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Tinky

Youth Team
Joined
Feb 25, 2013
Messages
115
As a supporter off this club for 30+ years, do we expect too much!

We are a lower league club with fairly good crowds, we have our moments of glory, for example last year, early 90's and 10 years ago apart from that we are just a normal lower league club.

We have all seen some good and bad players over this period likewise with managers!

Our current crop off owners, chairman, manager and players are they any different?!!

One of the problems I see with this current crop is Brown talks a good game and hypes up our players to be world beaters but in reality there are league one/two players!

I'm glad that we still have a club to support with all the off field problems we've encountered over the past few seasons!!!

Lets all hope we can manage to stay in league one this season, as many off us thought it wasn't going to the easy!!!


Any thoughts!
 
We are what we are,small town club yo yoing between the leagues with a little flirt with level 2 every now and again!

Many fans have unrealistic views,demanding massive stadium capacity when we eventually reach the top table.
 
Hope and expectation are different.

I expect - mid League One with the occasional flirtation with going up/down. The odd dalliance with someone big in the F A cup. Roots Hall until I meet my maker.

I hope - Championship, F A cup semi, 20,000 seater that nearly sells out every match.
 
As a supporter off this club for 30+ years, do we expect too much!

We are a lower league club with fairly good crowds, we have our moments of glory, for example last year, early 90's and 10 years ago apart from that we are just a normal lower league club.

We have all seen some good and bad players over this period likewise with managers!

Our current crop off owners, chairman, manager and players are they any different?!!

One of the problems I see with this current crop is Brown talks a good game and hypes up our players to be world beaters but in reality there are league one/two players!

I'm glad that we still have a club to support with all the off field problems we've encountered over the past few seasons!!!

Lets all hope we can manage to stay in league one this season, as many off us thought it wasn't going to the easy!!!


Any thoughts!

Agree with most of what you say but have never heard PB claim we are world beaters
 
I agree with a lot of the comments made so far, that we are a small club and not to expect too much. The reason for high expectation is talk of a modern stadium, the appointment of Brown who talks of wanting to get the club to the Premier league and a growing support, allied to the likes of Swansea and Bournemouth and others rising from these lower levels.
Ambition can take this club much higher, but of course that ambition needs financing and whilst there is no sign of huge investment, we supporters can hope for better things.
Lack of ambition by management and players will ensure we stay in the basement and lack of expectation amongst the fans will leave the club where it is, but I will still expect the best for Southend, I have been supporting them for over 65 years and still want them to win every game they play. I am not being unrealistic, I just want us in the Premier league and enjoying European nights, and will always hope for that.
The alternative view is just to turn up at games, watch players just going about their business, not entertaining, passionless and boring.
At the very least I want us in the top half of this league next May and I don't think that is setting my expectation too high.:happy:
 
Bournemouth & Swansea show what is possible for a small club. Why not dream big rather than not at all?
 
Great comments here IMHO. Survival of our beloved club infinitely more important than results. I can't imagine life without our club. Enjoy the good times, suffer the bad. COYBB
 
Expectations from some were very high at the start of the season. In reality talk of a play off spot for example were wrong in my experience. I said to my son that survival whether it be 20th or 8th would be an achievement. Then u build from there next season. Already we have seen how tough this league is going to be.
 
As a supporter off this club for 30+ years, do we expect too much!

Just realised it is exactly 30 years - to the day - for me!

Hope and expectation are different.

I expect - mid League One with the occasional flirtation with going up/down. The odd dalliance with someone big in the F A cup. Roots Hall until I meet my maker.

I hope - Championship, F A cup semi, 20,000 seater that nearly sells out every match.

As above. I don't think it is too much to expect us to be a solid third tier side. Making a real mark on the FA Cup is the one big thing I feel I've missed in my time as a fan. Hopefully another 50+ years ahead of me to correct that though!
 
Just realised it is exactly 30 years - to the day - for me!



As above. I don't think it is too much to expect us to be a solid third tier side. Making a real mark on the FA Cup is the one big thing I feel I've missed in my time as a fan. Hopefully another 50+ years ahead of me to correct that though!

Yep correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Southend have not yet beat a Top level side in the FA Cup in our 110 year history. Not sure how many attempts we have had, will have a quick count up if I get a chance.
 
We are what we are,small town club yo yoing between the leagues with a little flirt with level 2 every now and again!

Many fans have unrealistic views,demanding massive stadium capacity when we eventually reach the top table.

Don't think you can really describe Southend as a small town. Urban area has about 500,000 people living there. We have huge potential but have never shown any sign of reaching it.

High expectations are more a reflection of our 'instant gratification' society than anything else. Most clubs are the same. I listened to BBC Essex on the way home on Saturday, just to depress myself further and if our fans are delusional at times, you should hear some of the gems from Col Ewe fans.

