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

[NZamba Legend]

The problem with playing Cox behind the front two is that Cox isn't a defensive player, and given how fragile our back line is taking out a midfielder that can make tackles for him is going to mean our defenders are going to be required a lot more.

Yep, playing Cox behind front two is to change your formation purely to accommodate one player. Always a bad idea. Cox is a striker and if he isn't doing his job in that position then he is vulnerable to being dropped.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

I can't understand if were 3 years down the line like we had with Brown but we are 9 games into Powell's first full season. He has nearly a third of the squad out injured or suspended. I really can't believe we are getting these threads already. Makes me glad I don't visit the site so much now. If it wasn't for Pete's Prediction league I probably wouldn't bother at all now

 

[tottenham541]

We are to good to go down by far, but we are also not good enough for the play offs, I'll take 5th from bottom now

 

[meerkat54]

Someone who has pace and knows where the back of the net is. Not worrying at all, what’s more worrying is CP won’t change it up and sticks with Hopper & Cox week in week out. Yet again another loss!

If I was CP id drop Cox and give Mc Goalski a 3 or 4 game run to see his true ability, 10 mins or so aint going to tell you much about a player !

 

[ms brush]

For goodness sake, it is only mid-September! Not like Southend fans to start an overreaction thread is it?? ?

We have a relatively new manager, new faces at the club, injuries, suspensions, international duty to contend with, as well as having played a number of the teams who will be thereabouts at the end of the season. And we have played some good stuff, and created a raft of chances we haven't converted. Coupled with a few defensive incidents we have found ourselves punished, where we have lost games we should have picked up points from. If we are in this position in mid February there may be more cause for concern.

Yes, there is a lot of work to do still, but it will come together, I am certain of it.

 

[BriggBlue]

I've not lost faith in him at all, then again I think we would have stayed up under Brown.

What concerns me the most is how much we (as fans) seem to be relying on a 17yo to turn things around, I mean Dru made a real difference last season but I wouldn't be surprised if he was a bit more subdued during his first few games back.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

One big source of annoyance for me, and many other fans (I hope) is knee jerk dismissals and changes of manager. We, as a club have, under Mr Martin, allowed PS and PB several seasons of trial, error and some success; and as a consequence we are fairly stable and looking positive for future plans. I don't believe now is a time to panic and I am confident CP will get it sorted; faster the better and some luck with injuries, deflections and stuff will help.
UTB!

 

[Ricey]

Just because you lose faith doesn’t mean you want them to get the sack. Do I think sacking Powell would sort our issues? No! Am I getting fed up of the results and Powell’s selection choices and inability to use his subs. Yes!

He can regain my faith, but he has gone down in my estimations with his poor selections and tactics this season. Some forced and that is understood but others are not and changes could be made.

I really hope results turn around soon and we start smashing in goals and getting wins. Doesn’t mean I cannot lose a little faith in a manager who I had massive hopes for. That’s the problem when the bar has been set so high.

 

[MK Shrimper]

I really hope results turn around soon and we start smashing in goals and getting wins. Doesn’t mean I cannot lose a little faith in a manager who I had massive hopes for. That’s the problem when the bar has been set so high.

Nail hit on head. Legendary player, nice bloke, but sadly a very ordinary manager.

 

[RHB]

Nail hit on head. Legendary player, nice bloke, but sadly a very ordinary manager.

That's a bit harsh MK. We didn't call Tilly very ordinary when he and Brushy took us up to the Championship. Powell managed that with Charlton with a record points total if I remember correctly. He may be taking more time than most of us would want to ring the changes, but he doesn't deserve the very ordinary title.

 

[slapheadsteve]

Just a quote from our beloved Chairman on Saturday. After the game.
I would be worried if it was February not Mid September.
Enough Said.

 

[LennySUFC]

He's managing a side with the biggest injury crisis to have hit this early in the season that I can remember, not forgetting the stupid suspensions at the end of the Charlton game. Oxley, Lennon, Kightly, Yearwood, Hyam, Barratt and Kiernan were all unavailable for selection for Shrewsbury this Saturday. We've also managed games without Dieng, having to play JD at CM.

Find me a manager at this level who can be 8 games in, missing 4/5 of his starting 11, who will be pushing for the playoffs and winning every game. There are concerns with the defensive side, but I do think that'll improve. Yearwood's return will be key for us. Give it another 8 weeks and if we are still crap, then post a thread like this.

 

[MK Shrimper]

That's a bit harsh MK. We didn't call Tilly very ordinary when he and Brushy took us up to the Championship.

Because together, they were much better?

 

[RHB]

Damian Matthew & Kevin Keen are CP's joint assistant managers and Damian Matthew partnered Powell as his assistant manager in the promotion year from FL1 and continued in that role in the Championship. You're still not convincing me MK.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Damian Matthew & Kevin Keen are CP's joint assistant managers and Damian Matthew partnered Powell as his assistant manager in the promotion year from FL1 and continued in that role in the Championship. You're still not convincing me MK.

