Sturrock or The Players?

[Jim Stannard]

So Sturrock takes yet another battering after yesterday result and performance. It does strike me that Gilbert, Prosser and the odd goalkeeper aside, us fans rarely lay any blame at the players' feet.

Sturrock has assembled an entire squad pretty much from misfits at other clubs (or sometimes club-less players). How many consistent performers do we have? Clohessy and Phillips maybe. But even Phillips's form has dipped since Christmas. The reason a lot of these players were out of favour with other clubs was most likely their frustrating inconsistency and fitness levels. And this have been shown up in our team the further we've got into the season.

This could also be the reason Sturrock seems unable to know what his best side or formation is. He never is able to know who will perform. There's often been uproar when he picked a side that we thought was wrong, that went on to win a game comfortably. The side that played yesterday was I'm sure the one us fans were clamouring for - but it failed spectacularly.

When berating Sturrock, think about what he was up against when he arrived and what he is likely to achieve - play-offs in his second season. He has had to battle more off the field incidents in a season that I can ever remember and some extraordinarily inconsistent performers.

This is a team made-up of lower-league misfits. Yes, he signed them, but what choice did he have?

 

[davewebbsbrain]

From the commentary yesterday, it sounded like Eastwood blazed over the bar from 8 or 9 yards. Now Sturrock can't get the blame for that can he?

Not sure Eastwood is the Eastwood of old to be honest. Have seen touches of class and I know he isn't totally fit, but when he was our player, he would have banged those in all day.

I do hope he doesn't leave a lot of disappointed fans when his loan ends. Many were expecting great things from his first touch of the ball against Bristol Rovers but as yet not a lot has come to fruition.

 

[fbm]

Agreed. Yesterdays starting XI was, for the first time this season, EXACTLY the one I had predicted and hoped for. It also transpired to be probably the worst outcome of any game this season.

This level of inconsistency is quite normal for League two players though. That's why they are at this level.

It takes time to build a squad from scratch, which is what PS has had to do. How much is down to him as opposed to the players? I'd say it was about 50/50 actually... but the managers always carry the can.

 

[fbm]

From the commentary yesterday, it sounded like Eastwood blazed over the bar from 8 or 9 yards. Now Sturrock can't get the blame for that can he?

Not sure Eastwood is the Eastwood of old to be honest. Have seen touches of class and I know he isn't totally fit, but when he was our player, he would have banged those in all day.

I do hope he doesn't leave a lot of disappointed fans when his loan ends. Many were expecting great things from his first touch of the ball against Bristol Rovers but as yet not a lot has come to fruition.

Watching Freddy against Cheltenham, his quick feet and sharpness seemed to have deserted him. This I had hoped would just be down to being ring rusty and it may well be exactly that. We'll find out in the play offs I guess.

He clearly has something in the locker but no, the Freddy of old he certainly isn't.

 

[Smiffy]

Who gives a toss who is to blame. Sort it.

 

[Jim Stannard]

This level of inconsistency is quite normal for League two players though.

This is kind of my point. The reaction of some of our fans after every bad performance (and before some good ones) is to blame the manager's tactics/selection/signings rather than accept this is what often happens when watching inconsistent league two players every week.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Sturrock. He picks the team and instructs the tactics.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Sturrock. He picks the team and instructs the tactics.

Freddy shots over from 8 yards when it was easier to score....did he instruct freddy to do that?

Had Freddy scored at that point, we could have gone on to win as Bradford's heads would have gone down.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

The tactics are down to the manager and they are dire, dire, dire!
The players have to share some of the blame. It is not the fault of Mr Sturrock if a decent team cannot pass to each other.

 

[McNasty]

The tactics are down to the manager and they are dire, dire, dire!
The players have to share some of the blame. It is not the fault of Mr Sturrock if a decent team cannot pass to each other.

Agreed but what if they are doing as instructed and hoofing instead of passing ?

 

[Jim Stannard]

Who gives a toss who is to blame. Sort it.

