Football - what do we love about it? (with a bit of Brown to Sunderland? thrown in)

[Shrimper2thecore]

Averages over 14 years.

Yes, I understood your calculations. :tumbleweed:

 

[AndyT]

OK cool! :thumbsup::cool:

 

[Shrimper Neil]

How many other clubs have had just three managers on 14 years? Arsenal...Stoke... can’t think of any others.

You have to admire that approach in today’s game. We’re now an established League 1 club as opposed to a struggling League 2 club back in 2003.

 

[MK Shrimper]

How many other clubs have had just three managers on 14 years? Arsenal...Stoke... can’t think of any others.

You have to admire that approach in today’s game. We’re now an established League 1 club as opposed to a struggling League 2 club back in 2003.

Exeter, Morecambe

 

[rigsby]

Am I telling you that? I don't think so. Only if "often" means exactly the same as "EVERY", which I'm sure it doesn't.

Nor am I suggesting Nathan Jones hasn't made any mistakes in his management role. I merely stated that he was a manager, in my opinion, with his greatest success still to come, and that Phil Brown is a manager with his greatest (and quite formidable) success some way behind him. Surprised you find that quite so controversial.

Luton fans certainly hope so because he has won absolutely nothing so far. He does of course have one of the biggest budgets in L2 but failed to get them up last season when they lost in the Play-off semi final.

PB did of course manage to get us promoted with a player budget that was outside to top six in L2. What a fantastic day we all enjoyed at Wembley.....Well most of us did, apart from the idiots who had left early. Or the few who are so bitter and twisted about PB they cried all the way back to Southend. Bizarrely some of them still claim we never actually won the match at Wembley.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Didnt we supposedly have a "dream team " in charge around 25 years ago .... i seem to remember Bobby Houghton and someone else unveiled in a huge coup for the club .... was one of them from Sweden ? I dont think they lasted long !!!!! My memory is hazy of those days as it was a terrible era to be a Shrimper .....

Bob Houghton was Colin Murphy's assistant IIRC and was formerly manager of Malmo when they won the league and he took them to the European Cup final.

Selective memory of that era is a good idea as you only want to remember the Stanley bits of that era.

I didn't realise how incestuous it all was

Hull

Murphy joined the Tigers in 2002 as Assistant Manager to Peter Taylor.

With the arrival of Phil Parkinson as Manager with Frank Barlow as his Assistant at the start of the 2006-07 season, Murphy took up the new role of Director of Development at the club - responsible for all scouting and youth development. He reverted to Assistant Manager, however, when Barlow left the club towards the end of October. After Phil Parkinson also left the club, Murphy and First-team coach Phil Brown were appointed as joint caretaker managers. Phil Brown was later appointed as permanent manager, with Murphy reverting to his assistant role for the remainder of the season. With the appointment of Brian Horton, he resumed the role of Director of Development.

I'm somewhat afraid Phil Parkinson will become Southend manager.

60% you will be very successful.

Our top managers by win ratio since I've been watching games are:

1. Steve Thompson
2. Barry Fry
3. Dave Webb
4. Alvan Williams
5. Paul Sturrock
6. Ernie Shepherd
7. Dave Smith
8. Phil Brown
9. Steve Tilson

(Alvan Williams was the big surprise there for me).

No surprises at the other end with Dick Bate bottom with Peter Morris not far above him !

Always have felt that Dave Smith never really got the 'kudos' that he deserved.

As can be seen, he had a better win ratio than PB over almost double the amount of games but if I recall correctly he had very little support from the boardroom.

It would be interesting however if these stats could be split out between divisions as a lower win ratio in the Championship is probably better than a high win ratio in League 2/Division 4.

What's incredible is that the top 3 all managed in the Championship.

 

[AndyT]

Bob Houghton was Colin Murphy's assistant IIRC and was formerly manager of Malmo when they won the league and he took them to the European Cup final.

Selective memory of that era is a good idea as you only want to remember the Stanley bits of that era.

Yep, I'm pretty sure that's right and you are spot on about the Collymore factor clouding everything else.

I recall some dire games, even with Collymore in the side. Contrary to folklore, Colly had some awful games for us, as well.

A 0-1 home defeat to Sunderland, ironically, on a rainswept afternoon was about as dull a match as I think I've ever seen at Roots Hall.

 

[AndyT]

Simon Cox and Michael Kightly were in attendance though and seemed like nice blokes.

Everything I read or hear about Coxy is positive.

Seems to be a great acquisition, not just as a player, but as an ambassador for the club, as well.

I know it was also he, Ferdy & Tims who went all the way to MK Dons the other night to watch the youth team.

Yep, top bloke, so the above doesn't surprise me in the slightest.

 

[undercovershrimper]

The Lion does not concern himself with the opinions of the sheep

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Yep, I'm pretty sure that's right and you are spot on about the Collymore factor clouding everything else.

I recall some dire games, even with Collymore in the side. Contrary to folklore, Colly had some awful games for us, as well.

A 0-1 home defeat to Sunderland, ironically, on a rainswept afternoon was about as dull a match as I think I've ever seen at Roots Hall.

Definitely, but with Stan in the side there was hope. The game could be (and often was) dire, but it would only take 2 seconds of magic and he'd picked the ball up with his back to goal, turned, dumped three blokes on their arses and belted it in the top corner from 25 yards with his weaker foot.

