It's started already....

[canveyshrimper]

I can't believe some of the nonsense I have read on this thread. We lost a game big deal, we won the previous 8 on the spin.

We are still second in the table after 14 games, be honest how many of you thought we would that high in the table after virtually a third of the season??

The management and the team have performed brilliantly and beyond expectation so far. It will be interesting to see how we bounce back after a below par performance at Donny.

If this team is good enough to go up then it will have done so by right, and whether it will be good enough to perform at higher level, well that is only conjecture. Many thought that Webb's side in 1991 would come back down, with some astute signings it didn't and we had a good few years at a higher level.

Stop whinging after one loss and get behind the team.

 

[Prodigal Son]

The upside for many on this site will be that a mid table placing means that our away following will be smaller meaning that they can sit where they like as they do not like designated seating, may even be able to stand up to sing as that's really important. Equally, at home matches they can stay in the pub until the last possible moment as mid table crowds of around 5,000 means you can do this too.

Why would we want to be going for promotion with good crowds home and away?

 

[Banksy]

Quote[/b] (canveyshrimper @ Oct. 17 2005,08:33)]Stop whinging after one loss and get behind the team.

Hear , Hear !!!

 

[W4 Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (canveyshrimper @ Oct. 17 2005,08:33)]I can't believe some of the nonsense I have read on this thread. We lost a game big deal, we won the previous 8 on the spin.

We are still second in the table after 14 games, be honest how many of you thought we would that high in the table after virtually a third of the season??

The management and the team have performed brilliantly and beyond expectation so far. It will be interesting to see how we bounce back after a below par performance at Donny.

If this team is good enough to go up then it will have done so by right, and whether it will be good enough to perform at higher level, well that is only conjecture. Many thought that Webb's side in 1991 would come back down, with some astute signings it didn't and we had a good few years at a higher level.

Stop whinging after one loss and get behind the team.

Spot on

Can't believe some of the rubbish that is being spouted here!

 

[OlvisIII]

Quote[/b] (canveyshrimper @ Oct. 17 2005,08:33)]I can't believe some of the nonsense I have read on this thread. We lost a game big deal, we won the previous 8 on the spin.

We are still second in the table after 14 games, be honest how many of you thought we would that high in the table after virtually a third of the season??

The management and the team have performed brilliantly and beyond expectation so far. It will be interesting to see how we bounce back after a below par performance at Donny.

If this team is good enough to go up then it will have done so by right, and whether it will be good enough to perform at higher level, well that is only conjecture. Many thought that Webb's side in 1991 would come back down, with some astute signings it didn't and we had a good few years at a higher level.

Stop whinging after one loss and get behind the team.

Exactly my point when I started the thread.  The goal at the start of the season was consolidation - we are well on the way to staying up.  If we gou up, we are obviously good enough over the whole season to achieve that, so the players will be good enough to play in the above league.  If we don't but stay out of the bottom four we have had a successful season.  

When we went up in the early 90's we won the first five on the bounce, and then got stuffed by Stoke if my memory serves me right.  (That might be incorrect - it was 16 years ago)  Still ended up being a pretty good season.

Keep the faith - there is only one team in Essex - lets get behind Tilly and the boys!!

 

[Napster]

and another thing.

I want to win the LDV this season, seeing as it's the last chance we'll get for a number of years

 

[bertiebigbanana]

Quote[/b] (canveyshrimper @ Oct. 17 2005,08:33)]I can't believe some of the nonsense I have read on this thread. We lost a game big deal, we won the previous 8 on the spin.

We are still second in the table after 14 games, be honest how many of you thought we would that high in the table after virtually a third of the season??

The management and the team have performed brilliantly and beyond expectation so far. It will be interesting to see how we bounce back after a below par performance at Donny.

If this team is good enough to go up then it will have done so by right, and whether it will be good enough to perform at higher level, well that is only conjecture. Many thought that Webb's side in 1991 would come back down, with some astute signings it didn't and we had a good few years at a higher level.

Stop whinging after one loss and get behind the team.

