Chris Powell's transfer business - a retrospective

[Yorkshire Blue]

Freddie Ladapo - Powell could pick a forward. Didn't work out at Roots Hall but after scoring 19 in a season for Plymouth he joined Rotherham for a club record transfer fee and is currently a first team regular in the Championship

Sam Barratt - another what if, after injury wrecked his Southend stay. 9 goals in 11 starts for Maidenhead in the Conference for the midfielder. If he keeps that form up I suspect a league club will pay good money for him.

Harry Lennon - another one blighted by injuries. His first game back was our first point of the season, his last game was our first win of the season.

Isaac Hutchinson - the youngster signed on a free and sold to Championship Derby for an undisclosed fee made his Rams debut yesterday

Tim Dieng - man of the match yesterday, captain under Campbell and seems to have done a Maher and turned around his Southend career and our season around and is now a key figure at the club.

Sam Mantom - like Dieng struggled in the chaos, would he have turned his Roots Hall career around under Molesley as well?

Tom Hopper - signed on a free, did his ACL after scoring 7 in 14 and superbly leading the line. Sold to Lincoln for what is believed to be a six figure sum. Lincoln are 4 points clear at the top of L1!

Luke Hyam - injury meant he barely played.

Stephen Humprhys - 10 goals in 22 starts for Southend -he was yet another hit by injuries. Sold for an undisclosed fee to Rochdale for whom he has 3 in 8.



Loanees
Shayon Harrison - apparently he now plays for Almere City. Yeah, me neither.
Taylor Moore - still with his parent club Bristol City, but not quite good enough to nail down a position in the Championship
Shawn McCoulsky - the much hyped signing is now at Forest Green, for whom he has failed to score.
David Stockdale - I'd completely forgotten about him. The experienced keeper is now back up at Wycombe in the Championship
Harry Bunn - after a spell at Kilmarnock didn't work he ended up at York in the Conference North.
Sam Hart - returned to be a big part of our turn around


More players are now in the Championship (4) than with us (3)!

Of his 9 permanent signings a third were sold for a profit, which is pretty decent. Five of the nine's stay was blighted by serious injury, which seems absurdly high.

 

[Joolz]

An interesting review and shows what a good manager he could have been with just a little bit of fortune on the injury front.
I think what did for Powell in the end is that he let everything get the better of him, and he looked a beaten man by the end. This then rubbed off on the players.
Highlights how well MM has kept himself together in equally difficult circumstances.

 

[Chrisb]

An interesting review and shows what a good manager he could have been with just a little bit of fortune on the injury front.
I think what did for Powell in the end is that he let everything get the better of him, and he looked a beaten man by the end. This then rubbed off on the players.
Highlights how well MM has kept himself together in equally difficult circumstances.

Chris did look completely broken in his last matches as manager - I found that really upsetting and did want him to go at that time, both for his sake and the club. I still think it was Chris's decision to leave rather than Ron's. Will always be one of my all time favourite players.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Chris did look completely broken in his last matches as manager - I found that really upsetting and did want him to go at that time, both for his sake and the club. I still think it was Chris's decision to leave rather than Ron's. Will always be one of my all time favourite players.

Yes, I agree.

CP was hit by an unprecedented run of serious injuries meaning players were out for the majority of the season - that is what did for him unfortunately. None of us wanted him to fail, he's a Club legend and one of the nicest men in football, we all wanted him to do well.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

Where is Lennon, did he go or is he injured. Haven't heard his name mentioned for months

 

[OldBlueLady]

Where is Lennon, did he go or is he injured. Haven't heard his name mentioned for months

He had played through the pain while delaying an operation. Once JW was fit, he's been able to go for that operation.

 

[amsemp]

Really interesting looking at this now. I thought his recruitment was poor at the time but amazing what a few years can do. Maybe a case of right players, wrong time?

I think the only one he got badly wrong was Hyam. I think we all raised questions marks over his injury record and lack of football and it was no real surprise when we got absolutely no bang for our buck.

 

[londonblue]

Really interesting looking at this now. I thought his recruitment was poor at the time but amazing what a few years can do. Maybe a case of right players, wrong time?

I think the only one he got badly wrong was Hyam. I think we all raised questions marks over his injury record and lack of football and it was no real surprise when we got absolutely no bang for our buck.

With all due respect I thought his recruitment was pretty good at the time. It was just the number of long term injuries that did for him.

I suppose it's easy to get distracted by poor form...

 

[Supernaut]

Wasn't SCP scouting for Spurs prior to managing us? If so, that would suggest his keen eye for talent hadn't gone unnoticed.

 

[amsemp]

With all due respect I thought his recruitment was pretty good at the time. It was just the number of long term injuries that did for him.

I suppose it's easy to get distracted by poor form...

Maybe saying his recruitment was poor was a bit harsh. But I definitely thought we were woefully short in midfield. We let Wordsworth and Timlin leave, then signed Mantom, Dieng and Hyam as replacements alongside Dru. I questioned at the time where the creativity was going to come from and was unfortunately proven right.

 

[LennySUFC]

See I don't necessarily agree with all of the above. I think we have spent a LOT of money on wages for players who either didn't warrant in ability or just simply were not arsed.

Freddie Ladapo - Was never going to succeed at SUFC because he couldn't play Target Man which is what CP wanted from him.

Sam Barratt - Agree, shame we let him go but it's clear that MM likes his wingers to be quick and tricky where as Barrett was more in a Beckham build, (Slower but good crossing ability).

Harry Lennon - In my opinion one of the worst signings, even without injuries. CP thought we could sell Lennon on for 7 figures... assuming he was talking in Japanese Yen where 1,000,000 = £7200.

