Maher going nowhere says unhappy Ron

[McNasty]

Blimey. I'm stunned. You have to hand it to Tilly, though - he's ruthless when he feels he needs to be.

Perhaps Tilly was acting on orders from above. Who knows ?

 

[KrustyTheKray]

Good news if you ask me.

Times move on, and we've hardly missed him have we.

Good luck at The Gills!

 

[Matt the Shrimp]

Is Tilly ruthless? Maher has been out of first team contention but hanging around for a couple of months now.

Blimey. Who'd be an employer, eh?

:thump:

Can't say I know many employers who respond to ten years' service at a firm by farming their employees out to a rival.

Maybe your preoccupation is with the team-sheet, but at the end of the day, being a footballer is just a job for the likes of Maher. I think that getting rid of him after only a couple of months out of the side - given a decade of near ever presence in it - is pretty ruthless, but perhaps I'm overly sentimental about these things.

:confused:

And like any day at the office, sometimes Kev had good days, sometimes he had bad days, but normally he just had normal days.

And a normal Maher day in the office is many, many times better than the best that Mr. Thurgood has to offer, IMHO. It's lucky that Thurgood can run, because he sure as hell can't pass!

:flamer:

Hey ho. Remind me not to accept a job offer from you - clearly, I'll be out on my ear after my first decade if you decide you no longer like the look of me!

:finger:

 

[C C Csiders]

Wonder how Gills fans feel about becoming a Southend United graveyard? I know I hated it when every player that Alan Little signed had, more or less, played for York City.

 

[bishmania]

I know this move has seemes inevitable for a few weeks but I'm still in a state of shock this morning - can't believe there is nothing on OS yet! :cry:

I'll be at Kev's testimonial, rain or shine, let's hope this isn't quite the end although it seems it is. You never know, if he plays his socks off for the Gills for the rest of the season and any off the pitch differences can be sorted out then we may well see Maher's second wind next year. Great servant, great player who hardly ever wasted a pass.

On the other hand, well done to Tilly for not having the sentiment that would be easy to have when you love a club as much he loves Southend.

Every good thing has to come to an end - let's just hope this is a move that's for the best.

 

[C'mon you Shrimpers]

Good luck Kev and thanks for the memories.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Some good, some bad. He's been a good servant to the club and I wish him all the best, as long as it never involves scoring against us.

 

[ldnfatso]

Can't believe this, just as Macca goes for a 2 game ban!!!

 

[Phippsy]

Well done to Tilly and Ron for looking to the future of our football club, Kev has been an amazing servant to our club, and played some terrific games during his 10 yeas here. He will be sorely missed but maybe we can all remember him in his prime not someone who stayed at 1 club for to long. All the best Kev, hope you play crap when you come back.

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

Blimey. Who'd be an employer, eh?

:thump:

Can't say I know many employers who respond to ten years' service at a firm by farming their employees out to a rival.

Maybe your preoccupation is with the team-sheet, but at the end of the day, being a footballer is just a job for the likes of Maher. I think that getting rid of him after only a couple of months out of the side - given a decade of near ever presence in it - is pretty ruthless, but perhaps I'm overly sentimental about these things.

:confused:

And like any day at the office, sometimes Kev had good days, sometimes he had bad days, but normally he just had normal days.

And a normal Maher day in the office is many, many times better than the best that Mr. Thurgood has to offer, IMHO. It's lucky that Thurgood can run, because he sure as hell can't pass!

:flamer:

Hey ho. Remind me not to accept a job offer from you - clearly, I'll be out on my ear after my first decade if you decide you no longer like the look of me!

:finger:

Unfortunately though Matt, as I intimated the last time we met in The Spread, I think Kev's legs have gone. I don't think the injury he got at the end of last season, has ever really cleared up, and it made him too easy to play against. Most sides who have played us this season with Kev in the side, have gone pretty much man-to-man on him, as they know everything of our attacking side goes through him, and have just harried him. I can't see us playing for us again, and I think that's for the best on both sides. He's been a great servant to the club, and has deserved the success of the previous 3-4 seasons, but time moves on and we can't afford to get too sentimental.

 

[EnglandShrimper]

What a joke.

 

[Phippsy]

What a joke.

Would you like to expand a little? Kev is 31 and quite obviously not the player he once was, why not let him go and enjoy the rest of his short footballing career?

 

[Mad Cyril]

Is Tilly ruthless? Maher has been out of first team contention but hanging around for a couple of months now.

What else were you looking for?

Perhaps he could have shot his cat with an air pistol, slashed his car tyres or put a brick through his window to really rub it in?

 

[EnglandShrimper]

Would you like to expand a little? Kev is 31 and quite obviously not the player he once was, why not let him go and enjoy the rest of his short footballing career?

Who is saying he is not the player he was? He has played **** all games this season and with Macca out and a stand in of Moussa why is he off?

