Thanks Kev - but is a new manager needed?

[Jack_23]

I am not in the Maher put camp but Adam Barratt with Tilly as assistant would be a duo that could excel with us.

No , no , no . Don’t want anymore ex players . It hurts too much when things don’t go well

 

[Shrimper]

Genuine question for those wanting Kev out, who would you bring in to replace him that would do a better job?

John Coleman has a good record, Or if not all three go one of Currie/Bentley.

 

[Thor1]

Genuine question for those wanting Kev out, who would you bring in to replace him that would do a better job?

Mentioned him before, Steve Holland or possibly even try praising Lee Carsley away from his current role.

 

[onceknownasrab]

Genuine question for those wanting Kev out, who would you bring in to replace him that would do a better job?

Such a pointless question really. Who knows who may or not succeed? Many people will apply for the job and a new manager chosen from those shortlisted or, as in many cases, the interviews are a formality and an already wanted/approached guy gets the thumbs up.

Change is just a reaction to failure in football and because those in charge cannot see things improving under a current regime. As I've said before, the major problem here, is that we want Maher to succeed and think he can but, the doubts are mounting and he is doing little to instill confidence.

 

[BoyWonder2]

Such a pointless question really. Who knows who may or not succeed? Many people will apply for the job and a new manager chosen from those shortlisted or, as in many cases, the interviews are a formality and an already wanted/approached guy gets the thumbs up.

Change is just a reaction to failure in football and because those in charge cannot see things improving under a current regime. As I've said before, the major problem here, is that we want Maher to succeed and think he can but, the doubts are mounting and he is doing little to instill confidence.

I don’t see it as a pointless question. I think it’s quite valid.

None of us have a crystal ball, so no one knows for certain who would be a good or bad appointment.

We do it when we say we need a striker, we should sign X who has scored 727494 goals elsewhere, so why shouldn’t we do it for a manager if someone wants Maher out?

 

[Napster]

Mentioned him before, Steve Holland or possibly even try praising Lee Carsley away from his current role.

Thanks, I needed a laugh

 

[sufc4life21]

Give maher to the end of the season and review his position then. Majority of managers who decent want pre season to be able to bring there own players in and implement how they would like us to play.

 

[Uncle_Rons_Teapot]

We will get through this season and these issues will still be haunting us next season the way things are going nothing will change.

 

[IloveShrimp]

Give maher to the end of the season and review his position then. Majority of managers who decent want pre season to be able to bring there own players in and implement how they would like us to play.

Not saying that I want a change of manager (I'm on the fence) but, Maher has had plenty of time with the majority of the players for them to know how he wants them to play. He has signed many players that he can call 'his own' too. The 'lack of pre season' excuse is just that an excuse!
Tbh I am bored with the current style of play, which is unexciting and like a fall back to the dire Alvin Martin era but with poorer quality players.
Hopefully we will get a fall back to the Barry Fry style of play one day.

 

[JB Shrimper]

I don't necessarily want a change of manager, I just want the current one to change everything about himself! Is that too much to ask?

 

[sufc4life21]

Not saying that I want a change of manager (I'm on the fence) but, Maher has had plenty of time with the majority of the players for them to know how he wants them to play. He has signed many players that he can call 'his own' too. The 'lack of pre season' excuse is just that an excuse!
Tbh I am bored with the current style of play, which is unexciting and like a fall back to the dire Alvin Martin era but with poorer quality players.
Hopefully we will get a fall back to the Barry Fry style of play one day.

Me to but I do think we should wait bit. We are probably going to finish mid to lower in the league so we might not be able to attract the right managers now. I do think his position should be reviewed towards the end of the season, maher has underperformed this season.

 

[rlb999]

Me to but I do think we should wait bit. We are probably going to finish mid to lower in the league so we might not be able to attract the right managers now. I do think his position should be reviewed towards the end of the season, maher has underperformed this season.

There won't be a problem with attracting a manager, mate.
If you're prepared to manage in our league, we're a catch.

 

[WillMay333]

Personally I think 90% of the fan base would agree that Maher deserves a preseason to prepare properly and show what he can do unhindered.

The issues are that to do that means were almost guaranteed another season of National League football, which lets face it, is pretty dire generally, the away grounds are mostly not up to much and the officiating is awful. Then, on top of that unless something major changes, the style of football is really not enjoyable. I love Southend and won't stop going but I go to be entertained and seeing us play so poorly and actively play not to lose is not fun. And then if a fan says anything Maher doesn't like, he's also likely to turn round and have a go at the fans. This may be too much for some fans to tolerate.

