WTF... Why are Southend propping up the league

[Kent Shrimper]

Interesting comments from Fans regarding our current position.

http://www.thefootballforum.net/forums/index.php?showtopic=109648

SPURS FAN

I just dont understand how Southend are bottom of the Fizzy Pop.They have impressed me on both occasions that i have witnessed them at WHL......They play far more attractive football than half of the Premiership teams do & find their current predicament crazy beyond belief.What"s holding them back...??Is it a small squad thats been hit by injuries,suspensions..?? unsure.gif I know Eastwoods goals dried up but they have several talented offensive players bar him.They were a far harder propisition than Cardiff City,stronger in both defence & attack & Flahavan must easily be the best keeper in the Championship.I really do hope they stay up as their style of football deserves better & could/should be a platform for better things.Beating Manchester United & taking Tottenham to extra time shows the potential there...... thumb.gif

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

I think most of us — if not all of us — will agree with this and continue to scratch our heads furiously at our current predicament. Is it down to bad luck? Is it down to lack of resources? Is it down to poor management? Is it just that someone has got to be bottom is an otherwise tough league and we're that team? Who knows? Everyone has their own theory and I'd suggest the very first - bad luck. We know that the team can do it; Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Birmingham City, etc.

 

[Boreham Shrimper]

Some great posts on there, mainly from Spurs fans. Really nice to see us getting some recognition from fans from Premiership and Championship clubs :)

 

[Shrimp_Stu]

Flahavan must easily be the best keeper in the Championship.

100% agree on this comment from the poster ......

 

[Cliff Pavilion]

Some great posts on there, mainly from Spurs fans.

I still hate Spurs with a passion following our two games with them. And particularly the arrogant and patronising ways of a large portion of their jumped up, non-trophy winning fans.

:minger:

 

[pickledseal]

"they have several talented offensive players "

is this chap from america?
or was bradders going round calling people "silly ****s"?

 

[Boreham Shrimper]

I still hate Spurs with a passion following our two games with them. And particularly the arrogant and patronising ways of a large portion of their jumped up, non-trophy winning fans.

:minger:

Oh definitely. Especially as I'm a closet ****nal fan in my spare time :o . Sitting amongst them in the West stand for the Carling Cup tie was like sitting in the infamous Club Level at the Emirates. A load of whining plastics :guns:

 

[Flinty]

i would suggest naivety in the early days. The majority of goals we conceeded were from set pieces which we probably got away with last year due to the gulf in quality of the opposition.

Mind you over the past few years we have been much better 2nd half of the season. Coupled with the fact that teams are now looking to attack us as we are bottom gives us more space to exploit. In the early days it seemed that teams probably loked at us as champions of the division below and sat back waiting to see what we were made of. We were definately unable to break down these well organised sides and they picked us off on the break.

But what do i know from my armchair :cool:

 

[Cliff Pavilion]

"they have several talented offensive players "

is this chap from america?
or was bradders going round calling people "silly ****s"?

:D

Also baffling as I remember very little eye-catching attacking football from us in 210 minutes of football at WHL...

 

[The Flying Scotsman]

We are bottom because we conceded too many goals from set pieces, and were found out playing players in their wrong position. Subsequently results went against us and confidence dipped.

Whats been the difference since? We're playing players in their natural positions, we're beginning to show some belief, and also that we are capable of winning games without Eastwood having to score! I'm still wary of our set piece defending, as shown V Derby when a) Barrett let his man go and b) Clarke waited for the ball to come to him and their player got in front of him. However, its still a marked improvement on the start of the season.

 

[mattytheshrimper]

nice of some of the spurs fans to give us some credit but what was that **** on about calling southend fans ****. i honestly think we have some of the best sets of fans in this league!

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

There are two points to be made. First is that Spurs didn't see us with Guttridge moping about in midfield, and we have been much improved since we replaced him with someone who wants to play for us. Secondly, despite impressing these Spurs' fans we only managed one goal against them, a fortuitous penalty. Other than that our chances were scarce - Sodje's header in the first game from a set piece, Hooper's miss when gifted the ball leaving Maher's tame shot at the keeper and Gower's weak shot from Freddy's cross as the only chances we carved out in 210 minutes. Whilst at the other end we had a lot of close shaves.

However, I agree that there are a lot of poor teams in the premiership (and a fair few in the championship who came from the premiership), but despite not generally look so impressive they have a little bit more cutting edge and make fewer mistakes at the back, particularly at set plays.

 

[SUFC_Al]

nice of some of the spurs fans to give us some credit but what was that **** on about calling southend fans ****. i honestly think we have some of the best sets of fans in this league!

yeah that annoyed me, altho i think it was more in jest than anything else. That guy is a bit of a wind up.

i post on that forum and there's been many positive threads/posts about us recently.

:D

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

However, I agree that there are a lot of poor teams in the premiership (and a fair few in the championship who came from the premiership), but despite not generally look so impressive they have a little bit more cutting edge and make fewer mistakes at the back, particularly at set plays.

That's certainly one of the keys for me, at both ends of the pitch. I just don't get the feeling that we're ever going to score at set pieces - I wouldn't really count Gower's in the week as a "set piece goal". We always seem to loft the ball in instead of whipping it, and apart from the occasional towering Sodje header it always looks so comfortable for the defence and keeper.

At the other end, Steve Howard can take a late stroll into our box and stick a free header in from the middle of the penalty area - and he's not the only one this season. Combine the two and it's quite a handicap to overcome.

 

[Beefy]

That's certainly one of the keys for me, at both ends of the pitch. I just don't get the feeling that we're ever going to score at set pieces - I wouldn't really count Gower's in the week as a "set piece goal". We always seem to loft the ball in instead of whipping it, and apart from the occasional towering Sodje header it always looks so comfortable for the defence and keeper.

At the other end, Steve Howard can take a late stroll into our box and stick a free header in from the middle of the penalty area - and he's not the only one this season. Combine the two and it's quite a handicap to overcome.

Lewis Hunt should be on corners. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the two he took for us - one from the right and one from the left - at the tail end of last season were as good as I've ever seen from a Southend player.