chrisb]

I wish people would stop going on about the injuries and using it as an excuse for the style of football we have been playing and the formation.

For every player we have out injured we have a replacement who is not fresh out of the U18 and with no experiance. Our squad is unbalanced in midfield and CP brought in three of them in the summer and we have not had a commanding center half since we sold Bolger.

For some reason the players who were performing for him at the end of last season are now not playing well and the amount of times we have come out in the second half and not performed is worrying.

Saturday was a perfect game to go out and have a go with nothing to lose. If we had gone two upfront, started with Hutchinson and attacked down the wings from the start, and not once we were 3-1 down, people would have excepted a defeat without all the booing and shouting at CP but instead we went one upfront and tried not to lose.

We may have cover in most positions but definitely not to replace Hopper.

 

[defender05]

We may have cover in most positions but definitely not to replace Hopper.

Which makes playing one upfront still very strange when you have three fit forwards of which CP has signed two of them.

 

[onceknownasrab]

CP has a very tough job on his hands. The expectation, of some Southend fans, appears disproportionate when taking into account the squad CP inherited, the budgetary constraints and the time he has been at the club.

There are, regardless of factors, some areas of disappointment. I do not believe we brought in enough personnel for the defence and always felt it was going to be leaky. Lennon looks good, in his brief appearances, but is still an unknown quantity. Taylor Moore looks very good but on the flip side I was disappointed that Michael Turner was not released and replaced by a younger player with a view to building the squad for the future.

I am satisfied with the midfield signings and believe they could become a very good unit in the future.

The striking department is wanting. Hopper looks a very useful signing but I am unclear as to why McCoulsky was brought in. I assume it was in the hope that his reputed natural goal scoring ability would come to the fore but it hasn't been that evident in his career to date and thus far looks like a poor mans Theo.

Injuries have been dreadful and would test the abilities of any manager. I think if we had no injuries then CP would have a good idea of his favoured starting eleven and how to go with it. I do feel, with the injuries, CP has not demonstrated clearly that he knows how best to set up or select the players he has available.

I think he will get things right, change/release/sign a number of players and is best judged in two to three years time.

 

[LCBB72]

CP has a very tough job on his hands. The expectation, of some Southend fans, appears disproportionate when taking into account the squad CP inherited, the budgetary constraints and the time he has been at the club.

There are, regardless of factors, some areas of disappointment. I do not believe we brought in enough personnel for the defence and always felt it was going to be leaky. Lennon looks good, in his brief appearances, but is still an unknown quantity. Taylor Moore looks very good but on the flip side I was disappointed that Michael Turner was not released and replaced by a younger player with a view to building the squad for the future.

I am satisfied with the midfield signings and believe they could become a very good unit in the future.

The striking department is wanting. Hopper looks a very useful signing but I am unclear as to why McCoulsky was brought in. I assume it was in the hope that his reputed natural goal scoring ability would come to the fore but it hasn't been that evident in his career to date and thus far looks like a poor mans Theo.

Injuries have been dreadful and would test the abilities of any manager. I think if we had no injuries then CP would have a good idea of his favoured starting eleven and how to go with it. I do feel, with the injuries, CP has not demonstrated clearly that he knows how best to set up or select the players he has available.

I think he will get things right, change/release/sign a number of players and is best judged in two to three years time.

Well said , Chris has to be given time .

 

[blues exile]

Fed up with injuries being used as Powell's get out of jail free card. The fact is that basically the same set of players that finished fairly strongly last season remain in the present side. These same players have collectively failed to deliver this season which is down to management. Hopper, the standout new signing, is undoubtedly a loss, although we were not in the playoff places before his injury, but Powell should have ensured we had a like for like backup or kept Fortune. Instead he chose to buy midfielders where we are if anything overstocked.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Fed up with injuries being used as Powell's get out of jail free card. The fact is that basically the same set of players that finished fairly strongly last season remain in the present side. These same players have collectively failed to deliver this season which is down to management. Hopper, the standout new signing, is undoubtedly a loss, although we were not in the playoff places before his injury, but Powell should have ensured we had a like for like backup or kept Fortune. Instead he chose to buy midfielders where we are if anything overstocked.