Maher done brilliantly last season and fully deserved all the credit he got. Sadly the way the world works he's now got to accept the criticism coming his way.

Whislt I largely agree, there have been too many performances whereby no preseason or embargo have affected us playing poorly. Think the players and management aren't performing full stop. Think our poor play is just down to us not being a good side, nothing more nothing less, we drew 0-0 against a side in the same position as us, so you could say we are where we are supposed to be.

Football is wild and anything can happen, but imo a lot of our performances are just players not taking risks, or the same mistakes and issues over and over.

 

[WillMay333]

I don’t see it as a pointless question. I think it’s quite valid.

None of us have a crystal ball, so no one knows for certain who would be a good or bad appointment.

We do it when we say we need a striker, we should sign X who has scored 727494 goals elsewhere, so why shouldn’t we do it for a manager if someone wants Maher out?

Think it's slightly different when people use "who should we bring in" as defence for a manager performing poorly. If they're sackable, they're sackable, regardless if someone can name a replacement. Do agree though, times like now if there is no one on the market, and we're safe from relegation, just see the season through and let him recruit.

 

[leeblue]

I'd still lean towards a minor player clear out tbh. As long as those incoming were clear upgrades...please please can we get some pace and power through the middle of the park especially someone who's movement off the ball is of an offensive nature.
A LWB that fits the bill of the above description.
Loved the hartlepool no.20 on Saturday, unplayable at times...someone like him.
Time to shed some of our beautiful embargo ba$€@&ds and look to freshen up the squad.

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

I feel compelled to post this evening, because I feel there's a fair amount of revisionism and lack of consideration of issues at the moment. I'll start by saying nobody wants to see Southend United in a mid-table position in the National League, and least of all those people is Kevin Maher.

I've seen the phrase "credit in the bank" used quite a lot. In my opinion, there's not enough credit in the bank for what Maher and his staff have been through. Quite simply, he went above and beyond what any football manager should have to do during his first two-and-a-half years at the club.

To my mind, it's also simply not possible to dismiss the situation at the club is the lead-up to this season as an excuse. Less than six months ago, we weren't sure if the National League were going to let us participate in the competition this season, Ron Martin still owned the club and we couldn't sign any players.

Then, once the off-field stuff was resolved and the season started, we lost our talisman up front to a divisional rival and the central defender that not only enabled us to play out from the back effectively, but was also a player that clubs from higher divisions were reportedly interested in and could have been sold for a decent profit. Once they'd gone, another two key components to our style of play in midfield, Cav Miley and Oli Coker, were ruled out for a lengthy period.

I've stated before, I don't think it's the style of play, or the formation, we employ, it's been the execution and the results. A couple more home wins and we'd be in or around the play-offs, and these conversations wouldn't be taking place. Of course, we haven't won those games, and not all of that is due to the context above. But I don't remember anyone complaining about how we played last season, or the season before; if the coaching team were allowed a free pass due to circumstances in those seasons, why has that now been rescinded?

Another huge factor is confidence and belief. I've posted the statistics about what happens when we go behind a couple of times in recent weeks, but here they are again: 2 points gained in league matches where we've conceded the first goal and 3 points gained from matches where we've been in a losing position. That's partially why we play it safe sometimes and don't take a risk, because we're worried if we do we'll almost certainly lose.

The other aspect to that is that you can't just go down the shops and buy some confidence. You have to earn it. Fighting back (twice) from a goal down against the league leaders will help; picking up a point away from home when you have to play 40 minutes with ten men will help; beating a team away from home that are on the cusp of the play-offs will help. In short, we're unbeaten in five matches with three clean sheets; the longer we keep that going, the more belief the squad will have.

But there's a real sense that it's our home form that's the issue and so, whilst the 2-2 draw with Forest Green Rovers was helpful, it won't eradicate the bad memories of home defeats against Maidenhead United and Yeovil Town.

I have faith that Maher and his team will overcome this. Why? Because he has already turned the club around once, when he arrived through the door in his first managerial job. Remember where we were in autumn 2021, on a complete downward spiral. Chris Powell hadn't managed to turn things around, Kevin Bond got us off to the following season on an awful footing, Sol Campbell got a couple of memorable results with largely a youth team, but most of that season we were listless and it ended with relegation on points per game, Mark Molesey's first league appointment was an almost impossible assignment, and Phil Brown's second tenure ended with the club in disarray.

Kevin Maher walked into that situation - with all the off-field shenanigans in the background - and made people proud to represent Southend United, whether that was the coaching staff, the players on the pitch, those around Roots Hall, us as fans. Whatever we felt about the owner, we could see there was someone in the trenches fighting for the club, fighting for us. And he turned this club around when it was pointed straight at National League South. So when he says he knows what he needs to do, we should listen.

