Shaun Goater interview on his time at Southend

[manor15]

Fascinating interview with Shaun Goater on Bwin about his time here amongst other things...

On Southend’s performances this season and Phil Brown…
“I’d expect Southend to be up there around the top when the season finishes. With Phil Brown’s experience in League One, they’ll be expected to push for promotion and they’re in a good position at the moment but they’ll know they need to push for the automatic spots if they can. One of Southend’s strengths is they don’t lose that often and just went on a 13-game unbeaten run before the Sheffield United result. It’s interesting because managers normally adopt a philosophy based how they played as a player and you can see that Southend’s very rigid and defensively solid base mimics Brown’s playing career. If I’m looking for one thing that they’re lacking, it might be that bit of creativity and attacking flair that’s needed.
“It’s important for Phil Brown to get this team promoted this season as he’s tried in the past three years and hasn’t succeeded. If he fails again this year, he may look for a different challenge. It may be the case that he’ll feel a bit stale at Southend if they don’t go up this season. It’s been three years with him at the helm and if he doesn’t go up, he’ll think that he can’t take the team any further. The relationship between Phil Brown and chairman Ron Martin is a very good one, built on trust, so I know they’ll both be discussing the situation. There’s no doubt he has the ability to get the team promoted.
“I believe they will get promoted this season as there’s a need to get across the line. It’s Phil Brown’s team, he’s got no excuses to fall short again and as I mentioned, if he does, he will feel that he can’t take the club any higher.”

On his final game as a professional…
“It was a special occasion, playing Bristol City – another club I played for. I was very appreciative of the City fans who turned up to see me as well. It was weird to see three sets of supporters cheer me on. It was emotional and unique and I will never forget it.”

On the famous League One victory, pipping Colchester to the post…
“We were made well aware of the expectation to beat Colchester to the title that season. The team had a fantastic spirit throughout the campaign and excellent experience to pip our rivals. Freddy Eastwood was an exciting player that season but it was the experience and spirit at the club that helped us through, it really felt like a 12th man. Steve Tilson’s philosophy throughout that season was simple and he really galvanised team spirit and made us play better. It was a great day for the whole club and one that I won’t forget.”

On Steve Tilson not managing anymore…
“I’m surprised and I’m not. He understood how to manage players differently. I wasn’t a problem, I just got on with training and loved working with him, but with younger players, Steve laid laws down and he managed the team quite well. Unfortunately the reason he’s not is because, in my opinion, he’s become dated in his managing. The game has changed and managing has evolved and some manager adapt and some don’t and I think Steve is in the latter group.”

On mentoring Freddie Eastwood at the time…
“He had great ability and what gravitated me to him was that he was a gypsy. I was learning about his culture and we gained a friendship through me trying to understand him as a person. At the same time, I shared my knowledge and advice with him and he took it all on board. He never really performed after Southend despite everyone believing in him, which was a shame. For whatever reason, he didn’t seem to have the right mental attributes to make it at a higher level.”

On how Mark Gower was able to make the move to the PL…
“I think Mark had the ability but was also the joker and had the camaraderie which was appreciated around the dressing room. He was probably Southend’s best player at the time, his technique was of a much higher level and he was an intelligent player, so it was no surprise to me. It was at the transitional period of looking for players with a bit of guile, finesse and technique, so that’s one reason he was able to make the jump.”

 

[MK Shrimper]

Fascinating read. Gotta love that man. :thumbsup:

 

[flangejackrabbit]

Doesn't seem to realise we got promoted though!

 

[Malcontent]

Interesting read, thanks for that. Liked his appreciation of the very talented Mark Gower

 

[AndyT]

Good stuff.

Interesting comments on Tilly. Wonder what he meant by "not adapted"?

 

[jaffa1]

Good stuff.

Interesting comments on Tilly. Wonder what he meant by "not adapted"?

Enjoyed reading that, re 'not adapted', I took that to be old-fashioned training methods, behind the times re diet, preparation of players etc….

 

[AndyT]

Yep, that would make sense, but I guess a good No.2 and Tilly working on that aspect, would make him adapt better.

I was wondering, more, if he thought his style of play or man-management skills were a little old fashioned.

 

[jaffa1]

There was a whisper that while he had control over (and therefore the respect) of the younger players, that wasn't the case with the experienced pros.

 

[AndyT]

Handling experienced pros, I guess, can be a problem. Especially, if they've come from what they conceive to be a bigger club.

On that score, he seemed to have good control of the squad throughout the early years and they really played for him and Brushy, so maybe towards the end of Goater's time here, he saw a few people who were unmanageable, at the club.

 

[Barling Magna]

That's an impressive, articulate and insightful interview. I know he didn't do too well at New Mills FC as Andy Fearn's assistant (in fact they lost nine games on the trot), but he must have learned a lot from that experience and I wonder if some League Two club might take a punt on him as a manager/assistant manager....?

 

[Blueronron]

Enjoyed reading that, re 'not adapted', I took that to be old-fashioned training methods, behind the times re diet, preparation of players etc….

Bit unfair by The Goat, he obviously never saw The Michael Ricketts diet plan at the club

UTS

 

[Pak Power]

Handling experienced pros, I guess, can be a problem. Especially, if they've come from what they conceive to be a bigger club.

On that score, he seemed to have good control of the squad throughout the early years and they really played for him and Brushy, so maybe towards the end of Goater's time here, he saw a few people who were unmanageable, at the club.

They are the ones I always get, always the ones out the back in the dark room. Never the ones in the window:winking:

 

[Firestorm]

Enjoyed reading that, re 'not adapted', I took that to be old-fashioned training methods, behind the times re diet, preparation of players etc….

Which would be borne out by Michael Kightlys rise up the leagues when he started eating breakfast

 

[Evening Echo]

Ex-Blues star Goater on why Brown could quit, why Freddy never made it, why Gower did

FORMER Southend United striker Shaun Goater feels manager Phil Brown could quit the club if he fails to get the Shrimpers promoted this season.

More...

 

[united we stand]

Doesn't seem to realise we got promoted though!

additionally ' With Phil Brown's League one experience' I wasn't aware that Phil had lots of league one experience

 

[danburyshrimper]

I agree with Goat about Mark Gower being our best player in that era , he was top quality , loved watching him play...
Its just such a shame that several total numpties used to turn up + slag him off for 90 minutes , leading G to be dissillusioned when playing at Roots Hall.

I'm not sure how well Goat is qualified to say Brown would leave though .... i doubt if he's watched us play much under Brown + he probably barely knows him apart from getting a good kicking from him on the pitch a few years ago.... Of course he is entitled to an opinion but headlines like this are just unsettling .

Feed the goat and he will gossip ? :pig:

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Bit unfair by The Goat, he obviously never saw The Michael Ricketts diet plan at the club

UTS

Didn't we"feed the goat" enough then?:omg:

 

[AndyT]

I've just re-read that interview and I've decided it's actually a load of old b*llix in parts. :smile:

The PB stuff is so inaccurate, it's untrue!

... and, on Freddy : "At the same time, I shared my knowledge and advice with him and he took it all on board. He never really performed after Southend" :facepalm:

 

[Beefy]

I got the distinct impression that Goater hasn't watched us in some time.

 

[AndyT]

... and that's being polite! :smile: