Martin right to keep with Brown

[Csboy]

Some fans on here were calling for Brown to go only a few weeks ago but here we are in 5th place and a very good chance of going up.
yes things are not perfect and three 0-0 draws at home on the trot are not ideal and the defeat to Chester was very disappointing but for the resources we have we are doing okay and keeping with Brown was the right decision. He may not be a great manager(which is why he is managing in League 2) but is just about as good as you can get for this level. As we have seen in the past with the likes of Bate, Martin and Wignall there are far worse managers out there.

 

[leeblue]

Still plenty of time for the verdict on brown to be formed..let's talk in may when ultimately brown will be deemed a success or not. I like him and I have been saying during most of his reign....We do so much right as a team....just lack goals...twas the case last season and for some of the current campaign....plenty of knee jerk reactions on here...emotions run high etc. Back the boys and see what happens.

 

[shrimperjon]

Agree with above, need to support the boys. Time to judge will be at the end of the season. Still a long way to go. We have beaten two poor sides away in the last two weeks. Need to now finally get a few goals at home and a win against York.

 

[Magnum PI]

Some fans on here were calling for Brown to go only a few weeks ago but here we are in 5th place and a very good chance of going up.
yes things are not perfect and three 0-0 draws at home on the trot are not ideal and the defeat to Chester was very disappointing but for the resources we have we are doing okay and keeping with Brown was the right decision. He may not be a great manager(which is why he is managing in League 2) but is just about as good as you can get for this level. As we have seen in the past with the likes of Bate, Martin and Wignall there are far worse managers out there.

We still need to overturn five points (with gd) and maintain some consistency. The fact we haven't done our usual January **** up though is encouraging. If brown fails to get us up then he will have failed in my book as I do believe Ron has given him the resources this season so let's judge him and save these comments. 5th is nice but is likely to only end in playoff heartbreak.

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

We still need to overturn five points (with gd) and maintain some consistency. The fact we haven't done our usual January **** up though is encouraging. If brown fails to get us up then he will have failed in my book as I do believe Ron has given him the resources this season so let's judge him and save these comments. 5th is nice but is likely to only end in playoff heartbreak.

Funny how myths get developed without the clear facts to back them up!


JANUARY (since our return to League Two)

Season 2013/4 ..............5 games........9 points
Season 2012/3................3 games........3 points
Season 2011/2................5 games........7 points
Season 2010/1................7 games........13 points

I don't think it is a coincidence that in the poor year of 2013, we were involved in two Cup matches against Millwall and the big distraction of Hull city. Again, in the leaner year of 2012 we had a Cup game and a replay against Brentford plus the distraction of our involvement in the JPT. Last year and 2011 were both a pretty good points from games ratio.
Now the month of FEBRUARY is something else!

FEBRUARY (Since our return to League Two)

Season 2013/4.............5 games............2 points
Season 2012/3.............6 games............7 points
Season 2011/2.............5 games............7 points
Season 2010/1.............6 games............11 points

Ironically, our best recent January & February was with Luggy's first season makeshift side. Seven points from six games is hardly promotion form and of course, last season we had already started on the awful run of twelve games without a victory, following our Cup exit against Hull City.
Interesting to note that, in recent times we have never quite managed to achieve the magical average of two points a game in neither January nor February.............perhaps next Saturday will change all that?.....we can but hope! :smile:

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

To answer the question posed by the thread title........of course he was right and it's evident you don't sack a manager in mid-season, especially when the club is in or around the play-off places. In fairness, I don't think too many people were actually calling for his head. I, like many others, have been critical but always believed that Southend United will stand or fall with Phil Brown and that Phil Brown will stand or fall with Southend United. I just put a time limit, of the end of this season, on it.

 

[RobM]

JANUARY (since our return to League Two)

Season 2013/4 ..............5 games........9 points 60% points gained
Season 2012/3................3 games........3 points 33%
Season 2011/2................5 games........7 points 47%
Season 2010/1................7 games........13 points 62%

February
Season 2013/4.............5 games............2 points 13%
Season 2012/3.............6 games............7 points 39%
Season 2011/2.............5 games............7 points 47%
Season 2010/1.............6 games............11 points 61%

 

[tommy tucker]

Phil Brown said its a work in progress when he came to Southend .He said promotion within 3 years . So far he has not delivered but his 3 year statement as yet has not arrived .1st full season we reached the play offs .This season we again are knocking on the auto door with plenty of time left . So give the guy a bit of breathing space and back him dont knock him .His team are really starting to put a run together at the right time . Keep the faith in Brown and his back room team .

 

[Jam_Man]

To sack a manager when in the play offs was always ridiculous.

We have had our shortcomings scoring goals, and we do have to keep our feet on the ground as we have had two very good wins against two very poor team (who between them have only managed 3 wins in their last 20 games).

We are where we need to be and hopefully can push on with a win against York, as the next game is away against Shrewsbury which doesnt fill me with confidence.