The recent recruitment of Charley Kendall suggests to me that the recruitment model is back on track, that we're identifying the sort of targets we have previously. I said after the Brentwood game we have options all over the pitch now, and I expect there will be a few different options over the coming months, if the right players become available.

I'm not going to go into depth on formations, etc, because I wrote this almost two months ago, and that's still my position. Maher has a favoured formation and style, but he has always been flexible, in game and between games. Anyone that suggests otherwise and that he's stubborn or resistant to change is not portraying the situation accurately.

I think we're amazingly fortunate that we've had someone with the passion, commitment, dignity, knowledge and ability of Kevin Maher leading our football club over the past three years, and I firmly believe he will lead us out of this division (in the right direction) in time. We've improved season-on-season, so although there may be some blind loyalty in this post, I also feel it's rooted in a fair amount of fact and context.

 

[Thundersley Blue]

I feel compelled to post this evening, because I feel there's a fair amount of revisionism and lack of consideration of issues at the moment. I'll start by saying nobody wants to see Southend United in a mid-table position in the National League, and least of all those people is Kevin Maher.

I've seen the phrase "credit in the bank" used quite a lot. In my opinion, there's not enough credit in the bank for what Maher and his staff have been through. Quite simply, he went above and beyond what any football manager should have to do during his first two-and-a-half years at the club.

To my mind, it's also simply not possible to dismiss the situation at the club is the lead-up to this season as an excuse. Less than six months ago, we weren't sure if the National League were going to let us participate in the competition this season, Ron Martin still owned the club and we couldn't sign any players.

Then, once the off-field stuff was resolved and the season started, we lost our talisman up front to a divisional rival and the central defender that not only enabled us to play out from the back effectively, but was also a player that clubs from higher divisions were reportedly interested in and could have been sold for a decent profit. Once they'd gone, another two key components to our style of play in midfield, Cav Miley and Oli Coker, were ruled out for a lengthy period.

I've stated before, I don't think it's the style of play, or the formation, we employ, it's been the execution and the results. A couple more home wins and we'd be in or around the play-offs, and these conversations wouldn't be taking place. Of course, we haven't won those games, and not all of that is due to the context above. But I don't remember anyone complaining about how we played last season, or the season before; if the coaching team were allowed a free pass due to circumstances in those seasons, why has that now been rescinded?

Another huge factor is confidence and belief. I've posted the statistics about what happens when we go behind a couple of times in recent weeks, but here they are again: 2 points gained in league matches where we've conceded the first goal and 3 points gained from matches where we've been in a losing position. That's partially why we play it safe sometimes and don't take a risk, because we're worried if we do we'll almost certainly lose.

The other aspect to that is that you can't just go down the shops and buy some confidence. You have to earn it. Fighting back (twice) from a goal down against the league leaders will help; picking up a point away from home when you have to play 40 minutes with ten men will help; beating a team away from home that are on the cusp of the play-offs will help. In short, we're unbeaten in five matches with three clean sheets; the longer we keep that going, the more belief the squad will have.

But there's a real sense that it's our home form that's the issue and so, whilst the 2-2 draw with Forest Green Rovers was helpful, it won't eradicate the bad memories of home defeats against Maidenhead United and Yeovil Town.

I have faith that Maher and his team will overcome this. Why? Because he has already turned the club around once, when he arrived through the door in his first managerial job. Remember where we were in autumn 2021, on a complete downward spiral. Chris Powell hadn't managed to turn things around, Kevin Bond got us off to the following season on an awful footing, Sol Campbell got a couple of memorable results with largely a youth team, but most of that season we were listless and it ended with relegation on points per game, Mark Molesey's first league appointment was an almost impossible assignment, and Phil Brown's second tenure ended with the club in disarray.

Kevin Maher walked into that situation - with all the off-field shenanigans in the background - and made people proud to represent Southend United, whether that was the coaching staff, the players on the pitch, those around Roots Hall, us as fans. Whatever we felt about the owner, we could see there was someone in the trenches fighting for the club, fighting for us. And he turned this club around when it was pointed straight at National League South. So when he says he knows what he needs to do, we should listen.

The recent recruitment of Charley Kendall suggests to me that the recruitment model is back on track, that we're identifying the sort of targets we have previously. I said after the Brentwood game we have options all over the pitch now, and I expect there will be a few different options over the coming months, if the right players become available.

