Battle of the SUFC Players of the 00's: Mark Gower vs Kevin Maher

[manor15]

Mark Gower (Museshrimper)

VERSUS

Kevin Maher (manor15)

Please ONLY vote for your favourite, or who you regard to be the best player of the tie.
Museshrimper please feel free to post messages of why people should vote for your player.
This poll will close in 48 hours.​

 

[manor15]

Kevin Maher

King Kev began his career with Tottenham Hotspur before he moved to Southend United on a free transfer on 23 January 1998. He quickly broke into the first team, making 18 appearances for the first-team that season. During the 1998–99 season, Maher scored his first career goal in a 1–1 draw with Rochdale. Over the next 10 years Maher was a virtual ever-present for Southend, rising to be team captain and subsequently club captain. During this time he made more than 400 appearances for the club, and captained Southend to promotion twice, from League Two to the Championship, in successive seasons including a fine display in the League 2 play-off final. Maher also captained his side to a famous victory over Manchester United in arguably the clubs most successful spell from when he lead the Blues out at the first ever cup final until the famous victory over Manchester United. A fantastic passer of the ball, Maher gained many assists, as well as scoring a few, most memorably a double against QPR in a 5-0 victory, although he was predominantly a defensive central midfielder who sat back and broke up the play well, particularly being so committed. However, in the 07-08 season he had to look elsewhere for first team football and joined Oldham after a loan spell at Gillingham, where he spent the 2009-10 season, but he still makes the effort to come and see the Blues play whenever possible, memorably sitting with fans to see the Blues lose to c*l ewe this season.



Kevin Maher was at the club between 1998 and 2008, earning a testimonial in the process, as he captained the side through the best part of their history, especially between 2003 and 2008 when he captained the side to League 2 Play-Off victory, the League 1 Championship, a win over Manchester United and some of the most memorable moments in the clubs history. The fans favourite scored 22 goals for the Shrimpers in over 400 appearances.​

 

[Napster]

One was over-rated whilst he was here, and has done nothing since, and the other was under-rated here and has done nothing since. Feel free to choose which one I mean.

 

[MK Shrimper]

Marky G: Most influental player of Sir Steve Tilson's glorious reign bar, maybe, Freddy.

 

[Grayson]

Mark Gower - The one player we have missed most since he left, and the one player we have not been able to replace.

Scored plenty of goals from left wing and a huge part of our promotion campaigns whilst being one of our shining lights in the CCC relegation season.

I haven't got the time to do a post as long and detailed at manor15's one, so forgive me, but vote Gower to give him a rightful place as one of the top two players SUFC have had during the 00's.

 

[manor15]

Since leaving SUFC, Kevin Maher has actually scored the same amount of goals as Mark Gower has, and in less games too!
My vote for Kev isn't just because I chose him but while Mark Gower was a fantastic player and did a great job on the wing 9 times out of 10 the balls played out wide to him were from Kev and they were what set up the attack in the first place. Mark was never as effective without Maher in the middle but he only had a handful of games without him so it was never really shown, but without Kev I don't think Gower would have been as good as he was for us, and he's proved that since at Swansea.

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Two true legends of Southend imho. King Kev was here for a hell of a longtime, captain etc. But it was Marky G you looked to for inspiration, skillful, excellent passing & vision, contributed goals and knew how to beat a man and cross it. Lordy how we've missed him.

 

[steveo]

Two true legends of Southend imho. King Kev was here for a hell of a longtime, captain etc. But it was Marky G you looked to for inspiration, skillful, excellent passing & vision, contributed goals and knew how to beat a man and cross it. Lordy how we've missed him.

Agree with that but Gower often went missing as most flair players do, but Maher was there week in week out, and although he often played a few crap balls, he never hid and always came back and tried again.

 

[leeblue]

I simply will not vot for one or the other, both legends for varying reasons and both very good in different ways, too hard

 

[Beefy]

Gower all day long. Kev was a decent enough player, but when Southend were playing well it wasn't Maher that everything went through, it was Gower.

 

[Tommy2holes]

Kevin maher has to be one of the most underated players in southend history. Fantastic passin range always available for the ball and consistant in his performances. He was taken for granted whilst he was here such was his consistancy and he certainly didnt deserve to depart the way he did.

Maher was captain for a reason. He influenced games dictated the play and was fantastic as captain. One of the best readers of the game since mike marsh and greatly tenacious in the tackle.

You get my vote Kev.

Incidentally as good as gower was , he was very inconsistant and was getting poorer towards the end of his time with us. maybe the same could be said of kev , but after ten years at the club who could blame him.

