• Welcome to the ShrimperZone forums.
    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which only gives you limited access.

    Existing Users:.
    Please log-in using your existing username and password. If you have any problems, please see below.

    New Users:
    Join our free community now and gain access to post topics, communicate privately with other members, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and free. Click here to join.

    Fans from other clubs
    We welcome and appreciate supporters from other clubs who wish to engage in sensible discussion. Please feel free to join as above but understand that this is a moderated site and those who cannot play nicely will be quickly removed.

    Assistance Required
    For help with the registration process or accessing your account, please send a note using the Contact us link in the footer, please include your account name. We can then provide you with a new password and verification to get you on the site.

Was he there?

As I said on another thread...It wouldn't be as bad if Brown hadn't waffled on about using this game as a chance for the young/fringe players to grab his attention & try to force an inclusion into the first team this weekend.


100% Brown should have been there last night
 
Yes, his timing for doing his expert analysis bit is very bad on this occasion. RM has obviously given him permission to do all his punditry stuff on the side, but that's all it should be, on the side.
When Southend are on a winless streak, playing crap and not entertaining, then obviously the manager needs to be watching any game involving some of his squad players.
Another own goal Mr Brown.
 
I can only agree whilst I have no real problem with him being on a breakfast show and perhaps being late for training this was a competitive match containing members of his first team squad and those trying to get into it. A very poor decision by Brown as SUFC at the moment should be priority over any media work available !.
 
PB's absence raises a whole host of issues, not least the message it sends to the players tying to catch his eye and also the matter of who really calls the shots in team selection. As to the former, the players must conclude that he says one thing and does another. As to the latter point, I am back on my hobby horse of the dead hand of DP.

It was a dreadful result, made even worse by the number of senior players in the team. PB should have been present. He was watching a game earlier in the day according to CP, fair enough. But then to dash to Shrewsbury was a gross error of judgement. Very poor form indeed from someone who should have given the matter much more thought and then concluded that his duty to SUFC lay in being present at RH last night.
 
I heard this yesterday and my initial feeling was that it wasn't that bad and people were just looking to 'bash Brown' due to our poor form etc.
However , a nights sleep and the recharging of my few remaining brain cells have made me rethink.
The guy has basically abandoned his 'day job' for some extra work ( and pay ) on the side.
Now I know for many reasons football is considered as a different industry to many with a different set if rules , but if I applied the same attitude in my job ( i.e. Leaving my assistant in charge while I went to work for someone else ) , then my bosses reaction would be "if you feel they are capable of doing your job , then maybe you're not needed at all ?".

Now I take it RM knows about these activities ( and there have been many ) so I also guess he is happy with it ?

Very strange move by both right now.
As others have said , if this had come after a win of 5 games maybe people would have been more at ease , but right now is not the time IMO.

Yesterday I started a thread saying we should calm down a bit and have a 'Little more perspective'.
I ended my post with. 'Keep the faith'.

I still have that faith ( just ) , but it's slipping fast Mr B.
 
Apparently he was watching qpr u21s in the day. So it's not unreasonable that the evening is free for whatever he wants to do
 
Was he actually doing media work then?

Well he's not going to dash up to Shrewsbury after a junior blues day at Boots and Laces for nothing. Not a nice journey. He was a pundit for Five Live v Chelsea in the Capital One Cup. An early round match in a cup that's lost it's importance as well.
So yes, he would definitely have been paid for that media work.
Meanwhile, our ship is sinking fast, and the captains off to do a little job on the side.
 
Perhaps Phil was arranging with Chelsea to bring Oscar and Drogba in on a months loan .:winking:
 
Apparently he was watching qpr u21s in the day. So it's not unreasonable that the evening is free for whatever he wants to do
What a load of rubbish, managers don't have contracts that say their working day ends at 5.30pm

BTW I have worked in sports coaching for 20+ years and I can tell you it's standard practice to work whatever hours are required to do the job to the best of your ability and support your athletes/players etc.
 
Brown might not have been there , but i was .... all i can say its that its a good job for all our players that Brown wasnt !

We were woeful + to a man we were outclassed by Harlow Town ... now theres a sentence i never expected to ever say!

The confidence is rock bottom all through the club + its difficult to see any positives from last night , apart from the fact it was a cracking match with quality goals + good banter with the vocal Aaaaarlow fans with their air raid siren goal celebration one of the most bizarre experiences at a football match !

Ted Smith was competent enough in goal , maybe should have been more commanding a couple of times but he did show a tidy pair of hands. Luckily for him the watching blokes in England blazers in the directors box left before Aaaarlows late goal burst.
Jordan Williams at right back was possibly our most impressive player , loads of pace + burst forward a few times.
Cian Bolger , well , i have defended him several times and tried to be positive about him but last night he had a shocker. I can only guess he hasnt settled down south + looks dreadfully unhappy here. Yet another facial injury probably didnt help but he looks anything but a top class defender.
The other centre back looked decent to be honest + had pace , but along with the left back , not going to feature in our 1st team yet.
Clifford stood out in midfield , if only for the 5 terrible late tackles which all should have earnt him a yellow card that never came. He prodded the ball around quite well but no great quality or penetration.
Jack Payne showed the Messi and the messy side of his game... his goal was absolute top drawer quality + would have graced a world cup final , but then for the rest of the game he proceeded to "hog" the ball + run at a wall of defenders like the kid at school who's dad was the manager. If only he would look up + find a pass rather than attempt to take on 5 or 6 defenders in a Ricky Villa style run almost every time he gets the ball , then he could still be a hell of a player. Very Frustrating.
Jack Bridge showed touches of class + had a superb 1st half. Until that is , i likened him to Adam Lallana to my mate , after which he played like Adam Lallanas mum.
Layne , Williams + Coolthirst all played very similarly up front . They all showed nice touches , but lacking nouse ,attitude, bravery , quality or any ability to make good runs off the ball in order to get in goal scoring positions. and apart from Shaqs' goal , their shooting was more in keeping with a Cian Bolger mistimed hoofed clearance. Abysmal.

