Sturrock Pulls No Punches

[McNasty]

I imagine that conversation would have gone something like this.

"Hor you Spenny, get rid of that wee alice band and your nancy boy goldylocks or you'll no be in ma team"

Is that how your dad would say it ?

 

[EastStandBlue]

We can afford cups?

They're being glued back together as we speak.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Is that how your dad would say it ?

I'd imagine so, he's never been a fan of long hair.

 

[McNasty]

I'd imagine so, he's never been a fan of long hair.

Not on his own head he isn't. :)

 

[TravellingBlue]

Harsh. He had to get a team together in an incredibly short period of time thanks to the prior mismanagement of the club. And 'Pato' has very little about him. He looked no better today than he did against Southampton at the end of last season when, after a particularly poor effort on goal following a one-on-one with the keeper, we all started chanting 'That's why we're going down.' Grant was poor, particularly in the first half. I got really fed up of his wildly inaccurate long range efforts on goal in the second half too. Sturrock's choice, Easton, looked a better player today.

We've 'crossed swords' about young Paterson in the past ibwiajwa. You seem to have taken a great dislike to the youngster. That's your remit, however, I for one would like to give him the time (he's only been here a few months) for in all the games I have seen him play he looks like a very talented individual. Granted he didn't have his best game yesterday, but I believe Fernando Torres would have struggled to get anything going yesterday with the service that the strikers got! Is there somehting personal with you and Paterson?

 

[Ricky Otto]

Completely disagree with you. Paterson (and remember he's only 20) looks a very good player especially when he has the ball at his feet. If he got any sort of service yesterday he would have been our main threat. He was constantly making good diagonal runs and pointing to the space where he wanted the ball and got NO passes. Even when he was stuck out on the left wing he was still getting past players and winning corners. For me, he is our only goal threat and should be played as an out and out striker. Grant tried to hold together a terrible midfield, if you thought Easton looked a better player today then you are sadly incorrect, Easton had a shocker, didn't win a single tackle or pick a single pass all match, the game completely passed him by, at least Grant tried.

I agree 100% Matt! The only service Pato is getting is long aimless balls in the air, he can actually use the ball at his feet! play it there!

 

[Bluesmanager]

*would love to see the looks on their faces if the old players had stayed after hearing that*.

Good words from the manager. And, to be honest, we're three games in, one of which was a cup game. If we're going to play like *****, I'd rather it be now than in May when (if, and it's a big if) we're fighting for a playoff/promotion/relegation spot. More time to get it right.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

I think we should well take note of what he said about Port Vale's level, being where he is aiming for and the fact that Adams took eighteen months to assemble his squad. This season sounds as though it is going to be about settling in and survival and it could well be that not many of this present squad will be around when we start the season, next August.

 

[jamesmut2000]

I think we should well take note of what he said about Port Vale's level, being where he is aiming for and the fact that Adams took eighteen months to assemble his squad. This season sounds as though it is going to be about settling in and survival and it could well be that not many of this present squad will be around when we start the season, next August.

The way PS was talking, some of the squad may be not be around to see this September let alone next August!

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

The way PS was talking, some of the squad may be not be around to see this September let alone next August!

Haven't they all signed at least one year contracts? So how can we get rid of them? HANG ON A MINUTE!.........................perhaps PS can speak to Ron and see whether he can think of a way out. ;)

 

[MattLloyd]

I agree 100% Matt! The only service Pato is getting is long aimless balls in the air, he can actually use the ball at his feet! play it there!

Halleujah, someone who isn't just slagging off the players! I see a lot of skill in young Paterson, some of his touches were excellent. He needs ball to feet, he is not a big striker built to hold the ball up, he needs ball to feet or down the channels, he will create as many goals as he scores this season providing he gets the bl**dy ball!!!

I keep thnking Rome wasn't built in a day, the squad need time to gel as a team.

 

[Magnum PI]

Halleujah, someone who isn't just slagging off the players! I see a lot of skill in young Paterson, some of his touches were excellent. He needs ball to feet, he is not a big striker built to hold the ball up, he needs ball to feet or down the channels, he will create as many goals as he scores this season providing he gets the bl**dy ball!!!

I keep thnking Rome wasn't built in a day, the squad need time to gel as a team.

I am not going to disagree largely about Paterson as I am seeing some useful promise in him, but worth bearing in mind he hasnt exactly set the world alight yet. Is your reverence for Paterson anything to do with your Southampton pals?, or are you family?

 

[MattLloyd]

I am not going to disagree largely about Paterson as I am seeing some useful promise in him, but worth bearing in mind he hasnt exactly set the world alight yet. Is your reverence for Paterson anything to do with your Southampton pals?, or are you family?

I've picked out Paterson to champion this season as all my mates are Saints fans! (a few Reading thrown in!!). My mates were disappointed to see Paterson leave Saint Mary's and thought he had a very good future - they keep telling me he's scored in the Championship and is too good to be in L2! Personally I thought he was brilliant against Bristol City and below par against Port Vale, but that was the same for all the players for both games!

The other player that I have been impressed with has been Simpson, very disappointed to see he wasn't played Saturday but understand he was ill mid week?

With players like Simpson and Bilel to come in I am sure we will get a stronger and better first 11. Pre-season our defence looked solid as a rock, now not so, think Mr Sturrock needs to take a long hard look at his starting back four, we seemed to completely lose confidence once we went behind Saturday.

This is my first full season of being a proper Southend supporter, and trying to get to as many games as I can. Love it so far!

 

[ibwiajwa]

I've picked out Paterson to champion this season as all my mates are Saints fans! (a few Reading thrown in!!). My mates were disappointed to see Paterson leave Saint Mary's and thought he had a very good future - they keep telling me he's scored in the Championship and is too good to be in L2! Personally I thought he was brilliant against Bristol City and below par against Port Vale, but that was the same for all the players for both games!

The other player that I have been impressed with has been Simpson, very disappointed to see he wasn't played Saturday but understand he was ill mid week?

With players like Simpson and Bilel to come in I am sure we will get a stronger and better first 11. Pre-season our defence looked solid as a rock, now not so, think Mr Sturrock needs to take a long hard look at his starting back four, we seemed to completely lose confidence once we went behind Saturday.

This is my first full season of being a proper Southend supporter, and trying to get to as many games as I can. Love it so far!

The Southampton fans I know didn't bat an eyelid when Paterson left. You, and those like you, keep harping on about him only being 20. Plenty of recognised players in the premiership are 20 and younger - he's not in nappies. The Paterson I see is slow to react to situations and doesn't work hard. He is also very lightweight and that just won't do where we are now - he won't have the ball laid on a plate for him at his feet and has to look for it and anticipate better. As you say, it's your first proper season as a Blues fan - I saw him home and away a fair few times last season. If he starts playing better I'll say so. As for slagging off the players - what were you doing to Easton for goodness sake? He DID win some tackles in a team that was struggling and showed much more control of the ball than Grant in the first half in particular - Grant was completely anonymous in the first half. Easton faded in the second half but was trying to get forward right to the end. Not a fine performance but better than most around him. It was my first time seeing him in a Blues shirt on Saturday as I was on holiday for the first two games. If that was him playing badly, I'm quite encouraged.

 

[MattLloyd]

The Southampton fans I know didn't bat an eyelid when Paterson left. You, and those like you, keep harping on about him only being 20. Plenty of recognised players in the premiership are 20 and younger - he's not in nappies. The Paterson I see is slow to react to situations and doesn't work hard. He is also very lightweight and that just won't do where we are now - he won't have the ball laid on a plate for him at his feet and has to look for it and anticipate better. As you say, it's your first proper season as a Blues fan - I saw him home and away a fair few times last season. If he starts playing better I'll say so. As for slagging off the players - what were you doing to Easton for goodness sake? He DID win some tackles in a team that was struggling and showed much more control of the ball than Grant in the first half in particular - Grant was completely anonymous in the first half. Easton faded in the second half but was trying to get forward right to the end. Not a fine performance but better than most around him. It was my first time seeing him in a Blues shirt on Saturday as I was on holiday for the first two games. If that was him playing badly, I'm quite encouraged.

Wow what a reaction! Me and those like me? I don't quite get that? Were you at the Bristol City game? Did you see his performance? Sorry, but I think he's a class player and given the right opportunities will do very well for us.

As for Easton V Port Vale - apart from Morris I was of the same opinion as Mr Sturrock - they were all poor on the day - so if you were encouraged it cannot take much to please you?

 

[ibwiajwa]

As for Easton V Port Vale - apart from Morris I was of the same opinion as Mr Sturrock - they were all poor on the day - so if you were encouraged it cannot take much to please you?

Read what I've said carefully. Sturrock is right that the only player who could leave with his head held high was the keeper. By common consent, Easton has played a lot better in the other games. Given that he showed flashes of real ability on Saturday in what, for him, has been acknowledged as a poor performance is an encouraging sign. Simples. In regard to Paterson, I didn't see the Bristol City game but would respectfully suggest that it was one game in a competition that noone seems to care very much about (the Brizzles put out a reserve team and Sturrock himself said on Saturday that he didn't care about it). When I see him play well in the league I will revise my opinion.