problems up front/at the back............

[Ricky Otto]

I can't remember seeing a southend team with so little ability to create,change,adapt,to read a game, as i am witnessing in this current campaigne.

I can remember teams that make this lot look like Brazil!

Wignalls team
Newmans team
Alvin Martins team

to name a few

 

[GNH]

I can remember teams that make this lot look like Brazil!

Wignalls team
Newmans team
Alvin Martins team

to name a few

I think the problem lies in that we're not a TEAM at the moment rather 11 individuals who are playing for themselves and not for each other or the fans. We have good players but a s*it team, oh and a great post Cockles as usual

 

[TMWLT]

i also think that with the support at an all time high since the early 70s having gained 3,000 or so extra fans since the 3 finals and man utd, this is used to gloss over whats happening,on the pitch, remember for years we were stuck around the 4,000 mark, which will easily go back to if the current situation is to continue. we got lucky with eastwood, and goater, those pairing only come along twice in a lifetime, now we are back to type scratching around with players that probably good div2 players(harrold and hunt excepted!!)good enough to be midtable div1, and if they go out with no distractions and bust a gut, put in the type of performance that you get 4 or 5 times aseason like doncaster and huddersfiled at home. Now if the club is not lose that extra support then they have to plan for the future, otherwise playing in front of 4,000 in a 22,000 seater stadium will not be clever.
so we are at the crossroads, whcih way do we go?? who knows

 

[number11]

I just cant see what people are so worked up about. There is passion and there is misplaced expectations. This Southend team is still way superior to teams of Alvin Martin, Alan Little, Rob Newman / Steve Wignall. Remember when Mansfield, Shrewsbury, Halifax would turn us over at home to deathly silence....and you could walk up to the ticket office at 2.50 and get a decent seat in the East. Round about this time of year we would be realising that the late run to the play offs werent going to happen and we better start looking back to ensure we werent dragged out of the league.

I dont know the stats but I would imagine based on league places we are historically a bottom division team, with occassional seasons in the 3rd Division (old money) and some even shorter blips in the second division. If you had said to me whilst I was watching Mark Beard sign for the 3rd time, or Marney sign on loan, or Booty / Morley / Conlon not give a toss about putting on a blue shirt, that we would by 2007/2008 be consolidating in League one with a sniff of the play offs, and a couple of players worth 6 figures, then Iwould have been amazed.

I see this season as consolidation, a mid table finish is fine, then the hard work has to begin to improve on that finish on the subsequent 2 seasons. We have no size or history to say we deserve to be in the championship but foundations making us a Div one side first would stand us in better shape to stay in the championship.

 

[steveo]

so next year we might just scrape the play offs, but lets try and stay up this year

This is the view I had from the start of the season, unfortunately many fans seem to think that because we came down last year we should be going straight back up.

Last year everyone knew it would be tough and the supporters were understanding and patient. this year the expectation is greater which is why the fans are moaning at the team more.
The main priority must be to stay in this league. Imagine the 23000 seater stadium if we were in league 2 with crowds of 4 or 5000.

 

[Interpol Shrimper]

I just cant see what people are so worked up about. There is passion and there is misplaced expectations. This Southend team is still way superior to teams of Alvin Martin, Alan Little, Rob Newman / Steve Wignall. Remember when Mansfield, Shrewsbury, Halifax would turn us over at home to deathly silence....and you could walk up to the ticket office at 2.50 and get a decent seat in the East. Round about this time of year we would be realising that the late run to the play offs werent going to happen and we better start looking back to ensure we werent dragged out of the league.

I dont know the stats but I would imagine based on league places we are historically a bottom division team, with occassional seasons in the 3rd Division (old money) and some even shorter blips in the second division. If you had said to me whilst I was watching Mark Beard sign for the 3rd time, or Marney sign on loan, or Booty / Morley / Conlon not give a toss about putting on a blue shirt, that we would by 2007/2008 be consolidating in League one with a sniff of the play offs, and a couple of players worth 6 figures, then Iwould have been amazed.

I see this season as consolidation, a mid table finish is fine, then the hard work has to begin to improve on that finish on the subsequent 2 seasons. We have no size or history to say we deserve to be in the championship but foundations making us a Div one side first would stand us in better shape to stay in the championship.

Generally a good post, other than most of our history since the national 4 tier structure was adopted in late 50s/early 60s has been spent at 3rd level. late90s/early00s was probably the longest continued run of 4th tier football we ever have had to endure!

 

[shrimperton]

Listen lets cut the crap, there are massive problems throughout the structure of the team. Yes you can blame it on the forward line, yes you can pull the defence up, but lets be honest I can't remember seeing a southend team with so little ability to create,change,adapt,to read a game, as i am witnessing in this current campaigne. To me the defence is absolutely shocking, woeful in fact and to let in so many goals and be brushed aside like we are being to me is damn well unexceptable. All this crap about us having the best midfield in the league were do you all get this from because I have already seen us totally out mustered about 7-8 times this season, and the majority of games we have been on par in this department. ANd lastly our forwards well yes they are shocking, but again the blame needs to be left with someone because they are all clearly not fit for this standard of football and are all 2nd choice strikers at best but due to RM and his restraints they now find themsleves in the fireing lines of us,and some how find themsleves in the starting eleven. Now like I have posted before I save my slagging off for this place, not out in the stands. But Barnard????????? **** me is he really the man to put the club back in motion, yes yes yes you can go on about giving him a chance all you like, im just staighting my opinion on a FANS FORUM my personnal opinion is he will just be another average striker who you might get 6-7 goals out of until the end of the season.My personnal view also is that Clarke is hugely overated defender, with no positional sence what so ever, barret to falls into that catagory for me also, yes a great guy weres his heart on his sleeve, and will give you 110% if not more every week gaurenteed. I just feel he is getting shown for his real ability when alongside another defender who is not upto the job. I don't expect answers from the club, I don't get a hard on when RM sends me an email, listen hes just doing his job, whats easier sending an email to someone or spending 300 000 I know what would be less stressfull!! I just want the club that I support to stop all this 'spin' bolloxs and get back to what it actually is, a football club, yes we have addressed the positions that need filling, RM you have done your usaul walk out onto the pitch spirting your usaul' we are gonna do this, we are gonna do that' all I want is to se something being done about it, its not about moving up this year because we cant even sign players of Div1 standard so we will not get any championship standard but it is about providing a service, sign some player lets get a squad with a bit of potential lets get some bodies in the squad, lets get some young exciting blood, mixed with some good older pro''s and lets get rid of all this bull**** spin that you would rather feed us with

