Thanks Kev - but is a new manager needed?

[It'sGrimUpNorth]

All of the circumstances leading up to this season are very well known by just about everyone on here. Some have taken those circumstances into account when judging Kevin Maher, others haven't. What I find terribly sad is the vitriolic words that are used by some in an attempt to influence others. I'm no crystal baller, but regardless of votes and opinions I think Kevin will lead the team next season and I'll save my judgement of his performance until then, purely because he deserves that chance, given what he has done for the team and Club. Those that only have time for the 'now' of the game are pretty shallow in their thinking in my view, and that's me done on this thread too.

Someone’s upset Mrs Maher again.

 

[RHB]

Someone’s upset Mrs Maher again.

Oi, @Ricey, this person is being 'orrible to me.

 

[Southend Elvis]

COSU can’t be half-assed about backing Kev over the summer, they need to be decisive and back him fully or move on. No point in another summer where there are restrictions over who Kev can sign. We will miss out in all our targets again

I couldn't disagree more about COSU giving KM total financial backing. This is what they did giving them 3 year contracts, that has now tied their hands behind their backs.
Has KM shown this season that he deserves full backing, or a tentative see how we go approach. COSU are businessmen, they won't throw the kitchen sink at it, unless there's a more than good chance of success.
I don't have a huge problem with the wait and see approach, as long as we don't bet the house on it.
Remember those big contracts we gave out when in the Div 1, they probably started a lot of mess that the Rat got us into.

 

[Southend Elvis]

Most of the current squads contracts end in 2026 so that pretty much won't be an issue.

The danger of only offering 1 year deals is that you won't compete with clubs offering 2 yr (or longer) deals. Additionally you tend to want some continuity from season to season so I have no issues with having some players under contract into 2027 and beyond. Additionally if you're signing someone you think may have future resale then they need to be on a longer than 1 yr deal.

Take what your saying, but currently I don't trust KM to pick the best players.

 

[Avl1983]

COSU can’t be half-assed about backing Kev over the summer, they need to be decisive and back him fully or move on. No point in another summer where there are restrictions over who Kev can sign. We will miss out in all our targets again

Completely agree if you keep him then you have to back him 100% to sign the players he needs or it’s a complete waste of time and in a years time we’d be having the same discussion.

 

[thenobster]

Take what your saying, but currently I don't trust KM to pick the best players.

There’s a difference between picking the best players and playing them to their strengths or even the right tactics/motivation. I believe during the harsh times of embargo, the players motivated themselves as it was ‘do or die’. We don’t have that issue at the moment…

 

[Medway Blue]

I continue to believe this is all quite simple, really.

A disrupted summer in the transfer market and on the training pitch, and an unsettled first third to half of the season whilst the club fished around for signings that wouldn't necessarily have been near the top of their list, has been the club's undoing this season.

Do I think Kevin Maher is perfect? Absolutely not. He has flaws. I'm not going to list them, because I think most of us would agree on what they are.

Do I think we could have avoided dropping as many points as we have to the Bostons, Suttons, Solihulls and Braintrees in recent weeks? Definitely......but literally all of the club's around us in the division, from 4th down to 10th, will be saying the same thing. What makes us so exceptional, or an anomaly, in that respect?

Opposition teams are trying to win matches, too (although you'd think we should just be able to turn up to win, judging by some comments on here), and will set up based on what they perceive to be our weaknesses. That's football. To counteract spoiling tactics, we need more quality.

At the end of the day, though, our form for the past 25 games would have us sitting 3rd.



This seems to be forgotten, or not even thought about, but it should be. People moan about "excuses" and how we shouldn't be able to use them anymore. Well, even if you only allowed said "excuses" to be used for the first 20 games......we're 3rd in the form guide since then! I'd say that corroborates the difficult start to the season, and the reasons for it.

Look at the "goals for" column over the past 25 games, too. Not too different to the other teams around us in the form guide......the only big difference is to York and Barnet, the two anomalies and (by far) two of the three biggest spenders this season.

I still think Maher deserves time. I'd like to see what he can do in the transfer market over the summer, and I'd like to see what a full pre-season in decent facilities and on good surfaces will do.

It's not all on him. COSU needs to trust and back him to the extent that they can.

