Blair Sturrock - a plea to our so-called fans...

[Gremlin]

Sherif you're not going to get anything out of moaning at the Blair haters on here. Most people who cannot see what he brings to the team are unable to read or construct a coherent sentence.

Edited for accuracy.

 

[Blueshrimper]

People forget Blair is fourth possibly fifth choice striker. I thought he was fantastic Saturday and the fact we can still have players like that to come in during an injury crisis is a testament to our strength in depth.

 

[ooh-andy-ansah]

If Blair Sturrock wasn't here there would be an identical thread to this discussing whoever else was this season's target for the boo boys. There always has to be someone and it isn't unique to Southend either. It's a fact of life that some people only go to football matches to moan at ther own players. It is effectively a cheap alternative to psychiatric treatment for the culprits and reduces prison/mental hospital overcrowding.

This is so accurate !

 

[Nigel Blue]

Luggy told me at the training ground last week that Blair was 2 weeks away from match fitness, but there had no choice to play him. Given that, I think his effort was tremendous, and link up play (Blair calls it linkage (yes, we know he is a bit batty)) something we've not had so far.

I'm not convinced that the manager looks upon Blair as a 4th option, and from my trips to training through pre-season and onwards, there appears to be a very good understanding between Blair and Neil Harris, so perhaps that could be an option used by Luggy albeit fitness on both accounts

 

[Wise Head]

Sherif you're not going to get anything out of moaning at the Blair haters on here. Most people who cannot see what he brings to the team are unable to read or construct a coherent argument. For what it's worth I think he's a decent player but his limitations are obvious and I wouldn't have him ahead of Dickinson, Harris or Corr. But he's a more than able replacement when needed and he played very well on Saturday.

I don't think there are many if any Blair haters - however there are a considerable amount of people that don't rate him as anything other than a non league player playing above his level. They see his style of play & don't judge the criteria of holding up the ball well, linking play and doing a lot of running around as anything other than a basic criteria for any forward. Some times he does this well & other times not, but overall for many people this is still an ineffective performance and we have to rely on other players to score the goals, make the assists, put pressure on the defence by running at them & generally making life difficult for the defenders.

Your comments on whether those that can't see what he brings to the team are unable to read or construct a coherent sentence are unfair & the many threads on Blair last season showed very reasoned debate (particularly by Blues Wes) if I remember correctly. They are backed up by the harsh fact that no other league manager has ever come in for Blair when he was a free agent and when Sturrock senior wasn't in management he ended up in non league and the last time he had to settle for Truro. Whilst these facts are uncomfortable for Blair fans they make perfect sense for people thast don't rate him.

I agree with you that he is behind Corr, Dickinson, & Harris in the pecking order. There is alot of frustration that we are putting Blair ahead of others - in particular younger players who need experience of first team football to improve and might then be our new stars of tomorrow (such as Ferdinand). Whether Crawford or Asante are in that category we will never know as Blair seems to be prefered above them, which begs the question of why keep them.



The reason why not many people who don't rate Blair haven't commented on this thread is likely that we have had the debate so many times last season & as neither side of the argument will budge an inch so it in all honesty becomes a bit boring.

 

[ooh-andy-ansah]

Do we really need all this debate about Blair ? Yes he's not Messi but the subject of this thread was about miserable old ***** that abuse our own players during the match.

 

[Jai]

It's more the people (some of whom sit near me) that spend 90 minutes abusing him and celebrating when he is substituted that I was getting at. If people don't rate him that's fine of course but it's those that blindly abuse him that I can't stand. There are plenty of them.

 

[wickfordtilly]

i am a blair hater, and so if my uncle steve , and cousin paul,

 

[davewebbsbrain]

i am a blair hater, and so if my uncle steve , and cousin paul,

You also seem to be a hater of grammar.

 

[ooh-andy-ansah]

i am a blair hater, and so if my uncle steve , and cousin paul,

Pity your uncle didn't like Gary Hooper :winking:

 

[wickfordtilly]

he rated freddy and the oters!!

 

[southendkid]

i am a blair hater, and so if my uncle steve , and cousin paul,

Congratulations, I'm sure Blair appreciates the abuse you direct at him, do you actually want Southend to do well right now? Reading your posts it seems you can't move on from Tilly and you feel Sturrock is the worst manager the club has ever had

 

[Wise Head]

No Southend or indeed any other football player should be abused by their own fans when they are doing their best - it's not at all helpful. Criticism is best left to discussions in the pub or on sites like this. However abuse from fans to their own players has always gone on and while not right is something that most players have to cope with. You can't have all the kuedos, money & adulation of being a pro football player without there being some downsides. I am also against other professionals that take a fair amount of abuse at their workplace - police officers, nurses, ambulance staff, teachers, MPs, bailiffs, call centre staff, etc etc etc.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

he rated freddy and the oters!!