 

[Murkey_Mouse]

We have beaten two side, when last season, we would have lost the match, as our record Vs bottom half was poor. This season, we are much better, it's all about beating sides in top 7, then we are on the way up.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

The difference has been going back to basics and playing 2 up front. Since doing that we've scored 5 goals in 2 games and I don't think we'd managed 5 goals in the previous month!

Lower league football needs to be played 442, it's what the players know, it's what they've been doing they're whole careers. Stop trying to tinker with it and play a Premier League formation. There's a reason they're not Premier League players.

 

[Welly7]

Some fans on here were calling for Brown to go only a few weeks ago but here we are in 5th place and a very good chance of going up.
yes things are not perfect and three 0-0 draws at home on the trot are not ideal and the defeat to Chester was very disappointing but for the resources we have we are doing okay and keeping with Brown was the right decision. He may not be a great manager(which is why he is managing in League 2) but is just about as good as you can get for this level. As we have seen in the past with the likes of Bate, Martin and Wignall there are far worse managers out there.

Of course he was and I doubt his position was even in question.

 

[mrsblue]

The difference has been going back to basics and playing 2 up front. Since doing that we've scored 5 goals in 2 games and I don't think we'd managed 5 goals in the previous month!

Lower league football needs to be played 442, it's what the players know, it's what they've been doing they're whole careers. Stop trying to tinker with it and play a Premier League formation. There's a reason they're not Premier League players.

This is soooooooooooooooooooooo correct !

 

[TTS]

So I am right to assume that as long as brown plays 2 up front for the rest isn't he season it doesn't matter if we win or lose, just as long as we are playing a formation that most people want. So he isn't allowed to tinker at all, in his position as manager ? Suppose we might as well just ask who is for each game and let a forum full of people that can be never be proved wrong pick the team ! Wow, that is easy. Don't know why all teams don't do this , seeing as its as easy and basic as people are saying

 

[Shrimpers are Magic]

The difference has been going back to basics and playing 2 up front. Since doing that we've scored 5 goals in 2 games and I don't think we'd managed 5 goals in the previous month!

Lower league football needs to be played 442, it's what the players know, it's what they've been doing they're whole careers. Stop trying to tinker with it and play a Premier League formation. There's a reason they're not Premier League players.

Bang on. I always back us away from home as I did when Sturrock was manager. We're scoring goals now which we haven't been and if we can turn our abysmal home form around we have a decent shout.

 

[mrsblue]

So I am right to assume that as long as brown plays 2 up front for the rest isn't he season it doesn't matter if we win or lose, just as long as we are playing a formation that most people want. So he isn't allowed to tinker at all, in his position as manager ? Suppose we might as well just ask who is for each game and let a forum full of people that can be never be proved wrong pick the team ! Wow, that is easy. Don't know why all teams don't do this , seeing as its as easy and basic as people are saying

Managers have a short shelf life,

Now stop trying to score petty points.

 

[TTS]

Managers have a short shelf life,

Now stop trying to score petty points.

Please don't nibble on everything I write .

One thing I am not, by the way, is petty , sarcastic yes, petty no

 

[Ricky Otto]

The difference has been going back to basics and playing 2 up front. Since doing that we've scored 5 goals in 2 games and I don't think we'd managed 5 goals in the previous month!

Lower league football needs to be played 442, it's what the players know, it's what they've been doing they're whole careers. Stop trying to tinker with it and play a Premier League formation. There's a reason they're not Premier League players.

I used to be of this opinion but it has changed in the last few seasons. As a player I always felt comfortable in a 4-4-2, it’s what I played all through my youth football and I knew my job. It was always 4-4-2 lining up against 4-4-2 and you knew who your man was. Other sides sometimes played a different formation and all of a sudden the team wasn’t certain of their jobs, doubling up on the one man up front and giving space to the extra midfielder. At Sunday league level we switched to a 4-5-1/ 4-3-3 and havebeen more successful than ever, if Sunday league players can do it then league 2 players should be more than capable. Southend are getting results with 4-4-2 so let’s stick with it, to say it is the only formation that works in league 2 is naïve though and any professional player should be able to adapt to playing different formations.

 

[Sandbach Shrimper]

I don't think many people seriously wanted him sacked before. Let's judge him at the end of the season. Playing two up front and signing the two strikers on loan seems to have partly fixed our goalscoring problem and if we can extend this good run for a couple of months then we'll be up there in May.

 

[chapperzUK]

Our away record is 26 points from 14 games and on our way to 42-43 points. So it isn't too surprising that we have done well in our last 2 games.

Our problem has been breaking teams down at home. Our home record is 21 points from 13 games and on our way to 37 points. Only Hartlepool (bottom) and York (1 home win all season) have less than our 11 goal home tally and both have 10. The test will be the next 4 home games, all against teams that will come and most likely put 11 behind the ball to get a point.