SUFC: The Future Next season

[Rob1920]

The problem with paying 1 player high wages are the unintended consequences...

Would it lead to agents knowing better deals are available at the club and holding out for better deals for other players

Would it lead to a queue of players at Maher's door requesting new deals?

Would it lead to disharmony in the dressing room?

In short I doubt splashing out for 1 player stops at 1 player and could lead to disharmony in the squad.

I'd imagine not easy being CEO/manager/owner

All valid points I'd agree. But every club has its higher and lower earners. I'm sure even we do, they won't all be earning the same. Its the nature of the beast.

All I'm saying is I don't think we'll walk away from a top target for the sake of a few jundred quid more a week, if thats what it takes to beat off the competition.

 

[Ailsa Road Shrimper]

I think Collin is a decent goalkeeper at this level, he is better than all other loanees or Hayes we have brought in during the last few years.

Hayes is a concern for me, he is not in the calamity category like Blondy but there does seem to be a tendency for a lot of shots on target to somehow creep in…a nagging feeling that he could have done better. Hayes has also been fortunate that he doesn’t seem to have to pass the ball out to the defenders, Collin was often put on unfair pressure to do this.

As an aside, it would be nice for one our keepers to save a penalty, it seems a few years ago since this has happened. Big moments like that can be a huge momentum swing. When that penalty was awarded on Sunday I had no doubt that it was going in.

 

[kentblues]

One advantage we do have is that if you are a southern based player and want to join a bigger club with realistic promotion prospects then York, Carlisle, Rochdale, Gateshead, Morecambe, Halifax, Altrincham (maybe Scunthorpe) are all oop north. FGR might as well be.

So if you are London/SE based we are are going to look pretty attractive. Other than perhaps Aldershot all the alternatives are relatively poorly supported and unlikely to be in the mix?

 

[Fairport]

Obviously COSU will come up with a budget regarding signing players taking into account wages, agents fees etc.
Although gate receipts are only a proportion of income obtained we have in the past been told that 8000 per game was roughly a figure to break even. This was in Ron's day so proceed with caution with any of his financial calculations.
Still would be interesting to know if COSU have some idea on this.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Fourteen web pages in and nearly everybody has been criticised or praised.
Those with a 25-26 pass seem to be KAF, LCP, Ralph, Gus - if he stays - and Taylor.
Everyone else polarises opinion. Well, they would at NL level, surely?
For me, there are two groups: The OK-as-back-ups and The would-release-if-possible.

I think limitations for Bonne, Walker, Miley, Goodliffe, Jack, and Coker were highlighted at Wembley.
Yes, they've had good games this season, but for one reason or another, not enough of them.
And yet, even these six polarise opinion.

 

[Holy Joe]

Obviously COSU will come up with a budget regarding signing players taking into account wages, agents fees etc.
Although gate receipts are only a proportion of income obtained we have in the past been told that 8000 per game was roughly a figure to break even. This was in Ron's day so proceed with caution with any of his financial calculations.
Still would be interesting to know if COSU have some idea on this.

I think COSU were asked the question and didn't answer it with a number - can't remember if it wasn't that simple or it was hinted that it was larger than the capacity at the time.

 

[Holy Joe]

I think Collin is a decent goalkeeper at this level, he is better than all other loanees or Hayes we have brought in during the last few years.

Hayes is a concern for me, he is not in the calamity category like Blondy but there does seem to be a tendency for a lot of shots on target to somehow creep in…a nagging feeling that he could have done better. Hayes has also been fortunate that he doesn’t seem to have to pass the ball out to the defenders, Collin was often put on unfair pressure to do this.

As an aside, it would be nice for one our keepers to save a penalty, it seems a few years ago since this has happened. Big moments like that can be a huge momentum swing. When that penalty was awarded on Sunday I had no doubt that it was going in.

Indeed - I noted Hayes again dived to his right. Same as all the pens at FGR, and I think the Rochdale pen. If I've spotted that then you'd think analysts at opposing clubs will have as well.

 

[Holy Joe]

Postive intent from Justin (from BBC site). I have cut out some of the bits you already know


Updated 15 minutes ago
Southend United chairman Justin Rees says the club will target automatic promotion next season after losing to Oldham Athletic in the 2024-25 National League play-off final at Wembley.

The Shrimpers secured the last play-off spot on the final day of the campaign and then won away at Rochdale and Forest Green Rovers to reach the final.

