Phil Brown

[Yorkshire Blue]

Its both funny and quite sad that some still get upset over us winning at Wembley. The fact is we won on the day and no amount of PB winging will ever change that.

He did it with a budget lower than what Kev is getting now.....Even last season

A budget that was not in the top 6 of L2 that season

A maximum wage of 1500 per week.

He begged the owner to up it in the summer of 2014 because you can't get an average forward let alone the fans favourite 20 a season striker for anything less.

So the only option was to have team with the minerals to get results and they did.....Our run in and play-offs were outstanding. As the commentator said at Wembley "Southend United the team that never beat."

The people who nailed their "Brown will never get us promoted" colours to the mast are still bitter about the Wembley win but for the majority it was atop day out and for for some us, an all weekender.

Yes it was a mistake to come back. His heart wasn't in and I did say that on here at the time. But no one can ever take a win at Wembley away.

As for the cost of PB he must be the most successful SUFC manager in the transfer market. The successful management of Bentley, Payne and Yearwood alone payed his way. There are things that can't be said but some people owe him one.

Developing Lenny from L2 right back to a Championship CM was another £1m in the bank. Look back at posts on here "the undroppable Lenny" or "Browns favourite" etc

No one moaned when we signed Kightly or Cox People were angry ad wanted him sacked for finishing only 7th in L1. Thats when Ron really went mad and chased fools gold in the Championship. Back then I was mocked on here for saying we need to aim for mid table. Others were demanding we sign 15 players in week just like Bury......Or 8 players in January just like Scunthorpe.

"If truth be told" we all played our part in the clubs downfall. Some of us can admit that. I was delighted when he told me "I've just signed Kightly" and so were you.....Remeber that.

I wasn’t upset when we won at Wembley.

I was however incredibly upset when we were relegated into the NL.

I warned plenty of times of the consequences of building a team of veterans on big wages and long contracts - and that’s what came to pass when we were relegated from the Football League. You couldn’t begin to comprehend the pain I endured seeing us heading for disaster and being unable to stop it. That feeling of helplessness is even worse than the feeling of relegation. Because make no mistake the foundations for our demise were laid during Phil Brown’s first spell when with the sun still shining from Sturrock’s regime he failed to fix the roof and invest for the long term. Subsequent managers tried to varying extents but as none were given 18 months we were never able to see a plan to fruition.

It was like being in a bad dream. The good ship Southend was heading for the rocks and although I kept trying to raise the alarm nobody would listen.

I could see signing a 31 year old with Kightly’s injury history to a massive 3 year contract was a disaster waiting to happen. There were however plenty who were excited so I read the room and had to uncharacteristically bite my tongue on his signing thread so as to not rain on their parade but I consistently preached against such signings.

The flip side is that whilst I could see that the Brown years were going to screw us and that depressed the hell out of me, I can see that Maher and Co are laying foundations for the future and that is hugely exciting.

We’re signing players like Kensdale, Cardwell, Kabongolo and Morton that we’re going to improve/have improved. That’s going to make them better players and us a better team. And then when we sell them that’s going to put us in a better financial position so we don’t have to endure the Sol/MM years when we needed to rebuild the side but an embargo prevented us from doing so. Now when times are hard we’ll have players we can shop to pay off bills. Rather than selling early on an academy team product like Kelman, Hutchinson or Sandat we can build up their value like we are doing with Coker and Andeng Ndi.

Football clubs are like oil tankers they take ages to turn and correct course (which is why after 2 and a bit years of Maher we’re only 12th in the NL). But under Maher, Currie, Bentley and Still we’re now back on track and I couldn’t be more excited by what is set to come. We’re about to enter a golden age of Southend United. Strap in tight because this time we’re headed up.

 

[rigsby]

I wasn’t upset when we won at Wembley.

I was however incredibly upset when we were relegated into the NL.


We’re signing players like Kensdale, Cardwell, Kabongolo and Morton that we’re going to improve/have improved. That’s going to make them better players and us a better team. And then when we sell them that’s going to put us in a better financial position so we don’t have to endure the Sol/MM years when we needed to rebuild the side but an embargo prevented us from doing so. Now when times are hard we’ll have players we can shop to pay off bills. Rather than selling early on an academy team product like Kelman, Hutchinson or Sandat we can build up their value like we are doing with Coker and Andeng Ndi.

Football clubs are like oil tankers they take ages to turn and correct course (which is why after 2 and a bit years of Maher we’re only 12th in the NL). But under Maher, Currie, Bentley and Still we’re now back on track and I couldn’t be more excited by what is set to come. We’re about to enter a golden age of Southend United. Strap in tight because this time we’re headed up.

We can now because we are in the NL. They could never have stepped from NLN/S to L1.

PB was very limited of who he could sign as Ron had stiffed to many agents. Players in demand went elsewhere even if we matched other offers. You can't have it both ways. It can't be all Rons fault but not during the PB era.

CP had bigger budget than PB but was really unlucky with injuries. Including many of our young players. Our injury curse was not just those over 30.

Your pathological hatred of PB clouds over the truth......If truth be told

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

We can now because we are in the NL. They could never have stepped from NLN/S to L1.

PB was very limited of who he could sign as Ron had stiffed to many agents. Players in demand went elsewhere even if we matched other offers. You can't have it both ways. It can't be all Rons fault but not during the PB era.

CP had bigger budget than PB but was really unlucky with injuries. Including many of our young players. Our injury curse was not just those over 30.

