Official Match Thread Lincoln City V Southend United

[yogi bear up the cagire]

That's a fortune in lettering on your replica shirt.

Keyboard letters come pretty cheap................................fortunately!

 

[Shrimper]

Damnit. 2-1 Lincoln. Still time to get something.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

SZ has been dying.....................................................rather like our play-off push.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Free-kick for us.......................(4 mins added).....................Barker ............cleared

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Spencer comes on for Grimes...........................just to rub it in.

 

[WickfordShrimper]

Booooooooooooooo

 

[bazzashrimper]

Cant help but think when PS said 2 or 3 weeks ago that the players were tired and he wanted to get some help in was critical. We didn't reinforce and now look pretty much out of the running. Transfer embargo ruins our season again.

 

[* ORM *]

2 mistakes cost us at least 1 point.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Toothless and paceless up front again, and when Hall is off his game nobody else creates chances.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

I notice that LIncoln are now only 3 points away from overtaking us in the table.:sad:

 

[wiggy]

Cant help but think when PS said 2 or 3 weeks ago that the players were tired and he wanted to get some help in was critical. We didn't reinforce and now look pretty much out of the running. Transfer embargo ruins our season again.

...good old Ron, another waste of everybody's time and money, no back up for Sturrock in a ***** league!

 

[jtsouthend]

Very poor game for the Blues today and the match was very scrappy... couldn't really pick out one player for much praise really....hoof ball all day (both sides actually) and we had absolutely no cutting edge up front today...defence looked tired today and when balls were played in behind it seemed like they were running on sand

Same really as the supporters were up for it but the players didn't turn up

Classic miss by Spencer at the end but on the other hand he probably showed more effort in his 3 minutes on pitch than some of our players did all game...definitely not a performance of play off contenders...roll on the next game

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

...defence looked tired today and when balls were played in behind it seemed like they were running on sand

...roll on the next game

At Crewe on tuesday. Sturrock has used the 'tired excuse' several times recently. What odds a defeat at Crewe and we're hear it again?. At this stage in the season most teams are playing twice a week due to the fixture list and postponements, yet you dont seem to hear this comment from teams who are regularly winning their matches?. It's the same scenario for a lot of clubs, not just Southend.

 

[West Stand Benfleet Blue]

Tired, how can this be a match is 90 minutes training can be managed to keep players fit. They are meant to be proessionals. My boss does not make allowances if I am tired!
We need a couple of fresh faces we keep hearing they are coming but when!!!!

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

At Crewe on tuesday. Sturrock has used the 'tired excuse' several times recently. What odds a defeat at Crewe and we're hear it again?. At this stage in the season most teams are playing twice a week due to the fixture list and postponements, yet you dont seem to hear this comment from teams who are regularly winning their matches?. It's the same scenario for a lot of clubs, not just Southend.

I think you might hear it from us because it's true.
We can't rest players because if we do, we are resting our best players.
Teams that are regularly winning their matches I would imagine have bigger squads, and have had a longer pre season which believe it or not still affects us this late in the season.

Todays conditions looked quite hard a lot of wind and a very solid ground which bobbled the ball about.
Evans should have dealt with the first goal, but it was also difficult to deal with. He also made a few decent saves to keep us in the game.

They had some quite quick players, especially their winger who beat everyone for pace.

It's a fact that we have a tired squad.

UTB!

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

We can't rest players because if we do, we are resting our best players.
Teams that are regularly winning their matches I would imagine have bigger squads, and have had a longer pre season which believe it or not still affects us this late in the season.

Todays conditions looked quite hard a lot of wind and a very solid ground which bobbled the ball about.
It's a fact that we have a tired squad.

UTB!

In the 80's i was an experienced 1/2 marathon, 15 mile and full marathon runner, running 50+ miles per week training before going to work as a printer standing on my feet for 10 hour shifts
. Whilst admitting that some weeks i 'flowed' better than others, my planned training schedule enabled me to be peaking when required for races. A footballer is basically a fit intividual who at times has to perform twice a week for 90 minutes, which in my opinion is not excessive. Bearing in mind up to the 80's for instance, most clubs used to play 3 times over the easter weekend, and you never heard this 'tired' excuse being used, when squads were less in number than today. If for whatever reason players are tired in this day and age having to play twice a week, then surely their training sessions should be reduced?.

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

In the 80's i was an experienced 1/2 marathon, 15 mile and full marathon runner, running 50+ miles per week training before going to work as a printer standing on my feet for 10 hour shifts
. Whilst admitting that some weeks i 'flowed' better than others, my planned training schedule enabled me to be peaking when required for races. A footballer is basically a fit intividual who at times has to perform twice a week for 90 minutes, which in my opinion is not excessive. Bearing in mind up to the 80's for instance, most clubs used to play 3 times over the easter weekend, and you never heard this 'tired' excuse being used, when squads were less in number than today. If for whatever reason players are tired in this day and age having to play twice a week, then surely their training sessions should be reduced?.

You might be right there, I wasn't fortunate enough to witness football passed 1997, but I would think that the pace of the game and the fitness level of the players has grown considerably. Footballers don't have to just be fit now days, they have to be athletes and that's every level even going down towards Non League.

I don't want to put you in this bracket but people love to have something to point at, and this word 'excuse' is being used against Paul Sturrock and other managers VERY harshly.
He is sticking up for his players. Some of us might not think it's an acceptable reason to not win (it's not the only reason we didn't win today and against Morecambe) but it's one of them.


UTB!

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

You might be right there, I wasn't fortunate enough to witness football passed 1997, but I would think that the pace of the game and the fitness level of the players has grown considerably. Footballers don't have to just be fit now days, they have to be athletes and that's every level even going down towards Non League.

I don't want to put you in this bracket but people love to have something to point at, and this word 'excuse' is being used against Paul Sturrock and other managers VERY harshly.
He is sticking up for his players. Some of us might not think it's an acceptable reason to not win (it's not the only reason we didn't win today and against Morecambe) but it's one of them.


UTB!

Ageed, footballers are somewhat more muscular today than a couple of decades ago, and are more athletic in their build as well. Maybe it's because i'm getting on in age that i find it hard to accept excuses, which were rarely given in defeats when football was still a game and not a business.

 

[Firestorm]

Out of interest DWB, 50 miles a week and competitions, did you make sacrifices to your social life to aid your athletic performance.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Out of interest DWB, 50 miles a week and competitions, did you make sacrifices to your social life to aid your athletic performance.

Presume you mean me!. The answer was no, as we had 2 young sons so our social life had already dissapeared.