"I woke up the next day really, really driven, it's only nine weeks to next season. That should tell us that if you want to play in big games, cup games, play-off games, the more of them you play, unfortunately you are going to taste agony sometimes," Rees told BBC Essex's Breakfast Show.

"We want to be back in that EFL. We should all be driven by this disappointment to attack next season and be chasing the top honours rather than jumping in there [the play-offs] on the final day."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p0lfsqwj

"We're all deflated but not devastated," said chief executive Tom Lawrence.

"If you'd said to me 12 months ago, would you take ending up at Wembley and just losing out in a play-off final - if you roll back 18 months we were a heartbeat away from going out of existence, so in the context of everything that's gone on, what the players, Kevin and the management team have achieved is just incredible.

"We'll be back in the office tomorrow to go again and start building for next season. We just need to grow and become stronger."

Well it would be very very unfair of COSU to target automatic promotion and not give Kev and co the budget/tools to do it.

Has Justin gone rogue here?

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Nothing wrong with aiming high.

 

[Shrimper83]

Any chance of getting Pebble back?

 

[Supershrimper]

Any chance of getting Pebble back?

Somewhere between 0% and 0.01%

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

Any chance of getting Pebble back?

See transfer rumours thread.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I think we need to play hardball with the contracted players who have not worked out and make it clear they have no future, will not be getting games and offer a payoff.

It’s **** for them because they signed a contract but on the flip side they would be off in a second if they had been smashing it every week.

 

[Mad Cyril]

Me too, a comedy classic. But who was your favourite? Barbara, Tom, Margo or Jerry?



View attachment 37319

Margot. I’d rather come home from a top job to a cold G&T than work on a glorified allotment all day.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I'm sorry but I have to respectfully disagree, look at the highlights again, Goodliffe deflects an own goal into the net by the post. Hayes has to expect he wlll miss it with Fondop waiting, no way Hayes fault.

Did Goodliffe get a touch?

I see it as a really unlucky goal to concede.

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

Did Goodliffe get a touch?

I see it as a really unlucky goal to concede.

No he didn’t. I thought he did at the time, but on the reply he didn’t. Just really unlucky.

 

[Leicester Shrimper]

Bonne offers so much more than Hopper imo

He's better in the air, holds the ball up better and has the ability to drop a shoulder and beat a man for pace

If the option is there to keep him for another year, I'd take it. We'd then need to look at bringing in a goalscorer, so as much as I like him, sadly I'd let Walker leave. I'd also let Hopper and Waldron go aswell.

Keep Bonne and Kendall and bring in 2 new faces to lead the line and compete with these lads

In goal, I still believe Colin is our Number 1 and I'm happy with the 2 we have currently

Happy for Gus to move on if an offer comes in. Also let Bridge go and bring in 2 actual wingbacks

CM seems fine but could do with an injection of quality if the right player comes along

With the addition of wing backs, a commanding CB would be great, but I'd equally be happy with Golding and Goodlife on permanent

I really hope the board decide to go for it next season and give Kev and staff a budget to compete for the title next season. From what I've heard, this isn't currently the case. But just look at what we achieved with the budget we did have! Kev had 1 transfer window and bleed a team in to the play off final. Give him a budget and let's see what we can do next

Didn’t Gus sign a new contract a few months ago?

Didn’t he also score 17 goals from defence?

 

[The Original Tribal Chief]

We can't let a couple of extra time wins cloud our judgement of a season that was well below par. If it hadn't been for Gateshead completely ****ting the bed, we would not have made the playoffs. Most of the current squad is not good enough to win this league, and I'm not convinced that the management team is up to the job. Maher et al were completely outcoached in the playoff final.

 

[Holy Joe]

 

[The Original Tribal Chief]

Is that directed at me? I'm really not interested in engagement on this forum, - @Cricko won't pay me for all the traffic I bring to SZ with my white hot takes.

Resting on your laurels after overachieving in the playoffs won't work. in 2021, the Montreal Canadiens rode luck and some miraculous goaltending to reach the Stanley Cup Final. They only made the playoffs thanks to realignment of the divisions due to COVID travel restrictions. There was an illusion that this was a great team who had underachieved in the regular season, but that wasn't the case. They were an average team with a poor coach who got hot at the right time. The next year, they were the worst team in the NHL. This got them the number one draft pick - if that situation was replicated here, all we would get are trips to Chelmsford.