Chris Powell's transfer business - a retrospective

[dannypav]

I know it’s far from as simple as I’m going to put it , but for me , Hopper stays fit , Powell keeps his job.
Fine margins

 

[Jay_SUFC]

It's all well and good looking at his transfer record, which on paper may look ok, but the biggest issue for me was the teams fitness.

When CP took over from PB, he had the advantage of the previous fitness regime; once this was under his control, it went quickly downhill.

I don't think I've ever witnessed such an unfit Southend side in all my years watching them!

 

[South Bank Hank]

I think the only one he got badly wrong was Hyam. I think we all raised questions marks over his injury record and lack of football...

...ability to wear a ******* pair of shorts properly...

...and it was no real surprise when we got absolutely no bang for our buck.

Don't know why that habit particularly got on my nerves so much, but it bloody well did! If he'd concentrated more on being able to kick a football then rolling up short 'trouser' legs, he might have had more success.

 

[amsemp]

Did you actually watch any of his matches for us?. I would say he was quite possibly the worst I've ever seen at Southend over 40 years and that is a big statement. Awful awful player who was way out of his depth.

He definitely wasn’t that bad! He wasn’t great granted, but nowhere near the worst. Another confidence player I think. Looked good during his loan spell but struggled when the going got tough. Still didn’t expect him to drop way, way out of the football league and then end up in the conference south. Thought he would’ve got himself a conference team at least.

 

[bluesfansince1952]

For what it is worth here is my take on his signings:
Freddy Ladapo: a disaster, as, for whatever reason, he failed to score in ten appearances for us and was then released. He was picked up by Plymouth, scored eighteen goals for them before being sold on to Rotherham for half a million. Bringing him to Southend was a good piece of work, but, releasing him hints at incompetence as his potential was not spotted. It is easy to wise after the event, but, should it not have been realised he was worth hanging on to?
Sam Barratt: a sad and unlucky tale. He looked like he might be a useful acquisition during the pre season but then went down with a serious knee injury. By the time he was fit enough to play again chaos reigned at the club, and, his confidence needed rebuilding after such a serious injury. MM likes speedy forwards (would he have loved Wayne Gray or not?), and, he was let go at the beginning of this season which I thought was a shame as I love a long throw in. A fair enough signing but an unlucky one. No blame attached to anyone as it just did not work out.
Harry Lennon: on the one hand I can see why he was signed as he has all the attributes of League 1 impact player. The first game I ever watched on I Follow was a pre season friendly against Leeds and he put in a MOM performance, defending stoutly as well as heading home from a corner. Unfortunealy, he has proved to be extraordinarily fragile and quite unable to put together a lengthy string of appearances. Since 2013 he has just played in seventy seven league games and in two and a half seasons with us has only turned out thirty four times. Could his injury proneness have been detected before he signed for us? He cost us a fee, and, I suspect, his wages are not cheap so it can be said this was not CP's best piece of work.
Isaac Hutchison: was he signed by CP? I thought he came to us via Ricky Duncan but I could be wrong. If I am please correct me.
Tim Dieng: is now in the form of his life, and, is slowly winning over the fan base, but, for a while was one the most reviled players on SZ. In 2018/19 he started quite brightly with us, and, despite sometimes being hampered by a calf injury did play forty three times. Last season there were more injuries, and, his form was patchy, but he now seems to be flourishing under the present set up. He can be regarded as a plus signing right now but not many would have agreed with that proposition six months ago. Long may his commanding form continue as I have always liked him.
Sam Mantom: he looked useful when he first came to us, but, somehow his form slowly deteriorated, and, he seemed particularly affected by the chaos that prevailed last under Bond/Waddock/Campbell. Such a sharp drop off in effectiveness could hardly have been predicted, and, by the end of last season he bore no resemblance to the player of two seasons ago. Not a successful signing but I doubt if his drop in form could have been foreseen and these things can happen in football.
Tom Hopper: I was always a fan and thought him a great signing. Unfortunately, he was also the victim of a serious injury after being with us not long. He was out for over a year but by the time he was fit enough to play again the club was already a complete mess and the season irretrievable. We sold him as were in desperate need of funds at the time. He had the potential to be a Southend legend but was cursed by bad luck. Probably CP's best signing, and we did receive a decent fee for him.
Luke Hyam: twenty three games over two seasons. I have no idea of how much he was being paid but I suspect if we were to divide the total money he received from the club by the twenty three games he played he might be right up there as one of the worst signings we ever made. His injury record was not good even before he came to us so perhaps these problems could have been foreseen. In hindsight, a shorter contract might have been a better option but we were stuck with him for two seasons.
Stephen Humphrys: another CP signing who endured injury problems. He looked the goods at the beginning and later scored 'the goal' vs Sunderland but despite his obvious ability was not fulfilling his potential by the time he moved on to Rochdale at beginning of this season. Had CP managed to keep his job, or, had we found someone half competent to replace him would things have turned out differently? After what he had to endure under the enigmatic Sol Campbell it was entirely logical he would want to leave Southend. By no means a bad signing but the fates conspired against him having the career he might have had with us.
Of the loanees Shayon Harrison and Mc Coulsky had a limited impact with, and, as I remember, Stockdale was an emergency loan who played just three times for us. Harry Bunn put in a shift from time to time although he was yet another CP signing who spent a lot of time on the treatment table. Taylor Moore might be struggling to establish himself in a top Championship side but I thought was an effective League 1 player. A very good long term loan signing. And Sam Hart we know well. He is wholehearted and more than useful in League 2, and, I have no doubt he can hold his own in League 1.
Yes, CP had bad luck with injuries with some players but both Lennon and Hyam were known as being fragile even before coming to Southend. They can only be seen as terrible signings while Ladapo perhaps should never have been released. I am willing to give him the benefit of doubt in respect of Humphrys, Mantom and Barratt.
Hopper was super signing while Taylor Moore was a good one.
Dieng and Hart are still with us, and in the future hopefully they can both play for us long enough for me to reappraise CP's record.
At of now I would submit that overall his record is mixed only.