If, off the back of a good and unhindered summer, we're outside/off the pace of the playoffs in December, then questions will probably need to be asked. Until then I'm happy for Maher to get a real crack.

 

[overseas shrimper]

Oi, @Ricey, this person is being 'orrible to me.

That's not 'orrible by his standards. You want him to be 'orrible? DO YOU?

 

[Southend Elvis]

I continue to believe this is all quite simple, really.

A disrupted summer in the transfer market and on the training pitch, and an unsettled first third to half of the season whilst the club fished around for signings that wouldn't necessarily have been near the top of their list, has been the club's undoing this season.

Do I think Kevin Maher is perfect? Absolutely not. He has flaws. I'm not going to list them, because I think most of us would agree on what they are.

Do I think we could have avoided dropping as many points as we have to the Bostons, Suttons, Solihulls and Braintrees in recent weeks? Definitely......but literally all of the club's around us in the division, from 4th down to 10th, will be saying the same thing. What makes us so exceptional, or an anomaly, in that respect?

Opposition teams are trying to win matches, too (although you'd think we should just be able to turn up to win, judging by some comments on here), and will set up based on what they perceive to be our weaknesses. That's football. To counteract spoiling tactics, we need more quality.

At the end of the day, though, our form for the past 25 games would have us sitting 3rd.

View attachment 36424

This seems to be forgotten, or not even thought about, but it should be. People moan about "excuses" and how we shouldn't be able to use them anymore. Well, even if you only allowed said "excuses" to be used for the first 20 games......we're 3rd in the form guide since then! I'd say that corroborates the difficult start to the season, and the reasons for it.

Look at the "goals for" column over the past 25 games, too. Not too different to the other teams around us in the form guide......the only big difference is to York and Barnet, the two anomalies and (by far) two of the three biggest spenders this season.

I still think Maher deserves time. I'd like to see what he can do in the transfer market over the summer, and I'd like to see what a full pre-season in decent facilities and on good surfaces will do.

It's not all on him. COSU needs to trust and back him to the extent that they can.

If, off the back of a good and unhindered summer, we're outside/off the pace of the playoffs in December, then questions will probably need to be asked. Until then I'm happy for Maher to get a real crack.

I don't think any of us expect to win every game, it's just the strange decisions he makes, dropping form players, negative subs like for like, etc. We could have been safely cemented in the play offs,with just a few better decisions.
I'm really pleased it's back in our hands again, but that in my opinion is down to the inability of others who have been miles ahead of us to crack on. But that is the NL, it's consistency that seems to be the key.
Here's hoping the other teams continue to blow hot and cold, and we carry on luke warm, all the way to the football league! UTB

 

[GBJ]

I don't think any of us expect to win every game, it's just the strange decisions he makes, dropping form players, negative subs like for like, etc. We could have been safely cemented in the play offs,with just a few better decisions.

Genuine question, not baiting (open to others to answer as well): do you not think if we’d had Cardwell or Pepple for the entire season, we’d have been cemented in the playoffs by now?

I would say either one of them would have earned us another 10 points minimum.

So much is given to Kev’s tactics or substitutions - which I’m not trying to take from the equation btw as they are of course a factor - but losing two goalscorers in the same season has to be a contributing factor too. Likely more significant at that.

 

[RHB]

That's not 'orrible by his standards. You want him to be 'orrible? DO YOU?

 

[Southend Elvis]

Genuine question, not baiting (open to others to answer as well): do you not think if we’d had Cardwell or Pepple for the entire season, we’d have been cemented in the playoffs by now?

I would say either one of them would have earned us another 10 points minimum.

So much is given to Kev’s tactics or substitutions - which I’m not trying to take from the equation btw as they are of course a factor - but losing two goalscorers in the same season has to be a contributing factor too. Likely more significant at that.

Pepple wasn't our player, as with most loan players who come to lower division clubs, they are always chopped and changed due to form. I would have thought we would have sent him back if he didn't do the business, we were grateful for the goals he did get.
HC was a good player, but again our pay structure couldn't compete with FGR.
Yes, i think we would have been higher up if both stayed in my opinion, but that's like saying if we had won all our games we would be champs.
I think alot of us were expecting more from Kev, he did wonders last season and with DC, MB beside him, most fans were dreaming of at least a higher league position.
We may get there in the end, but this division has been rubbish, and its not been a great watch for the fans. If we get there, we certainly can't complain but it's been a very frustrating as a fan, just on the football side.
Hopefully soon we can climb out of this crappy league.

