Is this season a failure?

[yogi bear up the cagire]

I'm not sure the seasons over yet... looking at the fixture list for all the top teams, I still think we can sneak a play-off place.
Look at Crewe last season! UTB

I mentioned on another thread that I see one weak link in the top seven at the moment. I reckon the top six will end up with a minimum of, at least 74points..............Rotherham, on present form may struggle to get 70 points. This is all very exciting, until you look at our form :'(..........Oxford or Bradford look far more likely to snatch that spare place, should it become available.

 

[superblue24]

If we really are looking at our "last chance saloon", it surely has to be this Saturday when Rotherham play Exeter. The loser of that game must surely be our target team, assuming we win at Rochdale.....?

 

[C C Csiders]

You've hit it on the nail there. Whilst some of us dream dream of the promised land (and why not.........it's good to dream sometimes), I reckon the majority of us on here see our rightful place as a third division (League Two) side. In that position we can from time have aspirations of moving higher, even if it never comes to pass.

I beleive C'mon You Shrimpers is referring to League One as the third division.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

I beleive C'mon You Shrimpers is referring to League One as the third division.

Thanks for that! :blush: How many times do I need to READ what I've written BEFORE posting. Sadly, the answer is no matter how many times I read it I probably wouldn't see the error!!! :'(

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

I beleive C'mon You Shrimpers is referring to League One as the third division.

Yep, we're in the Fourth at present. Still Glory days of winning the Fourth under Dave Smith. Did not lose a home game in the league. Only 4 draws the rest wins IIRC. Probably a lot of moaning then as well. :smile:

 

[dingleydangley]

Yep, we're in the Fourth at present. Still Glory days of winning the Fourth under Dave Smith. Did not lose a home game in the league. Only 4 draws the rest wins IIRC. Probably a lot of moaning then as well. :smile:

Yeah, that was a great season. No interweb, though, so people had a week/two weeks to think it over and calm down. What a strange world that was.

 

[5scoops]

i cant belive this board sometimes, we can still go up and win in wembley so for me good times ahead, bring back the 1990 fans in the north bank like ginger lee and spud and lee, fans who never moan like some on here, rant over

 

[Ozzer]

Promotion was the main aim at the beginning of the season so if its not achieved its a failure. Wembley is a good day out for the club and fans but with our tendency to blow it in front of a big crowd we are likely to have 3 times the number of Alex fans and get stuffed. If we win it will be a good day and maybe we'll keep some of the 'tourists' who have bought tickets but lose and miss out on the play offs and it will be a season of failure.

 

[superblue24]

i cant belive this board sometimes, we can still go up and win in wembley so for me good times ahead, bring back the 1990 fans in the north bank like ginger lee and spud and lee, fans who never moan like some on here, rant over

It's about having a bit of ambition. If all we've to look forward to is a day out at Wembley in a meaningless "final" and life in L2, we may as well pack the club up now and save everyone the hassle!

Take a look at the Message Boards for other clubs, I doubt you wont find one where every fan is delighted with how things are going. Even on Manchester United, you probably have annoyed Mancs despairing at being knocked out of the European Cup.

The "1990" fans didn't moan as the club was top of the Third Division before enjoying a lengthy spell in the second tier. Now we're in the Fourth tier without looking like going up. Give me the 1990's back, and I'll show you a much more harmonious forum.

In addition, are you saying that before the internet was created, fans didn't go to the local after a loss and spend hours dissecting the team and what was wrong with it and what needed changing? The forum is an extension of the talk down the local after a game, but one thing that wont change for the majority of fans past and present is the singing and cheering at RH on match days......

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

But, to those of you who think the season has been a failure and that Sturrrock should be sacked, would you also expect every team that finishes below us to also view their seasons as failures and sack their managers too?

Unfortunately only 7 of the 24 teams can finish in the play offs or better. Not everyone can be promoted every year.