I don’t remember us being overstocked with midfielders when we had Demetriou and a half fit Mantom playing there a month or two before Hopper’s injury.

I think Powell made a mistake in not having a replacement for Hopper though.

I also think, like we saw with Anton last year, time is catching up with a number of our older players - Turner and Kightly in particular. They may be the same names but they aren’t necessarily the same players they were last season.

 

[rigsby]

I don’t remember us being overstocked with midfielders when we had Demetriou and a half fit Mantom playing there a month or two before Hopper’s injury.

I think Powell made a mistake in not having a replacement for Hopper though.

I also think, like we saw with Anton last year, time is catching up with a number of our older players - Turner and Kightly in particular. They may be the same names but they aren’t necessarily the same players they were last season.

It wasn't a mistake. He had that lad from Stoke lined up who had scored goals in L1. CP was clearly disappointed when it didn't materialise, so we have McC.

People cant accept we aren't players or loaning clubs first choice. Yet they demand a promotion season or see it as failure. We would be the poorest side in the Championship....Since the last time we were there. This time we would have more debt and have to be more cautious when signing players.

Some of us would have the stomach to support their team fighting relegation for the season but I guarantee the very people on here who claim bragging rights for not accepting 'mediocrity' would be the first out the door and screaming for the mangers head. When we find ourselves in the bottom three.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

It wasn't a mistake. He had that lad from Stoke lined up who had scored goals in L1. CP was clearly disappointed when it didn't materialise, so we have McC.

People cant accept we aren't players or loaning clubs first choice. Yet they demand a promotion season or see it as failure. We would be the poorest side in the Championship....Since the last time we were there. This time we would have more debt and have to be more cautious when signing players.

Some of us would have the stomach to support their team fighting relegation for the season but I guarantee the very people on here who claim bragging rights for not accepting 'mediocrity' would be the first out the door and screaming for the mangers head. When we find ourselves in the bottom three.

Ok, it was a mistake not to have an alternative. McCoulsky isn’t a replacement for Hopper.

I’m not demanding promotion. My expectation was mid-table and a cup run whilst rebuilding the side. The bit we are furthest off is rebuilding - that’s where he gets bit of a pass because of injuries.

 

[rigsby]

Ok, it was a mistake not to have an alternative. McCoulsky isn’t a replacement for Hopper.

I’m not demanding promotion. My expectation was mid-table and a cup run whilst rebuilding the side. The bit we are furthest off is rebuilding - that’s where he gets bit of a pass because of injuries.

Unfortunately we are not Man City. We don't have the luxury of an alternative for your best striker. We never have and we never will......If your Freddy or your Stan gets injured its tough luck for the season.

I read dozens of posts mentioning the words tactics and formations. Any one would think Hopper is on the subs bench rather than Ben Clarksons bench.

 

[Tampa Blue]

For me it isn't about the injuries or the transfer dealings.

It is much more about the fact that when those players are on the pitch then they should walk off exhausted having tried their very hardest - whether that results in a win, loss or draw.

I will always accept my team losing what I personally won't accept is anything less than 100% and a lack of passion and a lack of fight.

This emanates from the Manager down in to the team.

Currently some of the players don't seem to have that fight in them - whether they can discover it again will determine how the rest of the season plays out.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Unfortunately we are not Man City. We don't have the luxury of an alternative for your best striker. We never have and we never will......If your Freddy or your Stan gets injured its tough luck for the season.

I read dozens of posts mentioning the words tactics and formations. Any one would think Hopper is on the subs bench rather than Ben Clarksons bench.

McCoulsky was the wrong style of forward. He can’t play the Hopper role.

I’ve acknowledged Hopper’s injury repeatedly when discussing tactics.

ps Stan was signed when Brett was out for 9 months.