Isaac Hutchinson - He might go onto do something at Derby but I was never that excited by Hutch. He always seemed to take too long on the ball and this whole "Set Piece Wizard" was never justified.

Tim Dieng - Proving to be a good signing. Think he is a confidence player but I will give Powell that one as things currently stand.

Sam Mantom - I was really happy when we signed Mantom but he just didn't seem arsed. High earner by all accounts.

Tom Hopper - Great Signing.

Luke Hyam - Worst signing of the decade if you account for how much he was earning vs minutes on the pitch.

Stephen Humprhys - Good signing again, kept us in the league.

Loan signings of Harry Bunn, Sam Hart and Taylor Moore worked but the others didn't.

It's also worth noting he released the creativity in our midfield and replaced them with three very similar CM's which was so painfully obvious at the time. Wordsworth and Timlin were so key to the side and for me Timlin should have stayed at the club for at least another season if not two just as he is such a professional to have around the dressing room.

 

[Andy_S]

The signings of Hyam and Lennon were always doomed to fail. Their injury record just before signing for us should’ve been the ultimate red flag.

Signing three very similar central midfielders during the summer (Mantom, Hyam, Dieng) when we were crying out for a creative central player to replace Wordsworth was also an error for me.

He definitely spotted some ability though and the signings of Hopper, Humphrys and Moore were shrewd.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

He had played through the pain while delaying an operation. Once JW was fit, he's been able to go for that operation.

Ah yes, I remember now, thanks. Literally not seen him mentioned anywhere, no update on his progress etc

 

[Weston's left foot]

Did Hyam get another Club?

 

[amsemp]

Did Hyam get another Club?

Doesn’t look like it. Interestingly Sam Mantom has joined Hemel Hempstead from Rushall Olympic. Surprised he’s dropped down that far to be honest.

 

[bazzashrimper]

The signings of Hyam and Lennon were always doomed to fail. Their injury record just before signing for us should’ve been the ultimate red flag.

Signing three very similar central midfielders during the summer (Mantom, Hyam, Dieng) when we were crying out for a creative central player to replace Wordsworth was also an error for me.

He definitely spotted some ability though and the signings of Hopper, Humphrys and Moore were shrewd.

I know it’s not always been the case, but dieng created 4 one on one chances on Saturday.

 

[Paulie Walnuts]

Chris Powell ripped the heart/fight out of our club and replaced it with jokers like Manton.

CP is massively to blame for the ****e we've had to put up with over 3 seasons, he may be a good scout/pundit but wasn't good enough to manage put it that way.

The fact we looked totally unfit didn't help either but he has to take his share of the blame for that too with his wishy washy my nice guy management, the players clearly took that as a weakness.

 

[Paulie Walnuts]

Doesn’t look like it. Interestingly Sam Mantom has joined Hemel Hempstead from Rushall Olympic. Surprised he’s dropped down that far to be honest.

Did you actually watch any of his matches for us?. I would say he was quite possibly the worst I've ever seen at Southend over 40 years and that is a big statement. Awful awful player who was way out of his depth.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

See I don't necessarily agree with all of the above. I think we have spent a LOT of money on wages for players who either didn't warrant in ability or just simply were not arsed.

Freddie Ladapo - Was never going to succeed at SUFC because he couldn't play Target Man which is what CP wanted from him.

Sam Barratt - Agree, shame we let him go but it's clear that MM likes his wingers to be quick and tricky where as Barrett was more in a Beckham build, (Slower but good crossing ability).

Harry Lennon - In my opinion one of the worst signings, even without injuries. CP thought we could sell Lennon on for 7 figures... assuming he was talking in Japanese Yen where 1,000,000 = £7200.

Isaac Hutchinson - He might go onto do something at Derby but I was never that excited by Hutch. He always seemed to take too long on the ball and this whole "Set Piece Wizard" was never justified.

Tim Dieng - Proving to be a good signing. Think he is a confidence player but I will give Powell that one as things currently stand.

Sam Mantom - I was really happy when we signed Mantom but he just didn't seem arsed. High earner by all accounts.

Tom Hopper - Great Signing.

Luke Hyam - Worst signing of the decade if you account for how much he was earning vs minutes on the pitch.

Stephen Humprhys - Good signing again, kept us in the league.

Loan signings of Harry Bunn, Sam Hart and Taylor Moore worked but the others didn't.

It's also worth noting he released the creativity in our midfield and replaced them with three very similar CM's which was so painfully obvious at the time. Wordsworth and Timlin were so key to the side and for me Timlin should have stayed at the club for at least another season if not two just as he is such a professional to have around the dressing room.

Is Ladapo not playing as targetman for Rotherham? I remember he gave an absolute clinic as a targetman against, I think Pompey. A lot of fans missed badly on him.

I'd say Dieng and Mantom are as equally creative as Timlin was. Hyam was more defensive. The more creative midfielder was Dru who Powell promoted to a first team regular. Dru's run in the side was sadly interrupted by injury but he's now playing at a far higher level than Wordsworth showing that he was the better option. But Powell's sides attacked mainly down the wings. He had Kightly, McLaughlin, Bunn, Barratt and Hutchinson. Had they been fit there would have been more than enough creativity there.

 

[SeaSideDoughnut]

Of his 9 permanent signings a third were sold for a profit, which is pretty decent.

This is how I underline CP's transfers as a success. More often than not in our history we sign a player for a free, they serve their time and leave for free. We're just a part of players being recycled in a way. I thought it was feat at the time that we had these players who were worth something to clubs at a time when we needed to sell.

The Peterborough model is always brought up whenever they have a success, and in a small way you have it there.

- Also, if it wasn't for injuries...