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I think maybe there is a need for a bit more of a sense of balance here. It's true to say that some Zoners have offered less than complimentary views on Michael Timlin, but the majority of the posts that I have seen point out that he is playing in a position that is not his normal one and he is doing a job that the manager has asked him to do. Lets face it, if Ben Coker was fit and available we wouldn't be having this discussion in the first place. What a lot of posters don't understand. me included, is why Hendrie, a specialist left back, is not getting more game time. Those of us that have followed Timlin since he signed from Swindon recognise what a reliable player he has been, and is, when called upon. I actually disagree that everyone has turned on him. A few have an axe to grind, but most on here just want to see the best Southend team possible turning out for us on a Saturday afternoon. If that includes Timlin then great, but I would prefer him in his natural position causing mayhem in the middle of the park.

Well that's where we disagree, Timlin isn't good enough on the ball in mid-field in L1 with Lenny also in the team. Cant have two work horses in the middle. Certainly a good enough defender to push the 2nd choice LB out of the team.

Just for balance there has been untold slagging of Timlin on here, usually by the BO (Brown Out) boys as they will search for any excuse, even if you have to target players.
 
I actually feel sorry for the guy. He's being asked to play out of position than what he's use to being played throughout his career. We had so many injuries at the start of the season and Tims was the only one we could call upon.

He gives his all and that all I ask from a Southend player.
 
The crutches may hinder him....

Not sure exactly how much pace Timlin has lost but he was always very quick over the first 5 yards.

I think a lot of his bad passes are as much the fault of the would be recipients. The whole team needs to do better at making themselves available. This hinders a passing game as much as the passing ability of the player on the ball.

When Harry Kyp first hit the 1st team as centre back John White said to a friend of mine that he might not always make the right decisions but he is so rapid off the mark that he can correct himself and I watched Harry with that ringing in my head. He is very quick off the mark and if I was putting my money anywhere it would be with him.
 
When Harry Kyp first hit the 1st team as centre back John White said to a friend of mine that he might not always make the right decisions but he is so rapid off the mark that he can correct himself and I watched Harry with that ringing in my head. He is very quick off the mark and if I was putting my money anywhere it would be with him.

He is very fast indeed! I was hoping to see Kyprianou take Timlin's place at left back before he unfortunately got injured. Looked very assured in the middle and is more of a natural left back than Timlin is.
 
Well that's where we disagree, Timlin isn't good enough on the ball in mid-field in L1 with Lenny also in the team. Cant have two work horses in the middle. Certainly a good enough defender to push the 2nd choice LB out of the team.

Just for balance there has been untold slagging of Timlin on here, usually by the BO (Brown Out) boys as they will search for any excuse, even if you have to target players.

As you say, we will have to agree to disagree. In my view if Hendrie is fit and on the money he should start at LB ahead of Timlin. For whatever reason Hendrie hasn't made it happen yet, so Timlin will continue to be our first choice LB and whilst he is there he will have my support, as all the players do.
 
When Harry Kyp first hit the 1st team as centre back John White said to a friend of mine that he might not always make the right decisions but he is so rapid off the mark that he can correct himself and I watched Harry with that ringing in my head. He is very quick off the mark and if I was putting my money anywhere it would be with him.

That was the area that Harry really improved on in his run of games. Even though we were doing ok and 1-0 up he still looked our best player just before he went down at Walsall.
 
As you say, we will have to agree to disagree. In my view if Hendrie is fit and on the money he should start at LB ahead of Timlin. For whatever reason Hendrie hasn't made it happen yet, so Timlin will continue to be our first choice LB and whilst he is there he will have my support, as all the players do.

That's why I started the thread. Coker and Kyp injured, Hendrie not stepping up. Yet Timlin gets the abuse......

I'm a bit old school I believe in supporting your own players wearing your clubs shirt. Still if the wife bullies you at home ( not you as in you personally) then I guess shouting abuse at Timlin or PB etc from the stands makes you feel better about yourself. Especially Knowing full well they can't answer back.
 
Well that's where we disagree, Timlin isn't good enough on the ball in mid-field in L1 with Lenny also in the team. Cant have two work horses in the middle. Certainly a good enough defender to push the 2nd choice LB out of the team.

Just for balance there has been untold slagging of Timlin on here, usually by the BO (Brown Out) boys as they will search for any excuse, even if you have to target players.

You make a reasoned argument about Timlin but there is no need to have mentioned the 'Brown out's' twice in the thread already. It only serves your agenda and is constantly bashing people. However, to the point, Timlin has been a great servant to the club and no one can doubt his contribution over the years. I know PB has spoken of him as a left back of the future as his age makes him less effective in midfield. At the moment, for me, he is doing the best he can but its not extraordinary. He will always give his best.

I guess some will be sceptical, knowing we have left back options, and feeling he is shoe-horned into the side. I am sure we would all love to see Hendrie come good and do the business. Thing is, most of us, do not know what goes on in training and maybe Timlin is rightfully our best option at the moment. Also, judging by performances, he seems to be improving in the role as games go by. Learning the craft as it were.

The defence is tightening and lets hope it gels further. I do think that the rest of the players, apart from Lenny, need to help the defence more.

