Wake up people

[DTS]

I dont see it as a bad thing.

Sturrock will be left in no doubt that he needs a striker. If we had scored 2/3 in a few games he might have been tempted to wing it.

What worries me more is the embargo is not lifted yet and until it is we have about four players willing to play for us with any experience.

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

Very very true,Martin out.

Not with his hair.

 

[Shrimperforlife]

Its all Peter Clarkes fault , remember he cost us 1m you know

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

Think from the evidence (or at least the news stories on various sites), that Sturrock has tried to bring in Akinfenwa and Rory Fallon, so we know he knows its something he needs.

Whether he can get his man asap remains to be seen.

Exactly what I wanted to say. I would add that anyone who would make a prediction, concerning promotion or otherwise, before the season has started and even before the team is fully assembled, is mad. (Of course, I do add a proviso for next Monday!...........) Towards the end of September is the time that we can begin to estimate our fortunes for next season.

 

[Jam_Man]

I've said it before and I stand by it - not due to any results pre-season, but I feel if we can stabalise things off the field - i.e. the players get paid, then I think with PS and TW and the players I've seen so far, that we've got a great chance.

Time will tell, but its blind optimism at the moment :)

There is nothing to base that on and its beliefs like that which lead to frustration and threads like this one when we dont do well.

This is a totally new start for the team, we dont even have a settled squad with a week till the start of the season.

I know you arent the type to come on here complaining after a defeat but people really need to get into their heads that this team is a work in progress and has been put together in a matter of weeks. It may do well, it may not. It may struggle for the first couple of months whilst Sturrock works with them, we need to be patient.

People thinking we will go up with no evidence, or people posting we are rubbish from a pre season friendly isnt going to help.

Think from the evidence (or at least the news stories on various sites), that Sturrock has tried to bring in Akinfenwa and Rory Fallon, so we know he knows its something he needs.

Whether he can get his man asap remains to be seen.

He has not tried to bring in Fallon.

Fallon was talking about when he was considering coming here when we were in the Championship when Sturrock was his manager.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Paul Sturrock will quickly realise we need a proper goalscorer. Whether we get one or can afford one is a different matter. He's brought in Two big lumps Corr and Sturrock(Hhmmm), so it looks like he will play the big man knocking it down to the goalscorer system. This system does fairly well in League 2 if you have the right personnel. The main trouble with this is the goalscoring record of the big men, as they have to chip in with goals also.
After about 6 games if it's not working, he may start trying out Spencer, Paterson and Crawford combinations.

At the end of the day, Paul Sturrock has a great record in these situations, he knows what he is doing. I still think we will have another striker coming in because of the lack of a proper goalscorer.
I think we have to put our trust in him, let him get on with it, and support him and the team.

The good thing is, only a few weeks ago we were wondering how Southend could avoid the drop. Now we think promotion is possible with just a few right additions.

Ah yes, because if we learnt anything from the last few years it's signing forward is the solution to every problem. Particularly big forwards.

Conceding goals because your centre-half combination is poor? Sign another forward!

Not scoring any goals because no-one in central midfield can pass a ball? Sign another forward!

No-one can put in a good cross? Sign another forward!

Think from the evidence (or at least the news stories on various sites), that Sturrock has tried to bring in Akinfenwa and Rory Fallon, so we know he knows its something he needs.

Whether he can get his man asap remains to be seen.

Neither of whom's major asset is goalscoring.

 

[EastStandBlue]

Conceding goals because your centre-half combination is poor? Sign another winger who can play up front!

Not scoring any goals because no-one in central midfield can pass a ball? Sign another winger who can play up front!

No-one can put in a good cross? Sign another winger who can play up front!

Amended for accuracy.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Amended for accuracy.

Weren't they forwards we then stuck out on the wing?

Bradbury, Revell, Foran.

Who are the wingers we stuck up front?

 

[EastStandBlue]

Weren't they forwards we then stuck out on the wing?

Bradbury, Revell, Foran.

Who are the wingers we stuck up front?

Sorry, should've switched that the other way round. I think pretty much every forward we've signed since Eastwood, bar Harrold, has spent at least one game on the wing.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Sorry, should've switched that the other way round. I think pretty much every forward we've signed since Eastwood, bar Harrold, has spent at least one game on the wing.

Michael Ricketts!?! :unsure:

 

[Beefy]

Ah yes, because if we learnt anything from the last few years it's signing forward is the solution to every problem. Particularly big forwards.

Conceding goals because your centre-half combination is poor? Sign another forward!

Not scoring any goals because no-one in central midfield can pass a ball? Sign another forward!

No-one can put in a good cross? Sign another forward!

Exactly. I loved Tilly but his answer for every problem was to bring in another centre-forward. These exact same threads have been made at this stage of the last three or four seasons when we've had plenty of good strikers at the Club who have gone on to great success elsewhere. Having a goalscorer doesn't guarantee success and if we can get a decent system of playing with good players in midfield creating chances then that's half the battle won.

Again, have we been missing chance after chance or have we not been creating the chances for the strikers to put away?

 

[palexander]

There is nothing to base that on and its beliefs like that which lead to frustration and threads like this one when we dont do well.

This is a totally new start for the team, we dont even have a settled squad with a week till the start of the season.

I know you arent the type to come on here complaining after a defeat but people really need to get into their heads that this team is a work in progress and has been put together in a matter of weeks. It may do well, it may not. It may struggle for the first couple of months whilst Sturrock works with them, we need to be patient.

People thinking we will go up with no evidence, or people posting we are rubbish from a pre season friendly isnt going to help.




He has not tried to bring in Fallon.

Fallon was talking about when he was considering coming here when we were in the Championship when Sturrock was his manager.

Thought that was a recent article, or was it discounted? I know we tried to sign him in the CCC, but I thought this was new and hence the 2nd time he'd turned us down?

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Michael Ricketts!?! :unsure:

Played on both wings simultaneously.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Played on both wings simultaneously.

Ah good point! :D

 

[Beefy]

Thought that was a recent article, or was it discounted? I know we tried to sign him in the CCC, but I thought this was new and hence the 2nd time he'd turned us down?

The article is new. In it he's speaking about a recent bid from an unknown Club, and the time that Paul Sturrock tried to get him to move to Southend a couple of years ago.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Thought that was a recent article, or was it discounted? I know we tried to sign him in the CCC, but I thought this was new and hence the 2nd time he'd turned us down?

It was taken out of context. The article was about the first time he turned us down, but made it sound like he had turned us down lately.

 

[Jam_Man]

Weren't they forwards we then stuck out on the wing?

Bradbury, Revell, Foran.

Who are the wingers we stuck up front?

+ Hooper

It always frustrated me that we obviously had serious lack of creativity in the side and strikers would be brought in, given 3 games and then dumped.

Strikers rely on service and thats the area we need to focus on improving over last season. Its no shocker that we got rid of so many strikers who then went on to do better in a new team. Since Gower left we havent really had a player who can create anything.

 

[TravellingBlue]

Screech was stuck out on the left wing last night. Completely the wrong position for him. Should have played alongside Pato or in front of him. Think due to injuries/trialists we just had to make do last night.

 

[Jam_Man]

Screech was stuck out on the left wing last night. Completely the wrong position for him. Should have played alongside Pato or in front of him. Think due to injuries/trialists we just had to make do last night.

Says we played 4 - 3 - 3 ?

 

[Kris]

Neither of whom's major asset is goalscoring.

Akinfenwa scored 39 goals in 88 appearances for Northampton. That's not too shabby.

He's signed for Gillingham incidentally. Not quite sure how they've managed that with his wage demands.