Good to see a few 1st teamers watching ; Corr, Atkinson + Bentley were there enjoying the fact that they didnt put their hands up to get their knees dirty and be part of the embarrassing non performance on display.

A good laugh though , well worth the £3 , although i am regretting my decision to eat the burger ..... :blush:
 
Well he's not going to dash up to Shrewsbury after a junior blues day at Boots and Laces for nothing. Not a nice journey. He was a pundit for Five Live v Chelsea in the Capital One Cup. An early round match in a cup that's lost it's importance as well.
So yes, he would definitely have been paid for that media work.
Meanwhile, our ship is sinking fast, and the captains off to do a little job on the side.

I only ask as he could've been at the game for any number of reasons, to watch a player, or schmooze with a scout or agent for instance, but the fact he was seemingly only there to do paid-for media work makes his decision even more questionable.

It's rank hypocrisy to suggest to a group of players that an Essex Senior Cup fixture is important for them to impress him, but not important enough for him to be there in person. I completely understand he has deputies that he should be delegating some tasks to, but to make such a big deal out of the match only to then disregard it for the sake of some pocket money? No thanks.
 
I only ask as he could've been at the game for any number of reasons, to watch a player, or schmooze with a scout or agent for instance, but the fact he was seemingly only there to do paid-for media work makes his decision even more questionable.

It's rank hypocrisy to suggest to a group of players that an Essex Senior Cup fixture is important for them to impress him, but not important enough for him to be there in person. I completely understand he has deputies that he should be delegating some tasks to, but to make such a big deal out of the match only to then disregard it for the sake of some pocket money? No thanks.

That really is the key. The ESC is very small beer for us, but Brown talked up this game, only to take a few quid from the BBC and enhance his media profile. Not on.
 
What a load of rubbish, managers don't have contracts that say their working day ends at 5.30pm

BTW I have worked in sports coaching for 20+ years and I can tell you it's standard practice to work whatever hours are required to do the job to the best of your ability and support your athletes/players etc.

No job is 24/7, even if there is a written or unwritten expectation that you do lots of things at unsociable hours, and don't have a regular working day or week etc. Brown is responsible for the 1st team, and his job is composed of all of those 1st team responsibilities (transfers, scouting, coaching, training, tactics, match day etc). The match last night was not a first team match, and by all accounts he spent the day doing first team things.

my guess is this:
- Brown isn't contractually obliged to be at development matches, which the ESC will be consdered as. That's the role of Coughlan and maybe Penney
- Brown has agreement with Ron to do media stuff when it doesn't clash with 1st team duties.
- Therefore his media stuff was agreed in advance because this game is a development match. Coughlan and Penney are perfectly able to feedback to Brown about how players got on.

However,

I do think that Brown should have at least tried to go to the game last night, because of our current poor run and the importance he placed on it for our fringe players. If he was there then maybe players will have been motivated. As it happens, by all accounts no one really stood out.
 
I shall probably get seriously walloped for this, but if he already has Ron's agreement to carry on his media work, it may be that he was contractually required to attend at Shrewsbury. It doesn't make it right, but it may explain his absence and he has faith in his management staff. Let's face it, on current performance, his tactical nous was not missed last night.
 
I heard this yesterday and my initial feeling was that it wasn't that bad and people were just looking to 'bash Brown' due to our poor form etc.
However , a nights sleep and the recharging of my few remaining brain cells have made me rethink.
The guy has basically abandoned his 'day job' for some extra work ( and pay ) on the side.
Now I know for many reasons football is considered as a different industry to many with a different set if rules , but if I applied the same attitude in my job ( i.e. Leaving my assistant in charge while I went to work for someone else ) , then my bosses reaction would be "if you feel they are capable of doing your job , then maybe you're not needed at all ?".

Now I take it RM knows about these activities ( and there have been many ) so I also guess he is happy with it ?

Very strange move by both right now.
As others have said , if this had come after a win of 5 games maybe people would have been more at ease , but right now is not the time IMO.

Yesterday I started a thread saying we should calm down a bit and have a 'Little more perspective'.
I ended my post with. 'Keep the faith'.

I still have that faith ( just ) , but it's slipping fast Mr B.

A good summing up by dannypav. Is it a case of 'keeping the faith' or beginning to 'see the light.'

It maybe that after accepting the challenge, some of the fringe players took the attitude that if the Manager found better things to do then why should I bother.
 
- Brown has agreement with Ron to do media stuff when it doesn't clash with 1st team duties.

Seeing which of our marginal players is ready to step up is 1st team duty.
 
Back
Top