Both incidentally would be in my southend all time x1

 

[Blue_Wes]

Kevin maher has to be one of the most underated players in southend history. Fantastic passin range always available for the ball and consistant in his performances. He was taken for granted whilst he was here such was his consistancy and he certainly didnt deserve to depart the way he did.

Maher was captain for a reason. He influenced games dictated the play and was fantastic as captain. One of the best readers of the game since mike marsh and greatly tenacious in the tackle.

You get my vote Kev.

Incidentally as good as gower was , he was very inconsistant and was getting poorer towards the end of his time with us. maybe the same could be said of kev , but after ten years at the club who could blame him.

Both incidentally would be in my southend all time x1

110% agree with your comments on Maher and couldn't put it better myself, and would rep you if I could...

I'll can only add by repeating what I said about Maher in the previous round....

Maher for me epitomises everything a smart player should be, strong, passionate, skilful, talented, visionary and a leader. Often criticised for the sideways pass, but it creates space and allows the ball to progress as opposed to a hopeful ball into the crowded centre of the park or towards statuesque strikers that the crowd often called for. Always battled to the very end, and gave his all for the club, not very often do you find a plyaer that is a fighter and has ability. The only problem Maher had here was that so many players were just not on his wavelength. Captain Fantastic!!!

I love Marky G to bits, but for me Maher is a true legend and so vastly and criminally underated!!

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

Mark Gower. You never know what you've got 'til it's gone.

 

[Beefy]

For me, Maher is almost criminally over-rated. Those who delight in waxing lyrical about his decade of dedication seem to ignore the fact that he was abysmal for a great many of those years. Apparently if you didn't rate Maher then you don't understand football, and yet in ten years here how many Clubs came in for him? That suggests to me that there are a huge number of football managers around who don't know much about football.

For what it's worth, Maher would probably get close to my all time XI too (although would be behind Whelan, Marsh and Butler for the midfield spots). He was a good player with a lot of intelligence and who retained possession well. At his best he could dictate the tempo of the game. He did not walk on water though and he was extremely limited in a huge number of parts of the game. He had very little mobility, no pace, was one footed, rarely tackled, was petulant, didn't score enough goals and those truely great performances were few and far between. Clearly I'm in a minority considering that he won Player of the Year that season, but for me the decision to build around a player who was so clearly out of his depth, and past his best, for almost the entire season in the Championship was a massive reason behind our eventual relegation.

Again, I like Maher and thought he was a decent player for us but listening to some it sounds like he was a cross between Roy Keane and Glenn Hoddle.

 

[Napster]

For me, Maher is almost criminally over-rated. Those who delight in waxing lyrical about his decade of dedication seem to ignore the fact that he has abysmal for a great many of those years. Apparently if you didn't rate Maher then you don't understand football, and yet in ten years here how many Clubs came in for him? That suggests to me that there are a huge number of football managers around who don't know much about football.

For what it's worth, Maher would probably get close to my all time XI too (although would be behind Whelan, Marsh and Butler for the midfield spots). He was a good player with a lot of intelligence and who retained possession well. At his best he could dictate the tempo of the game. He did not walk on water though and he was extremely limited in a huge number of parts of the game. He had very little mobility, no pace, was one footed, rarely tackled, was petulant, didn't score enough goals and those truely great performances were few and far between. Clearly I'm in a minority considering that he won Player of the Year that season, but for me the decision to build around a player who was so clearly out of his depth, and past his best, for almost the entire season in the Championship was a massive reason behind our eventual relegation.

Again, I like Maher and thought he was a decent player for us but listening to some it sounds like he was a cross between Roy Keane and Glenn Hoddle.

what he said. cant head the ball either.

 

[Pubey]

For me, Maher is almost criminally over-rated. Those who delight in waxing lyrical about his decade of dedication seem to ignore the fact that he has abysmal for a great many of those years. Apparently if you didn't rate Maher then you don't understand football, and yet in ten years here how many Clubs came in for him? That suggests to me that there are a huge number of football managers around who don't know much about football.

For what it's worth, Maher would probably get close to my all time XI too (although would be behind Whelan, Marsh and Butler for the midfield spots). He was a good player with a lot of intelligence and who retained possession well. At his best he could dictate the tempo of the game. He did not walk on water though and he was extremely limited in a huge number of parts of the game. He had very little mobility, no pace, was one footed, rarely tackled, was petulant, didn't score enough goals and those truely great performances were few and far between. Clearly I'm in a minority considering that he won Player of the Year that season, but for me the decision to build around a player who was so clearly out of his depth, and past his best, for almost the entire season in the Championship was a massive reason behind our eventual relegation.