Cant quite see who's whinging in this thread? Seems to be two camps, 1st lot thinking staying up in this league as a 'fantastic acheivement' and promotion possibly being counter productive. The 2nd thinking that going up would be a 'fantastic acheivement' and potentially very productive. I can see the angle the mid table safety boys are coming from. However, It does seem a bit negative, safe and, dare i say, boring. So, i am firmly in the camp of go for it! As mentioned by someone a few posts ago, If we were to acheive it, it would be on the back of bumper crowds and eccelect income for the club so things may not be quite (in the working kitty at least) as tight financially at the end of the season as feared by some. Oh and Whatever, sorry if i came over a bit bullish at the beginning of this thread, i was fuelled up a tad when i posted. No offence meant.

 

[southend4ever]

it is only a discussion board. many people won't agree with the criticism.but as you all know the football world is so fickle.

it is a harsh reality that people pay their money to go and watch and cheer on their team. they will make suggestions if something goes wrong on the day

ultimately no one on this site is better than tilly because otherwise they would have the job. how can you criticise a team who have just created a new club record. no doubt summing up what the majority of you think and haven't read through to see who has made these comments.

you all know it is vital to get behind the boys and the right result against bristol city will keep the lads confidence and morale sky high. they will have been affected after losing. lets take arsenals magical run for example, and you will see how they went downhill after a loss.

these blue boys have a great togetherness and work ethic going at the moment so keep supporting boys!!

southend til i die.

 

[Einstein]

It seems Swansea are also in a similar situation to ours where the fans might be expecting too much too soon.

Swansea boo players off the pitch!

 

[SUFCFARAWAY]

At least we don't do that. I think the fans, me for one, are expecting more now coz we went top. But we should remember we are here really to stay up - and if we push for promtion then that is just a very lucrative bonus. Two years ago we were in the relegation zone of League 2 - we have to remember how far we have actually came in such a short period.

 

[Red Hot Shrimp Gumbo]

Perhaps now all those fans who were saying we were going to lose against Forest, not beat our record etc etc have finally got their wish. It irritates me to see all the pessimism that fans create. It would be nice to see everyone get behind the team. Yeh admittedly we aren't going to win every game. Whats important is how we respond to losses. But you can't go into a game thinking we are going to lose. It creates negativity, and isn't the kind of support the clubs want. If you want Southend to lose, then why bother supporting us?

 

[southend4ever]

Quote[/b] (Red Hot Shrimp Gumbo @ Oct. 17 2005,14:59)]Perhaps now all those fans who were saying we were going to lose against Forest, not beat our record etc etc have finally got their wish. It irritates me to see all the pessimism that fans create. It would be nice to see everyone get behind the team. Yeh admittedly we aren't going to win every game. Whats important is how we respond to losses. But you can't go into a game thinking we are going to lose. It creates negativity, and isn't the kind of support the clubs want. If you want Southend to lose, then why bother supporting us?

they dont want southend to lose... it is the fickle football world. they make decisions in hindsight which everyone can do and it sounds like a good idea when something else that has been tried doesn't work. they really don't want southend to lose. honest. i think.

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

I am not sure how now finishing midtable can be a classed as a "fantastic" finish. All this talk by Tilly of 52 points is total nonsense.

The goal post have moved (this also happens when Maher shoots). To finish midtable now we need 35 points from 32 games. Thats seriously bad relegation form.

I agree that at the start of the season 64 points and mid table would of been more than what most people would of hoped for.

Even mid table form from now until the end of the season (say 1.3 points a game) would earn us 71 points and maybe sneak into the playoffs.

So anything better than mid table form and we will be in the top 6 at the end of the season.

If we only finish mid table this year, I would start to worry about next year, as it would be a bad season other than a superb 8 game run.

I would be also worried if we went up again with it being too soon, (especially via play offs), but if you are good enough over the course of the season, then you are good enough, simple as that.

Tilly needs to start being realistic. Could last years "Oh we will be ecstatic if we reach the play offs, that was our aim" (until we went top with 2 games to go!) have been a reason we made the play offs?

After all, you don't hear Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger at the start of the season saying we will be happy finishing 2nd, even if they know that Chelsea wont lose a game.

Rant over!

 

[OlvisIII]

Quote[/b] (Trust Treasurer Bloke @ Oct. 17 2005,23:10)]I am not sure how now finishing midtable can be a classed as a "fantastic" finish.  All this talk by Tilly of 52 points is total nonsense.