Its all about ambition, though. A good season for Barnet would be to stay up, or get near mid-table. After getting 83 points last year, to end up out the play-offs with probably less than 70 points is a dismal failure. Yes we over-achieved in the first year of Sturrock's tenure, but this season looks like it isn't going to much better than that. That is zero improvement in 3 seasons. (61 points)

 

[Swiss Tony]

So, I think we can safely say we are not making the play-off's this season now.

But, with the fallback of a Wembley final appearance (regardless of the result) has this made things easier to swallow for you?

Do you think all things considered, that this season has been a failure?

Or are you happy with how it has panned out?

Wembley,i'm very happy,lets try promotion next season blimey.

 

[Kris]

My philosophy always has been, and always will be, to analyse each season in its context. For me the argument that just because we made the play-offs last season means finishing outside them this season is an automatic failure is a tad simplistic. If we still had last season's squad then absolutely yes. But we don't so it's difficult to compare objectively.

We had lost Grant, Mohsni, Hall, Ferdinand and Dickinson by the end of August, and even before then had spent most of the summer under an umbongo, meaning we were unable to rebuild effectively and had to resort to panic signings and thrusting Timlin straight into the team despite him having no pre-season whatsoever. It's no wonder we were scraping the barrel of the division in the first month because we were a month behind in terms of preparation. Obviously it wasn't as dire as the predicament we were in when Luggy first joined but there was a similar need to mould a squad together asap this time around, in contrast to the previous summer, where we had the luxury of largely adding to one.

I can't be bothered to dig out threads from the summer but I don't remember there being anywhere near the level of expectation some are claiming now. I think I predicted top 10 and it feels about right. We've barely had a settled side all season and unfortunately it's shown. The injuries to Timmy and Tommy, and the absence of Tammy, all at vital times, have killed us, in my opinion. Timlin may be an erratic player but when he doesn't play we struggle badly as there's no-one else with his level of energy in midfield, so when Mkandiwire joined we then had the perfect balance as he gave us added composure.

Tomlin has probably been the biggest loss, though, as our style of play in the attacking third has been massively dependent on him. Energy, pace, ability to find space and a fantastic team player when you consider the understanding he built with Clohessy and Hurst on the right, and with Britt up front. Oh, and he scored the odd goal or two. Eventually.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not burying my head in the sand; like many others have rightly said, our home form and results against the bottom clubs have been shockingly bad, and everyone at the club, from Sturrock to the players, deserve a lot of stick for that. However, considering there were threads not so long ago about the Orient second leg being the most important game in our history, and subsequent calls to build a statue of Luggy when we made it through, some of the doom-mongering since has been way over the top.

I'm disappointed we are almost certainly not going to get promotion but hindsight is a fecking annoying wonderful thing. A failure? Not for me. We haven't had the resources we did last season and, but for that unbeaten run, we've not had enough stability in the team - whether due to injuries or having to rely on other teams' assets - to build up enough momentum or consistency vital to a promotion chaser.

I'd like to see Sturrock stay but have already dismissed that option as the general consensus seems to be that he'll definitely be gone in the summer one way or another and for some bizarre reason I actually believe it. Good luck to his successor. He'll need it.

 

[Southend Pier]

A well crafted piece. My Sentiments exactly. Well done.

Wembley. A day out it will be and a bloody great one at that.

But that is all it is, a day.

As someone who has hardly been this season, I was hoping for promotion to help me get the buzz back fresh for next season. We have blown that.

I want to look forward to going every week. But I am afraid another season in League 2 will dampen the little enthusiasm I have left. I am sure I am not alone in that sense.

Do I want to feel this way?...Christ no. This is my club that I have followed all over the country for 25+ years. Time and commitments have not allowed me to attend as many away games in the last few years, as I would of liked, up until this season. But, this season I am ashamed to say I have not attended as much, more out of choice than anything else.