I'm not going to go into depth on formations, etc, because I wrote this almost two months ago, and that's still my position. Maher has a favoured formation and style, but he has always been flexible, in game and between games. Anyone that suggests otherwise and that he's stubborn or resistant to change is not portraying the situation accurately.

I think we're amazingly fortunate that we've had someone with the passion, commitment, dignity, knowledge and ability of Kevin Maher leading our football club over the past three years, and I firmly believe he will lead us out of this division (in the right direction) in time. We've improved season-on-season, so although there may be some blind loyalty in this post, I also feel it's rooted in a fair amount of fact and context.

Thank you, a really good post and I agree with you wholeheartedly.

 

[Shrimpinator72]

We should be doing better at this level with the squad we have. In any other job, you would be treading a thin line with the right tools.
It's only a matter of time until I believe a change will be made.....

 

[BoyWonder2]

I feel compelled to post this evening, because I feel there's a fair amount of revisionism and lack of consideration of issues at the moment. I'll start by saying nobody wants to see Southend United in a mid-table position in the National League, and least of all those people is Kevin Maher.

I've seen the phrase "credit in the bank" used quite a lot. In my opinion, there's not enough credit in the bank for what Maher and his staff have been through. Quite simply, he went above and beyond what any football manager should have to do during his first two-and-a-half years at the club.

To my mind, it's also simply not possible to dismiss the situation at the club is the lead-up to this season as an excuse. Less than six months ago, we weren't sure if the National League were going to let us participate in the competition this season, Ron Martin still owned the club and we couldn't sign any players.

Then, once the off-field stuff was resolved and the season started, we lost our talisman up front to a divisional rival and the central defender that not only enabled us to play out from the back effectively, but was also a player that clubs from higher divisions were reportedly interested in and could have been sold for a decent profit. Once they'd gone, another two key components to our style of play in midfield, Cav Miley and Oli Coker, were ruled out for a lengthy period.

I've stated before, I don't think it's the style of play, or the formation, we employ, it's been the execution and the results. A couple more home wins and we'd be in or around the play-offs, and these conversations wouldn't be taking place. Of course, we haven't won those games, and not all of that is due to the context above. But I don't remember anyone complaining about how we played last season, or the season before; if the coaching team were allowed a free pass due to circumstances in those seasons, why has that now been rescinded?

Another huge factor is confidence and belief. I've posted the statistics about what happens when we go behind a couple of times in recent weeks, but here they are again: 2 points gained in league matches where we've conceded the first goal and 3 points gained from matches where we've been in a losing position. That's partially why we play it safe sometimes and don't take a risk, because we're worried if we do we'll almost certainly lose.

The other aspect to that is that you can't just go down the shops and buy some confidence. You have to earn it. Fighting back (twice) from a goal down against the league leaders will help; picking up a point away from home when you have to play 40 minutes with ten men will help; beating a team away from home that are on the cusp of the play-offs will help. In short, we're unbeaten in five matches with three clean sheets; the longer we keep that going, the more belief the squad will have.

But there's a real sense that it's our home form that's the issue and so, whilst the 2-2 draw with Forest Green Rovers was helpful, it won't eradicate the bad memories of home defeats against Maidenhead United and Yeovil Town.

I have faith that Maher and his team will overcome this. Why? Because he has already turned the club around once, when he arrived through the door in his first managerial job. Remember where we were in autumn 2021, on a complete downward spiral. Chris Powell hadn't managed to turn things around, Kevin Bond got us off to the following season on an awful footing, Sol Campbell got a couple of memorable results with largely a youth team, but most of that season we were listless and it ended with relegation on points per game, Mark Molesey's first league appointment was an almost impossible assignment, and Phil Brown's second tenure ended with the club in disarray.

Kevin Maher walked into that situation - with all the off-field shenanigans in the background - and made people proud to represent Southend United, whether that was the coaching staff, the players on the pitch, those around Roots Hall, us as fans. Whatever we felt about the owner, we could see there was someone in the trenches fighting for the club, fighting for us. And he turned this club around when it was pointed straight at National League South. So when he says he knows what he needs to do, we should listen.

The recent recruitment of Charley Kendall suggests to me that the recruitment model is back on track, that we're identifying the sort of targets we have previously. I said after the Brentwood game we have options all over the pitch now, and I expect there will be a few different options over the coming months, if the right players become available.

I'm not going to go into depth on formations, etc, because I wrote this almost two months ago, and that's still my position. Maher has a favoured formation and style, but he has always been flexible, in game and between games. Anyone that suggests otherwise and that he's stubborn or resistant to change is not portraying the situation accurately.