Surely you do need to know the source of a problem before you can "sort it", though?

Anyway, I was actually not looking to blame anyone, just point out to those who do see it all as black-and-white as "blame Sturrock" that there are many contributing factors as to why we don't play free-flowing football and get three points every week.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Freddy shots over from 8 yards when it was easier to score....did he instruct freddy to do that?

Had Freddy scored at that point, we could have gone on to win as Bradford's heads would have gone down.

But he didn't score. So that's irrelevant.

What is being instructed is to lump a long ball up to Freddy.

If Sturrock thinks that's Freddy's game there was no point bringing him in.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

But he didn't score. So that's irrelevant.

What is being instructed is to lump a long ball up to Freddy.

If Sturrock thinks that's Freddy's game there was no point bringing him in.

You are blaming Sturrock but it's irrelevant that Freddy didn't score.....priceless

 

[superblue24]

Sturrock. He's categorically failed to get the best out of our players, some of which have played at much higher levels than L2. I will admit that the league seems harder this year, but there is no way we should be losing to teams like Bradford, Aldershot, Bristol R and the like.

He's already told us he doesn't do so well in knockout situations I think earlier in the season so we don't have a prayer in the play-offs with him at the helm!

Its not about a player missing this shot or being sent off for whatever, it's about the overall appearance of the team and at the moment it's been abject aside from cheltenham, who were dreadful and had a player sent off inside 20 mins.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

Agreed but what if they are doing as instructed and hoofing instead of passing ?

I have no doubt that players are asked to "play it long" ..but we also fail to do the simple things that are not down to mere tactics.

Confidence??

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

You are blaming Sturrock but it's irrelevant that Freddy didn't score.....priceless

It's irrelevant because we didn't go on to win and Bradford's heads didn't go down.

should've, would've, could've means nothing.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

It's irrelevant because we didn't go on to win and Bradford's heads didn't go down.

should've, would've, could've means nothing.

Agreed. But the fact that Freddy misses a "sitter" is not the fault of the manager. Obviously football is ALL about "what if"? Maybe if Freddy had scored, it would have been different ..or not.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Agreed. But the fact that Freddy misses a "sitter" is not the fault of the manager. Obviously football is ALL about "what if"? Maybe if Freddy had scored, it would have been different ..or not.

No one knows what would have happened, could have happened or should have happened had Freddy scored.

We might still have lost 2-1

I only like to look at facts. The fact is, we were awful, playing pointless hoofball all afternoon and it's going to cost us promotion.

 

[Up the Shrimpers]

Sturrock. He's categorically failed to get the best out of our players, some of which have played at much higher levels than L2. I will admit that the league seems harder this year, but there is no way we should be losing to teams like Bradford, Aldershot, Bristol R and the like.

He's already told us he doesn't do so well in knockout situations I think earlier in the season so we don't have a prayer in the play-offs with him at the helm!


Its not about a player missing this shot or being sent off for whatever, it's about the overall appearance of the team and at the moment it's been abject aside from cheltenham, who were dreadful and had a player sent off inside 20 mins.

We should have had enough points from our home games to allow for away defeats at places like these, lets face it winning this many away games is a bonus. I never expect Southend to win any away game no matter how well we were playing, well maybe one Hereford!!

 

[OldBlueLady]

I only like to look at facts. The fact is, we were awful, playing pointless hoofball all afternoon and it's going to cost us promotion.

It is worrying that with strikers the calibre of Neil Harris and Freddy Eastwood, we seem to be totally unable to play to their strengths, it's been lack of service to Harris that has made him, in many people's eyes, a waste of time. It will be tragic if Freddy's legacy is blighted by similarly poor service. This may be players' faults, or it may be Sturrocks'.

I don't know how long I've been saying I don't like the 3 cms all playing together in the middle and I don't know how long many of us have been calling for Hall and Martin to both start wide. Those decisions are undoubtedly Sturrocks'