Breaking News Nathan Ralph signs new deal

NZamba Legend · Jul 16, 2021

OldWilliam said:
If he stays injury free all season my money is on him being player of the season

Definitely. Its where we all say that Kevin Bond was a decent manager after all. A visionary perhaps.

Rob Noxious · Jul 16, 2021

flangejackrabbit said:
What other players have we had whose surname is more commonly used as a first name?

Dave Martin.

Crowstone Crevette · Jul 16, 2021

Phil Dudley

Barry.C · Jul 16, 2021

Excellent news, Well done Nathan for all his hard work and responding loyalty. Hope he has a great start and a decent bit of luck with injuries.

Happy to take on Lennon now too

Clinton Baptiste · Jul 16, 2021

Happy with our defence and goalie. With a hardworking midfield we should in theory be hard to bit but definitely need some more goals. Hard to see where 60-70 goals in the team will come from.

Jay_SUFC · Jul 16, 2021

Crowstone Crevette said:
Phil Dudley

I would say Philip is not really a surname; it tends to be Philips

Ipswhrimp · Jul 16, 2021

Not forgetting Mr Ricky Otto...

mfurok · Jul 16, 2021

flangejackrabbit said:
What other players have we had whose surname is more commonly used as a first name?

Luke Amos…..but my favourite would undoubtedly be Dave Elliott.

Rob Noxious · Jul 17, 2021

mfurok said:
Luke Amos…..but my favourite would undoubtedly be Dave Elliott.

Slightly American but I suspect that you might be partial to Clark (Paul) too.

Rob Noxious · Jul 17, 2021

flangejackrabbit said:
What other players have we had whose surname is more commonly used as a first name?

Dean Neal.

united we stand · Jul 17, 2021

Yorkshire Blue said:
Good news as I think Ralph can contribute next season.

As for Elvis, I don't believe he's ever been in the club's plans for this coming season and the contract offer was a token one in order to secure compensation rights. I also think we may see Hobson at right-back before Howard.

Why would we offer a token contract?
What we offer is a factor in the compensation equation.

Medway Blue · Jul 17, 2021

Yorkshire Blue said:
Good news as I think Ralph can contribute next season.

As for Elvis, I don't believe he's ever been in the club's plans for this coming season and the contract offer was a token one in order to secure compensation rights. I also think we may see Hobson at right-back before Howard.

Not sure about that......thought Hobson at right back was a hair-brained MM scheme.

kentblues · Jul 17, 2021

Bexley Blue said:
Not sure about that......thought Hobson at right back was a hair-brained MM scheme.

Hobson is not a RB- you will remember during the “Madness of King George” period we went on to put Halford in there at one point - whilst the best RB at the club was put in midfield- because, even though not a specialist midfielder, he was still better than the specialist midfielders- so pleased last season is gone and would appreciate not being reminded of it....

Chrisb · Jul 17, 2021

flangejackrabbit said:
What other players have we had whose surname is more commonly used as a first name?

Matt Harrold

Medway Blue · Jul 17, 2021

kentblues said:
Hobson is not a RB- you will remember during the “Madness of King George” period we went on to put Halford in there at one point - whilst the best RB at the club was put in midfield- because, even though not a specialist midfielder, he was still better than the specialist midfielders- so pleased last season is gone and would appreciate not being reminded of it....

Precisely. Hobson at right back is Vietnam flashbacks territory.

Chris Powell's mate · Jul 18, 2021

"The shoulder is the body's most mobile joint, which makes it susceptible to dislocation." And to repeats, I've read.
Didn't Bryan Robson end up putting his back in on a regular basis - and during matches?

Rob Noxious · Jul 18, 2021

Chris Powell's mate said:
"The shoulder is the body's most mobile joint, which makes it susceptible to dislocation." And to repeats, I've read.
Didn't Bryan Robson end up putting his back in on a regular basis - and during matches?

It was his shoulder, Chris. He dislocated it a few months before the World Cup in Mexico in '86, didn't have an op. on it and it pinged out again when he fell heavily during the horrific 0-0 draw v Morocco in the group stage.

SeaSideDoughnut · Jul 18, 2021

Barry.C said:
Excellent news, Well done Nathan for all his hard work and responding loyalty. Hope he has a great start and a decent bit of luck with injuries.

Happy to take on Lennon now too

I wonder how much of it is loyalty and how much is simply taking stock of the situation. Being injured for most of the last two years isn't going to put you in to many shop windows.

Nevertheless I'm glad his sign, when he has played his looked good. Now we just need to keep him injury free.

Crowstone Crevette · Jul 18, 2021

Jay_SUFC said:
I would say Philip is not really a surname; it tends to be Philips

R.T.F.Q!

kentblues · Jul 18, 2021

Chris Powell's mate said:
"The shoulder is the body's most mobile joint, which makes it susceptible to dislocation." And to repeats, I've read.
Didn't Bryan Robson end up putting his back in on a regular basis - and during matches?

A bit of personal experience. Although an avid Southend fan for approaching 50 years I spent my my career playing rugby- to county level. Prop forward. 6’3” and 17st in my early 20s 18st now. I look fatter because everything has dropped a foot and i’m 1.5 inches shorter because at some point I compacted a couple of vertebrae together.
Shoulder dislocation is quite common and getting it back in on the pitch not unusual. Longer it’s out the worse the damage. Solution is work in the gym to build up the muscles around the the joint. By the sounds of it Ralph has been doing all he right things to prevent the problem recurring- with great diligence.