Well said mate

We need to give Barnard a chance though, but i do fear for what u say and 90% of me says your right with Barnard.

Tilly is a below average manager in my book, and got lucky with Freddy cos as was said before it took Stimson 2 months to persaude tilly to have a look. Lack of Tactical awareness sometimes is beyond belief, and use of subs is circus like

 

[duncan bulgaria]

This season is proving to be a very frustrating season to say the least , with a few positives and a lot of negatives too , the positives for me are that we have decent attendances and have a manager and chairman that clearly care about this club.
We have strengthed our squad with Bailey and have a few exciting players for the future i.e Scannel , Mcdonald and hopefully Zoltan !!!

But the negatives of leaking so many goals and not strengthing our forward line has really come back to bite us on the a*se, how many times have we been punished for not finishing our chances , and also from some schoolboy defending , it seems as soon as we leak in 2 goals away from home we crumble and gift teams another 2 .

Tilly as much as he should be praised for how well he assembled a strong league one side 2 years ago , should take the critisism for not matching that team now , as IMO the league wining team 2 years ago would stuff this side if they played .

We can paper up the cracks all we like with positive posts on here , but something is wrong and does need fixing sooner rather than later , as we will see a lot of fans staying at home rather than travelling miles to watch a toothless performance away from home .

 

[Ricky Otto]

Well said mate

We need to give Barnard a chance though, but i do fear for what u say and 90% of me says your right with Barnard.

Tilly is a below average manager in my book, and got lucky with Freddy cos as was said before it took Stimson 2 months to persaude tilly to have a look. Lack of Tactical awareness sometimes is beyond belief, and use of subs is circus like

I think too many of you forget how many low points we've had in the last 10 years!! However much we love the club we must remember that its not an easy job! We haven't the financial clout to compete with the championship clubs so why do so many of us think this is where we belong? I'm very happy with where the club is at the moment and believe it could not be in better hands. To say Tilly is a below average manager is unfair, I still have great confidence in him, Brush and Uncle Ron.

 

[leeblue]

Top post cockles, I would just say there have been far worse southend teams than the current one, a commanding centre back is a must IMO and that elusive striker.

 

[shrimperton]

I think too many of you forget how many low points we've had in the last 10 years!! However much we love the club we must remember that its not an easy job! We haven't the financial clout to compete with the championship clubs so why do so many of us think this is where we belong? I'm very happy with where the club is at the moment and believe it could not be in better hands. To say Tilly is a below average manager is unfair, I still have great confidence in him, Brush and Uncle Ron.

I dont think we should be in the championship mate, but thats where the chairman and management staff said, after we won league 1, we belong.

If you remember Ron said this club is a championship club, its not an easy job, we are not loaded, some of us know this.

I beleive certain people in sufc have caused some of this big team charlie stuff on ere by saying we are a big club and we can fly. The stadium will do nothing for the team cos we wont be able to afford players due to paying back the loan for Fossetts imo. As much as i want a new stadium we need a team to grace it first.

 

[Firestorm]

1966-67 was our first season in Div 4 (after 8 seasons in Div 3 once the 4 teir system came in in 58-59
we got out in 71-72 a total of 6 seasons



In the 50 seasons of 4 tier football we have been 20 seasons in the 4th, 23 in the 3rd and 7 in the 2nd.
The longest being 8 season in div 3 1958/9 to 65/66 , 7 in Div 4 98/99-04/05 and 6 (Div 2 91/92 - 96/97 and Div 4 65/66-71/72)

 

[Ricky Otto]

The stadium will do nothing for the team cos we wont be able to afford players due to paying back the loan for Fossetts imo. As much as i want a new stadium we need a team to grace it first.

I couldn't comment as i don't know the financial details. Does anyone? I would hope the redevelopment of RH would raise a large chunk?

 

[number11]

1966-67 was our first season in Div 4 (after 8 seasons in Div 3 once the 4 teir system came in in 58-59
we got out in 71-72 a total of 6 seasons



In the 50 seasons of 4 tier football we have been 20 seasons in the 4th, 23 in the 3rd and 7 in the 2nd.
The longest being 8 season in div 3 1958/9 to 65/66 , 7 in Div 4 98/99-04/05 and 6 (Div 2 91/92 - 96/97 and Div 4 65/66-71/72)

THanks for those...interesting reading. So in that time we really are on average somewhere around lower Div 3 (now league one) and therefore are punching fractionally above our weight at the moment. The fact we can even dream with remote realistic possibilities of being in the top half of this division or compete in the championship is credit to Ron and T & B and what they have achieved from the wreck we were.