 

[dannypav]

...ability to wear a ******* pair of shorts properly...


Don't know why that habit particularly got on my nerves so much, but it bloody well did! If he'd concentrated more on being able to kick a football then rolling up short 'trouser' legs, he might have had more success.

You see I’m totally opposed to your views on this.
I think if more of our team had rolled up their shorts in that manner , we would have stayed in L1 and probably progressed this season.
I see him as ‘ahead of the game’ and a ‘trendsetter’.
The fact that the other players never caught on showed a lack of vision on their part.
In Luke we trust ( or should have )

 

[Rob1920]

He certainly oversaw the start of our horrific run of injuries. Whether that was down to training methods and/or fitness who knows. We do know the managers that followed him all complained at the poor fitness levels and that seems to have been a CP legacy..

 

[South Bank Hank]

You see I’m totally opposed to your views on this.
I think if more of our team had rolled up their shorts in that manner , we would have stayed in L1 and probably progressed this season.
I see him as ‘ahead of the game’ and a ‘trendsetter’.
The fact that the other players never caught on showed a lack of vision on their part.
In Luke we trust ( or should have )

I think your mistake is that they were meant to pull their socks up.

My mistake was shouting "Hyam, pull your bloody shorts down".

 

[Murkey_Mouse]

Luke Hyam spend his weekend going out & get ****ed with his mate, which didn’t help as his recovery from his injury got worst due to his drinking etc.

 

[jarvisyeh]

He certainly oversaw the start of our horrific run of injuries. Whether that was down to training methods and/or fitness who knows. We do know the managers that followed him all complained at the poor fitness levels and that seems to have been a CP legacy..

Injuries were awful and in hindsight that Huddersfield fan warning us probably got his management spot on.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

Here's where I may be able to enlighten.
CP inherited a dressing room, which by then was all but toxic.
There were players who were useful to us like Cox, Kightly and others, but turning that around was beyond him.
Folks have remarked on the squad's fitness, but that says something about certain players attitudes.
Was everyone busting a gut?
They most certainly weren't, and the sergeant-major bullying favoured by some managers is definitely not CP's style.
MM's inheritance was tough, but it was different. At least most of his squad at the beginning of the season were trying.

 

[OldBlueLady]

On Woody, he was ready to sign the new contract he'd been offered and stay but CP then told him he'd be playing wide left. I still to this day don't know why, as Woody is a central player, but CP clearly saw Mantom as superior in that position and that's one of his biggest failings. Woody is a man of principle and said he couldn't see himself playing there long term and was allowed to go.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

On Woody, he was ready to sign the new contract he'd been offered and stay but CP then told him he'd be playing wide left. I still to this day don't know why, as Woody is a central player, but CP clearly saw Mantom as superior in that position and that's one of his biggest failings. Woody is a man of principle and said he couldn't see himself playing there long term and was allowed to go.

Completely bonkers decision by CP!!

 

[Grayson]

Completely bonkers decision by CP!!

It was a year early, granted, as Wordsworth completed 37 league games in the season after he left - more than he ever managed in a season with us - but Wordsworth's number of games in the past couple of seasons suggests CP was right to think about transitioning beyond him.

If it was a fit and regularly available Wordsworth it of course was bonkers, but it wasn't and CP thought he could use the resources better elsewhere. Hindsight and replacements suggest it was a bad decision but if the replacements were good, I don't think anyone here would be disagreeing today.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

On Woody, he was ready to sign the new contract he'd been offered and stay but CP then told him he'd be playing wide left. I still to this day don't know why, as Woody is a central player, but CP clearly saw Mantom as superior in that position and that's one of his biggest failings. Woody is a man of principle and said he couldn't see himself playing there long term and was allowed to go.