What do you want Tilly to say "Anything other than the play offs will be seen as a failure?" How much pressure would that pile on top of the players? Whether you agree or not, the aim at the start of the season was to stay up. We've had the luxury of starting the season well - at some point we are going to have a poorer spell, every club does. The last thing they want to hear when this happens is the fans ranting about how they should be in the top seven. Tilly obviously wants promotion, but it's psychology my friend. By maintaining this avoid relegation at all costs, perhaps we can scrap our way into the playoffs. In my eyes, however, mid table finish would be excellent, as would survival.

 

[canveyshrimper]

Quote[/b] (OlvisIII @ Oct. 18 2005,09:10)]

Quote[/b] (Trust Treasurer Bloke @ Oct. 17 2005,23:10)]I am not sure how now finishing midtable can be a classed as a "fantastic" finish.  All this talk by Tilly of 52 points is total nonsense.

What do you want Tilly to say "Anything other than the play offs will be seen as a failure?"  How much pressure would that pile on top of the players?  Whether you agree or not, the aim at the start of the season was to stay up.  We've had the luxury of starting the season well - at some point we are going to have a poorer spell, every club does.  The last thing they want to hear when this happens is the fans ranting about how they should be in the top seven.  Tilly obviously wants promotion, but it's psychology my friend.  By maintaining this avoid relegation at all costs, perhaps we can scrap our way into the playoffs.  In my eyes, however, mid table finish would be excellent, as would survival.

Well said Olvis, and can only echo that.
I think that the time to look at this in proper perspective is Christmas / New Year. By then, and at the current rate of progress we will have around the requisite 51 points with around 20 games to go.

 

[Jai]

I don't think Tilly is saying he will settle for 52 points, he is saying let's get to 52 points and see where we go from there. As far as I can see, he hasn't committed himself to any final placing as yet, and rightly so.

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

All I was saying is that if you aim high and miss out, its better than aiming low and feel success at achieving that low aim.

Don't get me wrong at the start of the season I would have settled for 52 points. But the attitude coming out of the club at the moment should be "we would of settled for 52 points, but after the start we have had we are looking for a place in the top 10". If the good run continues for another 5 or 6 games, then the top 10 target should become play-off, and so on.

As I said in my previous post, to now finish midtable now would require an attrocious last 34 games.

 

[hexagon_sun]

Quote[/b] (Trust Treasurer Bloke @ Oct. 18 2005,09:55)]All I was saying is that if you aim high and miss out, its better than aiming low and feel success at achieving that low aim.

I don't think anyone at the club has set a 'low aim' by saying that League 1 survival would be a good outcome for our first season following promotion. Tilly's just being realistic - mid-table of League 1 was maybe even a tad optimistic back in August (particularly considering our last few meetings with teams from that division). As it happens, we've had a phenomenal start to the season but that most definitely does not mean the goalposts have moved and we should now expect nothing less than promotion. We're just as likely to have a bad spell and lose 8 in a row, as are most other teams in the league - that's football. My perspective is this - we have a strong squad that's bursting with talent and a superb management team that are performing above all expectations right now, but a steady progression is the most important thing and a solid mid-table finish this season would still be a success IMHO. Of course I want to see us promoted again (as I'm sure Tilly and every single player in the squad do), but it shouldn't be expected just because we're second in the league in October.

 

[C'mon you Blues]

I think Tilly is using the psychology he's probably been taught at one of his coaching schools. He's basically taking pressure off a very young squad and i think he's absolutely right to do so. I saw my first match against Notts Forest this season. Most fans thought we were slightly below par. However I thought it was the best football since I can't remember when and this team will win more than they lose. Watched last season's DVD which is class compared to other efforts (Barrett's home vid of the playoff final is a real masterclas on not how to take one by the way but for that reason is quality). We were botton after the first few games and Tilly summoned all his managerial strength to get us out of that (and of course take a risk on Freddy of course). I feel we'll be in the playoffs at least. Bring on Barnsley.

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

I am not saying that I expect promotion, as I do not, however I would not be happy with a mid table finish AS OF NOW, due to the start we have made. (At the start of the season yes I would of been very happy)

To finish mid table now we would have to lose about 20 of our remaining 32 games (say 10 wins and 2 draws) 32+29 = 61 pts and that would be a very poor two thirds of a season.