This is a club who have been punching above their weight for 20 years. They have no right to even have a Football League club on their gates, yet they haven't been lower than the third tier since 1998. Their chairman has worked wonders, subsidising their ***** gates for years and building a category 2 academy set-up, yet their fans want him out. Incredible stuff.
 
Yep correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Southend have not yet beat a Top level side in the FA Cup in our 110 year history. Not sure how many attempts we have had, will have a quick count up if I get a chance.


We have come pretty close though! Derby (1972 at a guess). I can't find my SUFC book so I can't give any more dteails :o(
 
I think there is a thin line between being loyal to the players that got us promoted and a realisation that for many of them , L2 may be their natural level.
For me , I will always get 100% behind whoever is selected each week and I will always want them to do well.
However , it is clear to me after 4 home games ( I don't get to many away ) that the standard is much better and some of our side need to up their game ( maybe Brown and Coughlin too ).
Can they do it ?
I'm not sure , but think it's too early to judge.
Some decent sides in L1 though and I will be happy with mid / lower part as a consolidation season.
Saturdays performance though was not good enough for any League.
Lets see how we react.
 
Don't think you can really describe Southend as a small town. Urban area has about 500,000 people living there. We have huge potential but have never shown any sign of reaching it.

High expectations are more a reflection of our 'instant gratification' society than anything else. Most clubs are the same. I listened to BBC Essex on the way home on Saturday, just to depress myself further and if our fans are delusional at times, you should hear some of the gems from Col Ewe fans.

This is a club who have been punching above their weight for 20 years. They have no right to even have a Football League club on their gates, yet they haven't been lower than the third tier since 1998. Their chairman has worked wonders, subsidising their ***** gates for years and building a category 2 academy set-up, yet their fans want him out. Incredible stuff.


This is is often quoted but the reality is we are competing against the London clubs whilst many travel to northern clubs too.

Many have alway's retained their stance "we need a big stadium to progress" which to me remains unknown to say the least.
 
For me, a relatively green shrimper of only 9 years following, I love the unpredictability of our football. If I wanted to watch a team win most weeks and only wonder if it will be 2-0, 3-0 or 2-1 then I would go see Arsenal, Spurs or maybe West Ham.
I get just as disappointed when we play rubbish like on Saturday but the highs esp Wembley are that much greater as we also have the lows which you need for the thrilling roller coaster ride that is SUFC.

UTB:happy:
 
I think if you want to gauge our expectations, look no further than the post match comments from Saturdays game. Bentley had a great game, kicking, handling, he even punched two fisted when he had too and three top, top quality saves when we were chasing the game late on. People now expect Dan to be an 8 every match so their now looking for faults. Even claiming he should have come for stuff that he would have got no where near. So now we have a top keeper making the correct decision on a cross and he gets criticised.

There's not one club in L1 that would not swap their keeper with us in an instant. Yet somehow because we failed to impress going forward we have turned on the defence, who actually played quite well. Giving Dan a 5 or John White a 4 is a perfect example of expecting to much for where we are and what it is actually costing us. Some even claimed it was the worst game they have ever seen. I know from experience if you think that was bad, boy have you got some misery to look forward too.

In the mean time cheer up and look forward to our vital win at the New Den on Saturday:winking:
 
We have come pretty close though! Derby (1972 at a guess). I can't find my SUFC book so I can't give any more dteails :o(

QPR, Liverpool, West Ham, Chelsea

Yep correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Southend have not yet beat a Top level side in the FA Cup in our 110 year history. Not sure how many attempts we have had, will have a quick count up if I get a chance.

Here is I think our complete FA Cup record as a League side v the Top tier:-

1920/1 Spurs Lost 4-1
1925/6 Nottingham Forest Lost 1-0
1932/3 Derby County lost 3-2
1933/5 Sheffield United lost 4-0
1935/6 Spurs Drew 4-4. Lost replay 2-1
1946/7 Everton lost 4-2
1949/50 Blackpool lost 4-0
1954/5 Everton lost 3-1
1955/6 Manchester City lost 1-0
1956/7 Birmingham City lost 6-1
1974/5 QPR drew 2-2, lost replay 2-0
1975/6 Derby County lost 1-0
1977/8 Derby County lost 3-2
1978/9 Liverpool drew 0-0, lost replay 3-0
1991/2 Everton lost 1-0
1992/3 Sheffield Wednesday lost 2-0
1994/5 Southampton lost 2-0
1995/6 West Ham lost 2-0
1996/7 Leicester lost 2-0
2006/7 Spurs lost 3-1
2008/9 Chelsea drew 1-1, lost replay 4-1
2013/4 Hull City lost 2-0

Played 26, Won 0, Drawn 4, Lost 22. Goals For 17, Goals Against 64.
 
If you have a look at the predictions league on where we all thought Southend would finish this year it may give you your answer.
 
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