 

[leeblue]

Genuine question, not baiting (open to others to answer as well): do you not think if we’d had Cardwell or Pepple for the entire season, we’d have been cemented in the playoffs by now?

I would say either one of them would have earned us another 10 points minimum.

So much is given to Kev’s tactics or substitutions - which I’m not trying to take from the equation btw as they are of course a factor - but losing two goalscorers in the same season has to be a contributing factor too. Likely more significant at that.

We lost cardwell...got his replacement then lost him too. Kev absolutely knows what is needed.
Then found the kensdale replacement in Golding and then lost him too, more evidence of kev knowing where we need quality. Then the cherry on the kev trust cake is Leon.

 

[GBJ]

Yes, i think we would have been higher up if both stayed in my opinion,

And that’s the crux of it, no? For all of Kev’s shortcomings as manager, if he’d had the players at his disposal, this thread wouldn’t exist.

 

[Southend Elvis]

And that’s the crux of it, no? For all of Kev’s shortcomings as manager, if he’d had the players at his disposal, this thread wouldn’t exist.

He would have to replace them, as a non league side we would always lose better players to higher clubs. Any club in this division, who has a 20 goal striker would be looking over their shoulders hoping an offer didn't come in.
A manager earns his corn by replacing departing players, unfortunately Kev has struggled to do that, even loan players haven't come in, which is a concern to me.

 

[Southend Elvis]

We lost cardwell...got his replacement then lost him too. Kev absolutely knows what is needed.
Then found the kensdale replacement in Golding and then lost him too, more evidence of kev knowing where we need quality. Then the cherry on the kev trust cake is Leon.

Bim came in on loan, then our current strikers, who have hardly set the place on fire

 

[Liam AAS]

Genuine question, not baiting (open to others to answer as well): do you not think if we’d had Cardwell or Pepple for the entire season, we’d have been cemented in the playoffs by now?

I would say either one of them would have earned us another 10 points minimum.

So much is given to Kev’s tactics or substitutions - which I’m not trying to take from the equation btw as they are of course a factor - but losing two goalscorers in the same season has to be a contributing factor too. Likely more significant at that.

 

[Blues4LifeDan]

He would have to replace them, as a non league side we would always lose better players to higher clubs. Any club in this division, who has a 20 goal striker would be looking over their shoulders hoping an offer didn't come in.
A manager earns his corn by replacing departing players, unfortunately Kev has struggled to do that, even loan players haven't come in, which is a concern to me.

Because we were miles behind as we had an embargo, then a takeover that took longer than anticipated. I don't know why this is still a discussion. We couldn't bring in the players Kev wanted. Had we done so, this wouldn't be a discussion.

 

[GBJ]

He would have to replace them, as a non league side we would always lose better players to higher clubs. Any club in this division, who has a 20 goal striker would be looking over their shoulders hoping an offer didn't come in.
A manager earns his corn by replacing departing players, unfortunately Kev has struggled to do that, even loan players haven't come in, which is a concern to me.

Oh I agree completely. That is one of the things other fans of clubs in this division told us when we first entered this division. Prepare to have your spines ripped out and rebuilding jobs to be the norm.

It seems unfair that we’ve had it happen to us not once but twice in the same season. Cards and Kensdale. Then Pepple and Golding. That’s the nature of the beast though I guess.

If we had the cash to splash & poach someone else’s top players, it’s not as big a deal. But we didn’t - and still potentially don’t - have that luxury.

I think it’s incredibly harsh to judge Kev for not being able to adequately rebuild that spine for a third time in the same season. We’ve made do with what we’ve got/can afford to bring in & it’s still got us into playoff contention.

 

[Southend Elvis]

All fair arguments, but how I see it we have had more duds than wins. I'm not sure quoting loanees as wins, as they can go back anytime. I remember being told Bim was here for the season then he was gone.
That's why I want to see more loans than signings early doors, so we don't shackle ourselves.