I think we're amazingly fortunate that we've had someone with the passion, commitment, dignity, knowledge and ability of Kevin Maher leading our football club over the past three years, and I firmly believe he will lead us out of this division (in the right direction) in time. We've improved season-on-season, so although there may be some blind loyalty in this post, I also feel it's rooted in a fair amount of fact and context.

Post of the year. The way I see it, but much more eloquently put

 

[RHB]

I feel compelled to post this evening, because I feel there's a fair amount of revisionism and lack of consideration of issues at the moment. I'll start by saying nobody wants to see Southend United in a mid-table position in the National League, and least of all those people is Kevin Maher.

I've seen the phrase "credit in the bank" used quite a lot. In my opinion, there's not enough credit in the bank for what Maher and his staff have been through. Quite simply, he went above and beyond what any football manager should have to do during his first two-and-a-half years at the club.

To my mind, it's also simply not possible to dismiss the situation at the club is the lead-up to this season as an excuse. Less than six months ago, we weren't sure if the National League were going to let us participate in the competition this season, Ron Martin still owned the club and we couldn't sign any players.

Then, once the off-field stuff was resolved and the season started, we lost our talisman up front to a divisional rival and the central defender that not only enabled us to play out from the back effectively, but was also a player that clubs from higher divisions were reportedly interested in and could have been sold for a decent profit. Once they'd gone, another two key components to our style of play in midfield, Cav Miley and Oli Coker, were ruled out for a lengthy period.

I've stated before, I don't think it's the style of play, or the formation, we employ, it's been the execution and the results. A couple more home wins and we'd be in or around the play-offs, and these conversations wouldn't be taking place. Of course, we haven't won those games, and not all of that is due to the context above. But I don't remember anyone complaining about how we played last season, or the season before; if the coaching team were allowed a free pass due to circumstances in those seasons, why has that now been rescinded?

Another huge factor is confidence and belief. I've posted the statistics about what happens when we go behind a couple of times in recent weeks, but here they are again: 2 points gained in league matches where we've conceded the first goal and 3 points gained from matches where we've been in a losing position. That's partially why we play it safe sometimes and don't take a risk, because we're worried if we do we'll almost certainly lose.

The other aspect to that is that you can't just go down the shops and buy some confidence. You have to earn it. Fighting back (twice) from a goal down against the league leaders will help; picking up a point away from home when you have to play 40 minutes with ten men will help; beating a team away from home that are on the cusp of the play-offs will help. In short, we're unbeaten in five matches with three clean sheets; the longer we keep that going, the more belief the squad will have.

But there's a real sense that it's our home form that's the issue and so, whilst the 2-2 draw with Forest Green Rovers was helpful, it won't eradicate the bad memories of home defeats against Maidenhead United and Yeovil Town.

I have faith that Maher and his team will overcome this. Why? Because he has already turned the club around once, when he arrived through the door in his first managerial job. Remember where we were in autumn 2021, on a complete downward spiral. Chris Powell hadn't managed to turn things around, Kevin Bond got us off to the following season on an awful footing, Sol Campbell got a couple of memorable results with largely a youth team, but most of that season we were listless and it ended with relegation on points per game, Mark Molesey's first league appointment was an almost impossible assignment, and Phil Brown's second tenure ended with the club in disarray.

Kevin Maher walked into that situation - with all the off-field shenanigans in the background - and made people proud to represent Southend United, whether that was the coaching staff, the players on the pitch, those around Roots Hall, us as fans. Whatever we felt about the owner, we could see there was someone in the trenches fighting for the club, fighting for us. And he turned this club around when it was pointed straight at National League South. So when he says he knows what he needs to do, we should listen.

The recent recruitment of Charley Kendall suggests to me that the recruitment model is back on track, that we're identifying the sort of targets we have previously. I said after the Brentwood game we have options all over the pitch now, and I expect there will be a few different options over the coming months, if the right players become available.

I'm not going to go into depth on formations, etc, because I wrote this almost two months ago, and that's still my position. Maher has a favoured formation and style, but he has always been flexible, in game and between games. Anyone that suggests otherwise and that he's stubborn or resistant to change is not portraying the situation accurately.

I think we're amazingly fortunate that we've had someone with the passion, commitment, dignity, knowledge and ability of Kevin Maher leading our football club over the past three years, and I firmly believe he will lead us out of this division (in the right direction) in time. We've improved season-on-season, so although there may be some blind loyalty in this post, I also feel it's rooted in a fair amount of fact and context.

Thank you @Exiled Shrimper for a very comprehensive post which enunciates everything I think and agree with, in a way that is beyond me.