I am not happy with anything at my club. From top to bottom. I want change, a fresh start and a new lease of life. We are going nowhere fast. I feel like my club is dying a slow death. You try and put on a brave face, but you know its all academic in the end. My energy has been sapped, my love is still there, but I cannot bring it to the surface at the moment.

Yes I know as a "Supporter" I should be there whatever and I have been up until this season. I know that. But I cannot get that buzz back. I have tried believe me and Wembley will help. But I know that this is just a fairytale sideshow to what has been another horror story of a season.

As a Southend fan, perhaps we have no right to expect football on a regular basis, at a higher level. But christ, that does not mean we should just sit back and accept it. Does it?

I want to see us run out against better sides, in better stadiums on a weekly basis. Something to keep the interest up. And I was hoping we would achieve that this year. Is that me being selfish?

The bread and butter is the league. We needed to get out of the basement this season. We haven't. That for me means this season is a complete failure. I am sure Ronald would agree. My fear now is how the hell are we going to survive through the summer?....Season card take ups will no doubt be at their lowest level for many years. Will the better players leave?...Will we have another manager?

Everything points to another summer of complete and utter turmoil. No money, court appearances, embargo's, high player turnover and a new manager coming in having to work a miracle under even more abysmal conditions. It is like ****ing groundhog day and I am sick of it. Things need to change and quickly. But who the bloody hell is going to wave the magic wand?...nobody. That is the most depressing thing about it. We are stuck in a massive rut of complete crapness, with no way out, or no hope for the forseeable. And that is why I feel completely and utterly helpless.

The town has United for a cup final, no surprises there. But it clearly does not give a flying **** about it on a weekly basis. That is the problem and that is why a complete change is needed. Failure to do so and we will rot in the basement for many years to come.

What is the answer?...god knows. But I know this club needs change. Starting at the top. The town and the majority of the regular supporters, have total zero confidence in the board. That is a fact. Until that changes, we will continue on this merry-go-round of failed potential. The time has come for the board to be honest with themselves and admit failure. They do not have the means and perhaps the passion to drive us forward anymore. New owners, fresh investment and a renewed energy is required. But again, where the frig is it coming from?

It's all bloody dead ends, that is my whole point. No way out. And that is the single most sad thing for me.

To any member of the board reading this. Do the right thing and seek a way out of this hell hole. Not only for the fans, but for yourselves.

 

[Smiffy]

Time for a bump. Now Wembley and the Play-Off's have been blown, has your opinion changed?

 

[mrsblue]

Here goes,The club were not relegated and currently still exists and going to Wembley was good to a point,Were riding high in the table for most of the season but after Xmas it went wrong.

In reality not too bad apart from some dire shows at home,But that's football.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

it really depends on how you judge success. We're still here which is a big one. We'll miss the playoffs which is very very disappointing. We're in the first ever Wembley final which is great. We'll probably lose but that's not that important to me. Overall an above average season in the 50 odd years supporting this club. Not the best by any means, but definitely not the worst.

what I said on 20/03/13. If the diggers now move onto FF after the Council decision it's now possibly the most memorable and important season in the club's history. I still wish PS had not been sacked but you can't have everything and hope with time PB will prove me wrong.

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

what I said on 20/03/13. If the diggers now move onto FF after the Council decision it's now possibly the most memorable and important season in the club's history. I still wish PS had not been sacked but you can't have everything and hope with time PB will prove me wrong.

So just to start digging makes this season a success? I won't even contemplate success until we have a finished 4 sided stadium playing better football in a higher division. I understand your point that obviously the start is very important. A lot can go wrong until it's finished!

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

So just to start digging makes this season a success? I won't even contemplate success until we have a finished 4 sided stadium playing better football in a higher division. I understand your point that obviously the start is very important. A lot can go wrong until it's finished!

I probably should have added "time will tell". Come on Ron, get this thing on the road.

 

[Tinks]

Yep, I certainly think it is now

 

[Southend Pier]

Personally still think it is a big question mark.