Your pathological hatred of PB clouds over the truth......If truth be told

I only hate Phil Brown because I could see the damage he would and indeed did do to my club.

Had he proved me wrong by signing the next Sean Clohessy, Ryan Hall from NL N/S etc I’d have admitted I was wrong. But he did what I said he’d do and I’ll hate him for that.

He’s as culpable as Ron for us being in NL.

 

[Fairport]

If truth be told Phil has a job on his hands with Kiddy, already 2 down after 18 minutes against Aldershot.

 

[crangoner]

If truth be told Phil has a job on his hands with Kiddy, already 2 down after 18 minutes against Aldershot.

And now back to 2-2

 

[londonblue]

And now back to 2-2

We could do with Kidderminster winning that.

 

[jarvisyeh]

I would love nothing more than for Phil Brown to have a hugely successful half season with Kidderminster, taking points off all the teams above us.

 

[crangoner]

How good does it feel/Phil Brown's at the wheel

 

[greyerfox]

3-2 now

 

[Holy Joe]

Kiddie missed a pen to go 4-2

 

[Holy Joe]

Kiddie hit shots on the break 4-2

 

[johnlattimerssponge]

Great result for Kiddie and Phil especially as only there 5th win of the season.
Not a bad result for us either.

 

[Barling Magna]

That's the way Phil. You'll be singing The Sloop John B again soon....

 

[RHB]

That's the way Phil. You'll be singing The Sloop John B again soon....

Please God no. Is that ok if I say that @rigsby?

 

[BARNETBLUE]

I never really connected with Phil Brown. I didn't like his ego, his treatment of players, his short-termism and, most significantly as a fan, his style of football.

Unlike many, I found the promotion season underwhelming with too much emphasis on his clean-sheet mentality. Yes, yes, yes, the team only conceded 9 goals at home but we didn't score that many either. Think there were three 0-0 draws in a row at one point.

The play-off final was a template. He picked a cowardly line-up: 4-5-1 with Barry Corr isolated up front. It was fine during the season when Jack Payne played in the number 10 role as it meant he could link the midfield with the forward line but it was never going to work with a flat three. When I heard the line-up I warned a visiting friend that it was going to be a very poor game and sadly I was right.

Now don't get me wrong, THAT moment in the 122nd minute will stay with me forever. I was bouncing around like I'd been injected with five packets of Haribo Fangtastics and I didn't come down until the penalty shoot-out went beyond the regular five. Later I found myself uncharacteristically yelling 'Everywhere we go' at Liverpool Street. I can't remember whether it happened at Stratford as well but hey, who cares.

However, as great as that day was, PB gets no credit from me. He played it too safe and had Wycombe won there would be no complaints.

People say he's a great bloke. I'm sure he is. But Tilly and Brush proved that you can be decent on the sidelines as well.

I think that's a fair assessment of Brown overall, and of the play off final. Several Wycombe fans I chatted to both before and after the game were not overly disappointed on the day and were philosophical; look were they are as a club now.

Cant be the worst manager we have had but one would think he would be held in higher regard as he did do the job of getting back to level 3.
Football is a cut throat business and therefore managers do have to look after their own professional prospects, but too often it did feel like it was too much about Phil Brown than SUFC.

That said I always agreed with his post match analysis, though I feel he was too defensive minded in games.
It was not he who signed the cheques for too many has been players though.

Lets wish him well at KHFC.

Mr Phil Brown; shall we say a "character"

 

[BARNETBLUE]

I suppose we're stuck with him so what is his style of play?

Will we still start the game hoping for a 0-0 and go 2-0 down in the first five minutes. Or will he throw the attacking kitchen sink at it?

Post the Aldershot game, you were uncannily accurate!

Brown was a bit divisive at Southend but I wish him well, doubt he will be there long term.

 

[Ricey]

2 on the spin for Brown.

Good for him, I hope he does well.

 

[rigsby]

2 on the spin for Brown.

Good for him, I hope he does well.

At Hartlepool where he started his pro football career. In reality back then it was semi pro at the likes of Hartlepool as the players had afternoon jobs

 

[Rob1920]

He seems to have given Kiddie a bit of a lift, be insteresting to see if it continues. Personally I quite liked old Phil. Did ok first time with us and lets face it we were already a sinking ship & full-on basket case for his second go at it. Even then he got us closer to staying up than I expected. But there was no coming back from that truly awful experience at the start of our first NL season. Not really his fault, we had hit rock bottom as a club at that point.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

I liked Phil Brown as a person to talk to, but didn't like the way he acted after a few defeats. It was his main weakness. According to the players themselves, he split the dressing room. That affected team spirit very badly. Some were feigning injury so as not to be on the away coach, according to one player. He had his favourites and would share banter and encourage non stop. Then others he wouldn't speak to, and would totally blank. What a mess. No wonder we started plummeting down the League. He also never got to grips with Nile Ranger. He thought he could control him by acting as his mate, even going drinking with him once. It didn't work. NR took the p even more, and was getting up to all sorts. That also caused a rift with the more professional players watching this bs. And yes, he did favour older players that had been there and done it. The trouble is some of them were past it, and some were very injury prone. Some were both. He was an extremely stubborn man at Southend, very strong willed, and no one could tell him anything. It was his way or no way,
Like I said, I liked him. I hope the penny has finally dropped. He always thought he should be a regular Premiership Manager. There were many reasons he isn't. I hope he's learnt. And I wish him success with Kidderminster.