 

[Phippsy]

Who is saying he is not the player he was? He has played **** all games this season and with Macca out and a stand in of Moussa why is he off?

So you would place Kev in the team even though he as you stated has played **** all year, over a young lad who in most peoples eyes is a future star in the middle. Very strange vision you have mate.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

It all seems like the wrong timing with Macca's form and pending suspension almost crying out for a Maher-recall, but clearly Big Kev has been hanging around Roots Hall lately like a bad smell. It's reminiscent of the way Roy Keane left Manchester United - a great servant to the club, and strong character in the dressing room losing his edge and then raising more questions than answers. If the timing isn't perfect, at least Tilson has acted decisively.

Kevin Maher might well be going out on loan, but make no mistake, our club captain has left the building. Long may he prosper in Southend United's B-Team.

A poor season for Kevin, this one, but I'd like to remember:

• His input as the most successful captain in our history who saw the club reach 3 Millenium Stadium finals, 2 consecutive promotions and a 1-0 victory over Manchester United
• His memorable performances against Colchester United (in the LDV semis, and the 3-0 away League victory)
• His dominance in the 4-0 (LDV) and 5-1 (League) maulings of QPR
• His two Supporter's Player of the Year Awards

As a player, what has always struck me about Kevin Maher is his continual willingness to receive the ball from his colleagues, even when out of form, and even when the Roots Hall whinge-brigade have been calling for his blood.

They say you only really value something once it's gone, and we've got a sense of that already this season even despite the quality that Macca and Bailey bring to the team.

I wish Kevin Maher nothing but the best with Gillingham, and look forward to seeing him return for a well-deserved Testimonial at a packed-to-the-rafters Fossets Farm.

Well said, a fantastic captain and leader on the pitch...One of my all time favourite players at Roots Hall

 

[MK Shrimper]

Just to add: Good luck at The Gills Kev, thanks for your time with us.

 

[smudgster]

Good good player, voted fans player of the year a couple of times is enough said. But i cant help thinking its the correct decision to let him go. If we are to move on difficult decisions like this have to be made. Sadly Kev isnt going to get any better from now to the end of his career. I think we can definatly say, we at Roots hall have seen the best of him.

Good luck King Kev, and thanks.

 

[class]

With Maher going it should free up a hefty chunk of wages for a new player...

:rolleyes:

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Blimey. Who'd be an employer, eh?

:thump:

Can't say I know many employers who respond to ten years' service at a firm by farming their employees out to a rival.

I've certainly heard of partners in city law firms who have been de-equitised after a decade's service because they haven't been performing satisfactorily, which normally leads to a move to a rival.

When it comes to redundancy, the main reason why the longest serving are retained rather than offered redundancy is that it is cheaper to get rid of those with fewer years' service, a pure economical decision rather than a sentimental one.

Maybe your preoccupation is with the team-sheet, but at the end of the day, being a footballer is just a job for the likes of Maher. I think that getting rid of him after only a couple of months out of the side - given a decade of near ever presence in it - is pretty ruthless, but perhaps I'm overly sentimental about these things.

My preoccupation is with the first team. Tilly and Brush decided some time ago that our strongest team was one with Bailey and McCormack in. What has changed is that over the last couple of months they have now decided that Grant and/or Moussa offer a better option on the bench. Maher is no longer considered to be in our strongest XVI, not just strongest XI.

OK, Maher was here for a decade, but how long do you pay him to not contribute? He is one of our highest earners. Does he get a month of taking it easy in the reserves for every year of service? We've already offered him a substantial pay-day with the offer of a testimonial.

For me, ruthless would have been getting rid of him in January. Remember Maher has a say in when he leaves as well. All Tilly and Brush are doing is allowing him to move, whether he moves is down to him.

:confused:

And like any day at the office, sometimes Kev had good days, sometimes he had bad days, but normally he just had normal days.

And a normal Maher day in the office is many, many times better than the best that Mr. Thurgood has to offer, IMHO. It's lucky that Thurgood can run, because he sure as hell can't pass!

:flamer:

Thurgood was released years ago. He was released despite not being given nearly as much time as Maher was to come good. He isn't relevant to this discussion.

It is now a question of whether Maher is better than Bailey, McCormack, Moussa and Grant. I think most of us were agreed that he wasn't better than Bailey and McCormack. Moussa certainly offers more for the future than an aged Maher, and Grant is an unknown quantity.

Hey ho. Remind me not to accept a job offer from you - clearly, I'll be out on my ear after my first decade if you decide you no longer like the look of me!

:finger:

How long would you expect an employer to give you if you weren't performing? Would you really expect to be retained if you didn't contribute at all in two months?

We are now in March and the last time Maher appeared in a winning team in was in early December. His last 5 games saw 4 defeats and a draw - against ironically enough Gillingham.