Because you can't play Wordsworth centrally in a 4-4-2 as the midfield will get overrun.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I hope that now time has passed and eased the pain, now that folks are reassessing Mr Powell 's time here as manager, that any nastiness has been binned.
He is a lovely guy and should always be remembered as a great player for us.
I am off the main thread topic BUT, when crowds are back, when we are safe, it would, imo, be really good to se him back at The Hall, maybe presenting POS awards, but certainly made welcome.

 

[Rob1920]

I'll always remember CP fondly as a player, proper legend on that front. But just not sure he's a manager. Appears to be a good coach going by his career but just don't think he was tough enough to handle lower league journeymen with an attitude. You could imagine Phil Brown having a fight with some of them if need be, whereas with CP it was probably more 'lets have a cuppa and discuss why you think I'm a useless ****' Also the fitness thing, yes it could have been down to the attitude of some players, but isn't that what a manager is there for, to sort that out & turn them into a team? Loved CP as a player, but not a manager in my opinion.

 

[rigsby]

I see a few of he old myths about CP have appeared again. Bern Clarkson had more players to work with than CP had in training. Thats why they weren't at the right fitness levels, he couldn't afford to push the players. Jogging, sprints and keep ball are fine but you need proper game time (including training) to really achieve a top level.

That means he was left with a team that players were never going to look good in because we were struggling for points. Their was no place in that squad for Wordsworth for the simple reason we had Dru. And no its not his fault that Dru had problems in the summer or the ref gave Sunderland an amnesty to kick him off the park. In 5 days we had lost Hopper, Lennon, with a leg break rather than some mystery pull that some almost accuse him off in a doubting tone. Then Coker gets carried of at the Sunderland game.

If we go back to the end the previous season v Bristol R on the last day. The irony is that when Dru went off with the injury, in the same game Wordsworth was playing for a contract out on the left. He sulked and put minimal effort in, so sealed his own fait. As for Timlin, I wont go into details but his fists are the reason he was released. Besides most of you thought he was useless on the ball and have forgotten him arguing with fans in his last season.

Anyway even with all the above had Hopper or Humph had not got their injuries then we would have never been in trouble. Both were excellent signings and could have done really well for us. They could have been just behind Stan and Freddy as the best in the last 40 years. They didn't cost anything, they were signed in the same season and we have made money on them.

As for CP not being a good manger. He signed virtually new squad for Charlton and took them from a bottom half finish in L1 to champions the next season. His signings and his style got the results.

So as for 'to nice'....Sometimes its your child or your grandchild that is the problem not the teacher.....I have always felt football and life are much closer than most believe. We now live in a world of blame someone else at all costs. Well how about dealing with the wrong behaviour in the first place. That may save a lot of misery down the line a few decent people their job in the first place.

Im glad he has a good job without the pressure at Spurs and he is the first on my team sheet in any all time Southend 11...Other slots are debatable but not the LB.

 

[Barling Magna]

bluesfansince1952 wrote:

"Sam Barratt: a sad and unlucky tale. He looked like he might be a useful acquisition during the pre season but then went down with a serious knee injury. By the time he was fit enough to play again chaos reigned at the club, and, his confidence needed rebuilding after such a serious injury. MM likes speedy forwards (would he have loved Wayne Gray or not?), and, he was let go at the beginning of this season which I thought was a shame as I love a long throw in."


You should love Greg Halford then. He has a long throw that is fast and with a low trajectory, rather different to Ryan Leonard's slower, loopy long throws and thus more effective.

I guess Rory Delap had one of the longest long throws and they led to many goals. There was a player for Stockport back in the day who had a really long throw too but I can't remember his name. I hope that Halford will be able to use his long throws to assist in scoring many goals for us this season (assuming he is retained).

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

bluesfansince1952 wrote:

"Sam Barratt: a sad and unlucky tale. He looked like he might be a useful acquisition during the pre season but then went down with a serious knee injury. By the time he was fit enough to play again chaos reigned at the club, and, his confidence needed rebuilding after such a serious injury. MM likes speedy forwards (would he have loved Wayne Gray or not?), and, he was let go at the beginning of this season which I thought was a shame as I love a long throw in."


You should love Greg Halford then. He has a long throw that is fast and with a low trajectory, rather different to Ryan Leonard's slower, loopy long throws and thus more effective.

I guess Rory Delap had one of the longest long throws and they led to many goals. There was a player for Stockport back in the day who had a really long throw too but I can't remember his name. I hope that Halford will be able to use his long throws to assist in scoring many goals for us this season (assuming he is retained).

Are you thinking of Dave Challinor at Tranmere (Tranmere/Stockport - all northern)?

Last year we had so many long throw experts - Shaughnessy, Barratt, Milligan..