The shame was that was a really talented side. Either side of Murphy's reign was as exciting football as I've ever seen. Players like Ansah, Keith Jones, Tilly etc could really play.

 

[Zeuss]

Yep, the 'Thommo' period at the end of the season when Peter Taylor was dismissed was quite something.

He suddenly got the best out of Andy Thomson & Gary Jones just by changing up our style of play.

Good article 'Seventies', as well. I remember thinking it was a shame with 'Thommo' when he went to Notts County, as we were starting to play with a bit of belief and flair.

Just to expand on Thompson’s methods and the remarkable turnaround(after nice guy Peter Taylor),an apprentice at the club at that time (most of you would know his name) told me Thompson was absolutely ferocious and even the most senior players were s*** scared of him!

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

Interesting to see actual games in charge , because as we know , Fry and Thompson both had shorter spells than others. I enjoyed the whirlwind period that Thommo was in charge, it's the most amazing turn around I've seen. Fry was different when he came in after Murphy he was fortunate to have Collymore !

That he was, but he didn't have him the season after. Some of the football under Fry was breathtaking frankly - by far the best I've seen in over 30 years suffering I mean supporting the club. Yes it left a bad taste the way he left but deep down I think it has a lot to do with the green eyed monster. Gold and Sullivan wanted Fry and could throw what they wanted at him to secure his services - little old Southend could do nothing about it and it hurt. Deep down, that's the real crux of it.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

That he was, but he didn't have him the season after.

Yes, but he had the Collymore cash to fund the biggest transfer splurge in Southend's history.

He signed something like a dozen players that off-season and was splashing the cash left, right and centre. I mean he spent £100,000 on a reserve from Leyton Orient and £350,000 on a right-back!

Fortunately we got our money's worth/back on most of them and that side was ridiculously fun to watch. But the side he inherited from Murphy was already seriously talented and was possibly as fun. Not just Collymore but also Powell, Angell, Ansah, Tilson, Keith Jones, Royce etc etc. They looked completely different under Fry to Murphy.

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

Yes, but he had the Collymore cash to fund the biggest transfer splurge in Southend's history.

He signed something like a dozen players that off-season and was splashing the cash left, right and centre. I mean he spent £100,000 on a reserve from Leyton Orient and £350,000 on a right-back!

Fortunately we got our money's worth/back on most of them and that side was ridiculously fun to watch. But the side he inherited from Murphy was already seriously talented and was possibly as fun. Not just Collymore but also Powell, Angell, Ansah, Tilson, Keith Jones, Royce etc etc. They looked completely different under Fry to Murphy.

I prefer my fun at the top of the division rather than scratching around trying to avoid relegation and having fan protests against the manager if it's all the same:smile:

 

[woodbridge shrimper]

Meet Bobby Houghton in 2002 when he was manager of Hangzhou Greentown in China. I was working in China for Leeds City in Hangzhou and organised Leeds United first tour of China. A really nice guy who took me out to dinner and we had a good old chat about his limited time at Roots Hall with The Murph. The Leeds game was played at the Dragon Stadium. Then a brand new 60,000 seater stadium. Before the game went on to the pitch to talk to Bobby and the Leeds players. Leeds won 8.2 and one amazing fact was that that Bobby's Chinese interpreter got sent off. Booby had sworn at the referee and the interpreter then translated this to the Chinese ref but instead of sending Bobby to the stand he sent the interpreter to the stand. We had a laugh about that after the game. Don't worry not Leeds fan just happened to be doing a job. Up the Blues

 

[southend_aussies]

Because in the 1,690 days he has been in charge at Southend he has never once done anything to suggest to me that he was capable of taking another side into the Premiership.

His team selections are often perverse, his substitutions and tactics often questionable, his man management has been strongly criticised as has been his commitment to the cause. Yes, he was in charge for the promotion from the lowest division by the very, very narrowest of margins and yes we appear stabilised at the next level. How has he achieved that ? I'm not sure; perhaps he is one of Napolean's proverbial lucky generals ?

You presumably think differently? What do you see as his strengths that will see him surpass his truly great success at Hull all those years ago ?

Must be doing pretty badly if we've gone higher in each season Brown has taken charge so far.... On track to do the same again this year.

 

[RobM]

Yes, but he had the Collymore cash to fund the biggest transfer splurge in Southend's history.

What about the sell-on money?

 

[AndyT]

... one amazing fact was that that Bobby's Chinese interpreter got sent off. Bobby had sworn at the referee and the interpreter then translated this to the Chinese ref but instead of sending Bobby to the stand he sent the interpreter to the stand...

:smile: Too good!

This, L & G, is why a thread going slightly off topic is sometimes the greatest thing of all and why all threads should remain open!

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

If Tilly had left us, when he had offers, at the peak in the Chumps then his stats would eclipse all overs AND he must regret staying loyal and then getting shafted?

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

If Tilly had left us, when he had offers, at the peak in the Chumps then his stats would eclipse all overs AND he must regret staying loyal and then getting shafted?

if the man was such a talented manager he would still be in the game at a decent level - he will always be a Southend great but he went as far as he could go manager wise.