That said, if we had an alternative, viable left back, I do think that Timlin can do a job in midfield. He may not be as great on the ball but he has the ability to break up the opposition play, long before it gets to our defenders. It may have to be a gritty role but I think in some ways we lack that.
 
I don't think that many are criticising Timlin, more Brown's insistence on playing him at left back.

By all accounts he has had a couple of decent games away from home, where I was not in attendance, but the games I've seen at home he doesn't play the position well enough. I don't question his heart or commitment, it is his positioning and decision making at left back where he is lacking. He is a decent combative defensive CM, he has been a great servant to the club and should have every fans respect for the way he has put his body on the line. He may not be 1st choice in midfield anymore but that is no reason to shoehorn him into left back, fair enough to cover the odd game but not when we have full backs fit. John White on the bench while Timlin is left back completely baffles me.

This.

No one can question Michael Timlin's loyalty or commitment to our club. He's been a fantastic servant and an incredibly versatile player for us.

However when someone's playing woefully out of form, it is our right as fans to voice our opinion, be that on here through match threads and ratings or in the stands (no doubt less helpful). And Timlin has been pretty horrendous at times this season. However as the original poster highlighted, he has improved in recent games and just as bad performances can be criticised, better performances should be recognised too.

I think what a lot of people are getting frustrated with is a perceived favouritism by our manager towards certain players regardless of form. Why has Stephen Hendrie not been given another chance since the opening few games? What's the point of signing for a club as a left back if the first choice gets injured and you still don't get a kick?
 
This.

No one can question Michael Timlin's loyalty or commitment to our club. He's been a fantastic servant and an incredibly versatile player for us.

However when someone's playing woefully out of form, it is our right as fans to voice our opinion, be that on here through match threads and ratings or in the stands (no doubt less helpful). And Timlin has been pretty horrendous at times this season. However as the original poster highlighted, he has improved in recent games and just as bad performances can be criticised, better performances should be recognised too.

I think what a lot of people are getting frustrated with is a perceived favouritism by our manager towards certain players regardless of form. Why has Stephen Hendrie not been given another chance since the opening few games? What's the point of signing for a club as a left back if the first choice gets injured and you still don't get a kick?

I don't have insider knowledge as to why but perhaps its a question Hendrie has to ask himself rather than ask the manager.
 
That's why I started the thread. Coker and Kyp injured, Hendrie not stepping up. Yet Timlin gets the abuse......

I'm a bit old school I believe in supporting your own players wearing your clubs shirt. Still if the wife bullies you at home ( not you as in you personally) then I guess shouting abuse at Timlin or PB etc from the stands makes you feel better about yourself. Especially Knowing full well they can't answer back.

So do I Rigsby, so do I. Thankfully I'm not bullied by Mrs RHB and I don't shout abuse at Timlin or Brown from the West Stand and neither does anyone of the regulars seated around me. Although it wouldn't matter if I did in Brown's case because he very rarely comes over our side of the pitch:winking:. My question still is 'why is Hendrie not up to the mark? but that is off topic, so a question for another day.
 
I have not turned on Timlin - I have never liked him, as I have never liked Wordsworth, the two Macs, Demetriou etc etc but will always support them whilst they are wearing the blue of SUFC
 
I have not turned on Timlin - I have never liked him, as I have never liked Wordsworth, the two Macs, Demetriou etc etc but will always support them whilst they are wearing the blue of SUFC

Out of interest how did you get you user name ?
 
I don't think Timlin is as bad at left back as many people think he is. We had a good run with him playing there last season. As for this season, Hendrie was so bad in the opening few matches of the season, Timlin's performances have been an improvement in comparison. Our average number of goals conceded must be lower with Timlin at left back compared to Hendrie.
 
I don't think Timlin is as bad at left back as many people think he is. We had a good run with him playing there last season. As for this season, Hendrie was so bad in the opening few matches of the season, Timlin's performances have been an improvement in comparison. Our average number of goals conceded must be lower with Timlin at left back compared to Hendrie.
Hendrie was not that bad. Yes, he had some poor games but that’s to be expected when he came to the club very low on confidence after an awful season at Blackburn, which I’m sure the management team would have been fully aware of when making the decision to sign him. This begs the question why bother signing him if you’re going to completely freeze him out of the team and destroy any confidence that was still left to throw in a central midfielder at left back who, has not been the next Paolo Maldini at left back as some would have you believe but fairly inconsistent himself (especially going forward which is bizarre considering he is a midfielder). Timlin has also benefitted from having a much more settled defence next to him than Hendrie including a much improved Ferdinand who was useless at the start of the season when Hendrie had to play alongside him.

Demetriou was arguably worse than Hendrie at the start of the season but we stuck with him and he has been excellent ever since and is probably level with John White on being our best defender so far this season so why not give the same chance to Hendrie? Especially when he was so impressive during his first spell with us.

This is by no means an attack on Timlin who has been a great servant to the club and has conducted himself very professionally when asked to play out of position and has given his all for the club as always even with the unnecessary abuse he has recieved because of the situation.
 
You have to base any criticism on the entire time a player has been at the club. Timms & John White have been fully committed consistent servants of the club, however, have got stick on this site over the last couple of seasons. Played out of position, moved around, playing and not playing. Just got on with it and done well for us. Respect both of them as positive players for the squad.
 
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