Again, I like Maher and thought he was a decent player for us but listening to some it sounds like he was a cross between Roy Keane and Glenn Hoddle.

absolutely.

He captained us during probably our most successful period, however I don't really think he was that great a captain, either.

His performance against QPR was an absolute joy to watch however.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

For me, Maher is almost criminally over-rated. Those who delight in waxing lyrical about his decade of dedication seem to ignore the fact that he was abysmal for a great many of those years. Apparently if you didn't rate Maher then you don't understand football, and yet in ten years here how many Clubs came in for him? That suggests to me that there are a huge number of football managers around who don't know much about football.

For what it's worth, Maher would probably get close to my all time XI too (although would be behind Whelan, Marsh and Butler for the midfield spots). He was a good player with a lot of intelligence and who retained possession well. At his best he could dictate the tempo of the game. He did not walk on water though and he was extremely limited in a huge number of parts of the game. He had very little mobility, no pace, was one footed, rarely tackled, was petulant, didn't score enough goals and those truely great performances were few and far between. Clearly I'm in a minority considering that he won Player of the Year that season, but for me the decision to build around a player who was so clearly out of his depth, and past his best, for almost the entire season in the Championship was a massive reason behind our eventual relegation.

Again, I like Maher and thought he was a decent player for us but listening to some it sounds like he was a cross between Roy Keane and Glenn Hoddle.

Great summation of Maher's strengths and weaknesses

I have only two comments: (1) Maher might have walked on water because he certainly didn't run except on special occasions, especially in the earlier part of his SUFC career (although his most culpable seasons are outside the time frame here); and (2) I think you are being unduly harsh on him in the championship. I wouldn't necessarily blame him, but the balance in midfield (and Maher's limitations made him difficult to balance the midfield) was way out and we desperately needed someone who could (a) run and (b) put their foot in, in addition to some creativity (oh and a proper keeper and decent centre-half).

 

[Beefy]

(2) I think you are being unduly harsh on him in the championship. I wouldn't necessarily blame him, but the balance in midfield (and Maher's limitations made him difficult to balance the midfield) was way out and we desperately needed someone who could (a) run and (b) put their foot in, in addition to some creativity (oh and a proper keeper and decent centre-half).

As I said, I wasn't blaming him. The failure was to build the team around him when he obviously needed a partner alongside him who compliamented his game (and he did get that for the second half of the season). When he was alongside Hunt or Clarke for great chunks of that year they were the ones who were having to try to step forward because Maher lacked the mobility to play anywhere other than right in front of the back four.

The only time we looked like playing our way out of trouble after the post-QPR slump was when Gower moved inside to partner McCormack during one of Kev's suspensions. I said at the time that that was the midfield that I'd have liked to have seen. Gower was our best player at that point and should have been in a position where he saw the ball the most.

 

[Blue_Wes]

Agree Maher didn't have the greatest of starts, but he grew into one of the clubs best ever captains, and that he was able to year on year improve from a much derived figure to a much lauded one is testament to the guy's character. I also agree that Maher did have his faults, i.e. lack of pace and goals and not knowing when to shut up. However, and most improtantly, Maher also knew his strengths and weaknesses, and he played to his strengths optimising his performances on the pitch. He was heavily criticised in many departments, mostly for the sideways ball and dead ball delivery. However, Barrett certainly benefitted from his dead balls, and the sideways ball was as said by many a way of progressing the ball forward, and an effective one as I'm sure Gower amongst others will testify.

The comment to put him behind Whelan in terms of an all time midfield does baffle me, aside from a glorious free kick against Bristol City in his single season (maybe season and a bit) playing for us, I don't really recall Whelan having a huge impact on the team (not until he became manager anyway).

 

[Blue_Wes]

As I said, I wasn't blaming him. The failure was to build the team around him when he obviously needed a partner alongside him who compliamented his game (and he did get that for the second half of the season). When he was alongside Hunt or Clarke for great chunks of that year they were the ones who were having to try to step forward because Maher lacked the mobility to play anywhere other than right in front of the back four.

The only time we looked like playing our way out of trouble after the post-QPR slump was when Gower moved inside to partner McCormack during one of Kev's suspensions. I said at the time that that was the midfield that I'd have liked to have seen. Gower was our best player at that point and should have been in a position where he saw the ball the most.

I think this goes back to the point about how hopeless our defence is, to me Maher was acting as the cover for a defence that was continually being exposed and frequently making mistakes; I always lambusted Clarke at the time for adding to the pressure by giving the ball away way too frequently and lampooning up the pitch, whilst Maher was constantly covering the all too many mistakes being made across the pitch. That was my impression of Maher in the Championship anyway.