Time will tell RHB. It's early days agreed, and there's plenty of time to turn it around but I'm bemused why we stick with Theo Robinson and Cox when they're clearly not performing or not good enough. We've got a selection of decent midfielders who are a carbon copy of each other so there's no plan B, and this feted Championship emergency goalie has let in 5 in two games. We may have well bloodied Bishop.

 

[RHB]

Time will tell RHB. It's early days agreed, and there's plenty of time to turn it around but I'm bemused why we stick with Theo Robinson and Cox when they're clearly not performing or not good enough. We've got a selection of decent midfielders who are a carbon copy of each other so there's no plan B, and this feted Championship emergency goalie has let in 5 in two games. We may have well bloodied Bishop.

Concerning Robinson, he comes into the 'not good enough' category for me. Cox is hovering on 'not performing' in his principal role as a goal scorer. His value to the team in other areas splits opinion on here. As much as I like the guy, if he's doesn't score then let someone else have a go. Is McCoulsky the answer, I just don't know. Don't worry on the GK position, Slugger will be back v soon.

 

[Lord Football]

He's managing a side with the biggest injury crisis to have hit this early in the season that I can remember, not forgetting the stupid suspensions at the end of the Charlton game. Oxley, Lennon, Kightly, Yearwood, Hyam, Barratt and Kiernan were all unavailable for selection for Shrewsbury this Saturday. We've also managed games without Dieng, having to play JD at CM.

Apart from last season, of course.

And there is your common denominator. We always have an injury list as long as your arm. Last year we put it down to Brown buying older players, this year we can't use that excuse. We have players who get injured and then seem to be out for weeks on end. Dru, a great example, hamstring in early, wont play for 5 months. Hyam, second injury this season. Deing, second injury this season. Mantom apparantly playing injured.

Are we buying crocks because they're cheaper, or do they become crocks when they walk into the Hall??

But whatever the answer is, at this level if you constantly have to chop and change your time due to unforseen circumstances, you are always going to struggle.

 

[Maidstone Shrimper]

I really hope results turn around soon and we start smashing in goals and getting wins. Doesn’t mean I cannot lose a little faith in a manager who I had massive hopes for. That’s the problem when the bar has been set so high.

I think the bar hasn't been set high enough …. not for the way our players are shooting at the moment!

 

[LennySUFC]

Apart from last season, of course.

And there is your common denominator. We always have an injury list as long as your arm. Last year we put it down to Brown buying older players, this year we can't use that excuse. We have players who get injured and then seem to be out for weeks on end. Dru, a great example, hamstring in early, wont play for 5 months. Hyam, second injury this season. Deing, second injury this season. Mantom apparantly playing injured.

Are we buying crocks because they're cheaper, or do they become crocks when they walk into the Hall??

But whatever the answer is, at this level if you constantly have to chop and change your time due to unforseen circumstances, you are always going to struggle.

The issue is that Southend is rarely going to be a first choice destination for a player. In order for us to sign a good player, there is likely to be a downside ie injuries, (E.g. Hyam, returning Freddy), on the way down, (Ferdinand, Turner), or Attitude, (E.g. Nile Ranger).

If you look at the players we went for this window, we signed Mantom (Injury at Scunthorpe), Lennon (Injury at Charlton), Hyam (Injury at Ipswich). These are players that are good, but they're playing for us because they have the injury records.

The players we missed out on that you'd consider players without these sorts of records; Lyle Taylor (Charlton), Vassell (Rotherham), Sonny Bradley (Luton). (will be more but I can't remember now)

I am not saying our signings are bad, in fact I think Mantom has been fantastic so far. We've taken a risk with signing these players and thus far, it's not paid off. That doesn't mean we should be losing faith in the manager.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

The issue is that Southend is rarely going to be a first choice destination for a player. In order for us to sign a good player, there is likely to be a downside ie injuries, (E.g. Hyam, returning Freddy), on the way down, (Ferdinand, Turner), or Attitude, (E.g. Nile Ranger).

If you look at the players we went for this window, we signed Mantom (Injury at Scunthorpe), Lennon (Injury at Charlton), Hyam (Injury at Ipswich). These are players that are good, but they're playing for us because they have the injury records.

The players we missed out on that you'd consider players without these sorts of records; Lyle Taylor (Charlton), Vassell (Rotherham), Sonny Bradley (Luton). (will be more but I can't remember now)

I am not saying our signings are bad, in fact I think Mantom has been fantastic so far. We've taken a risk with signing these players and thus far, it's not paid off. That doesn't mean we should be losing faith in the manager.

All good points but when you have a player like Hyam who's gonna be hit and miss with injuries, Dieng as well, then you need to keep Timlin