 

[rigsby]

McCoulsky was the wrong style of forward. He can’t play the Hopper role.

I’ve acknowledged Hopper’s injury repeatedly when discussing tactics.

ps Stan was signed when Brett was out for 9 months.

I wasn't referring to you individually. I mean the many posters on different threads, who mention tactics and then make a wild claim to fit their point. We sat back is always a favourite of mine.

Its certianly not CP who is claiming McC was ever brought in to play the Hopper role.

 

[defender05]

I wasn't referring to you individually. I mean the many posters on different threads, who mention tactics and then make a wild claim to fit their point. We sat back is always a favourite of mine.

Its certianly not CP who is claiming McC was ever brought in to play the Hopper role.

That's why people can't understand the one upfront system we keep using, none of the other three forwards can play the Hopper role but that's what we keep doing.

 

[jarvisyeh]

For me it isn't about the injuries or the transfer dealings.

It is much more about the fact that when those players are on the pitch then they should walk off exhausted having tried their very hardest - whether that results in a win, loss or draw.

I will always accept my team losing what I personally won't accept is anything less than 100% and a lack of passion and a lack of fight.

This emanates from the Manager down in to the team.

Currently some of the players don't seem to have that fight in them - whether they can discover it again will determine how the rest of the season plays out.

I get what you mean and am not going to suggest I know anything but could the ever growing injury list have a psychological factor in the players who do get out on the pitch.

They may be 10% down because in the back of their minds they may think they could end up being out for the rest of the season.

We really need to have a run of games without an injury just to settle everyone down a bit and get some consistency and then hopefully that fight will come back.

 

[rigsby]

That's why people can't understand the one upfront system we keep using, none of the other three forwards can play the Hopper role but that's what we keep doing.

One up front is only for the team sheet. The idea is players push on. A team with one up front can be more attacking than another team with 2 forwards. Barnsley were very good at getting numbers forward.

Even the league game at Barnsley we had about 6 chances before they had 1. We should have scored from at least two of those chances. So it proves it doesn't have to be negative.

 

[Angell Delight]

McCoulsky was the wrong style of forward. He can’t play the Hopper role.

I’ve acknowledged Hopper’s injury repeatedly when discussing tactics.

ps Stan was signed when Brett was out for 9 months.

Collymore and Angell....what I wouldn't give to see those two as our strike partnership today!

 

[Zeuss]

Collymore and Angell....what I wouldn't give to see those two as our strike partnership today!

Yes! Of course,though they didn’t actually play many games together.Angell was recovering from injury.
But ,yes-either one would do.

 

[Benfleet Blue]

One up front is only for the team sheet. The idea is players push on. A team with one up front can be more attacking than another team with 2 forwards. Barnsley were very good at getting numbers forward.

Even the league game at Barnsley we had about 6 chances before they had 1. We should have scored from at least two of those chances. So it proves it doesn't have to be negative.

It helps if we don't have a keeper rooted to his line ! Both games saw headers scored inside the 6 yard box. Absolutely no excuse for it. We simply can't defend set pieces and that is down to the coaching.

 

[Lincoln Shrimp]

He was excellent in his later years. Started off a bit rubbish to be fair.

Totally agree. He was awful in his first 4 years and I was adamant that we would never be successful with him in the side. Then something just clicked and he turned out to be one of our most important players. He was committed, and kept things ticking over in the the midfield. All credit to him for sticking at it and winning over the boo boys. Not many have managed to do that as Roots Hall can drain you of confidence once the fans get on your back.

 

[NZamba Legend]

Totally agree. He was awful in his first 4 years and I was adamant that we would never be successful with him in the side. Then something just clicked and he turned out to be one of our most important players. He was committed, and kept things ticking over in the the midfield. All credit to him for sticking at it and winning over the boo boys. Not many have managed to do that as Roots Hall can drain you of confidence once the fans get on your back.

Maher was decent in his early years IMO but he was surrounded by absolute rubbish. Also, he was very young at that point. But, as you say, he stuck around and won over the doubters.