Freddy and the otters > Alvin and the chipmunks.

 

[Mick]

I am struggling to believe that there are 7 pages, 94 (95 now) posts and a couple of thousand viewings because someone heard someone shout something mildy unpleasant.

Generally the crowd were supportive of Blair Sturrock. The ovation he got when leaving the pitch was generous and certainly no less than he deserved.

He is a squad player; he won't start many matches when there is a reasonably full selection to choose from. He has significant limitations which are not outweighed by his attributes. He is making a living out of a game he is unexceptional at playing.

He gets plenty of support so it's not worth getting excited if one or two people voice their alternative opinions.

 

[Fairport]

I don't think there are many if any Blair haters - however there are a considerable amount of people that don't rate him as anything other than a non league player playing above his level. They see his style of play & don't judge the criteria of holding up the ball well, linking play and doing a lot of running around as anything other than a basic criteria for any forward. Some times he does this well & other times not, but overall for many people this is still an ineffective performance and we have to rely on other players to score the goals, make the assists, put pressure on the defence by running at them & generally making life difficult for the defenders.

Your comments on whether those that can't see what he brings to the team are unable to read or construct a coherent sentence are unfair & the many threads on Blair last season showed very reasoned debate (particularly by Blues Wes) if I remember correctly. They are backed up by the harsh fact that no other league manager has ever come in for Blair when he was a free agent and when Sturrock senior wasn't in management he ended up in non league and the last time he had to settle for Truro. Whilst these facts are uncomfortable for Blair fans they make perfect sense for people thast don't rate him.

I agree with you that he is behind Corr, Dickinson, & Harris in the pecking order. There is alot of frustration that we are putting Blair ahead of others - in particular younger players who need experience of first team football to improve and might then be our new stars of tomorrow (such as Ferdinand). Whether Crawford or Asante are in that category we will never know as Blair seems to be prefered above them, which begs the question of why keep them.



The reason why not many people who don't rate Blair haven't commented on this thread is likely that we have had the debate so many times last season & as neither side of the argument will budge an inch so it in all honesty becomes a bit boring.

Fully agree, sums up what many fans think. It probably won't put an end to the debate though!

 

[OldBlueLady]

i am a blair hater, and so if my uncle steve , and cousin paul,

Well, let's hope "uncle" Steve is not quite as chauvinistic as you then, telling me "women have no play in football" and "to get back to the kitchen". What a very silly little boy you obviously are.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

90% of Southend fans know what Blair is about and appreciate what he does for the side. I am a Blair rater but this thread has become a total yawn-fest.

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

90% of Southend fans know what Blair is about and appreciate what he does for the side. I am a Blair rater but this thread has become a total yawn-fest.

Yawn-City.

For what it is worth, Blair's rat tail has taken a turn for the worse. I literally don't know what is going on with that!

 

[mfurok]

I don't think there are many if any Blair haters - however there are a considerable amount of people that don't rate him as anything other than a non league player playing above his level. They see his style of play & don't judge the criteria of holding up the ball well, linking play and doing a lot of running around as anything other than a basic criteria for any forward. Some times he does this well & other times not, but overall for many people this is still an ineffective performance and we have to rely on other players to score the goals, make the assists, put pressure on the defence by running at them & generally making life difficult for the defenders.

Your comments on whether those that can't see what he brings to the team are unable to read or construct a coherent sentence are unfair & the many threads on Blair last season showed very reasoned debate (particularly by Blues Wes) if I remember correctly. They are backed up by the harsh fact that no other league manager has ever come in for Blair when he was a free agent and when Sturrock senior wasn't in management he ended up in non league and the last time he had to settle for Truro. Whilst these facts are uncomfortable for Blair fans they make perfect sense for people thast don't rate him.

I agree with you that he is behind Corr, Dickinson, & Harris in the pecking order. There is alot of frustration that we are putting Blair ahead of others - in particular younger players who need experience of first team football to improve and might then be our new stars of tomorrow (such as Ferdinand). Whether Crawford or Asante are in that category we will never know as Blair seems to be prefered above them, which begs the question of why keep them.

The reason why not many people who don't rate Blair haven't commented on this thread is likely that we have had the debate so many times last season & as neither side of the argument will budge an inch so it in all honesty becomes a bit boring.

'holding up the ball well, linking play and doing a lot of running around as anything other than a basic criteria for any forward.'

If these are your basic criteria for a forward - how come Corr heads your lists of forwards?