Coughlan postmatch interview:

[dannypav]

"the players have not bought into the system"

To me this translates as either
1. The manager hasn't a clue
2. He's losing the dressing room.
3. 1 and 2.

This translates to me as "Both me and the boss have explained time and time again how we want them to play , but for some reason , they either don't get it or aren't capable of performing the way they are instructed"

 

[rlb999]

The issue has always been the home form under Sturrock. People may take issue with the way we play away from home, but the number of points we pick up speaks for itself. Last season we failed to go up with 83 points - if you look we dropped silly points at home on a number of occasions and this is what ultimately cost us.

We're also a couple of players light at the moment, certainly in the middle of the park. Whatever the club or Sturrock has said on this matter, its fairly obvious reading between the lines that we've not been able to bring in the people PS would have liked. That's the situation we're in - frustrating though it is, I don't think we can blame the manager for it. At Morecambe we were left with Spicer and Leonard in the middle and we nearly got away with it! I don't think we can blame the manager when ultimately we get found out.

I think we also need to look at ourselves honestly and admit that there's an element of our home support that doesn't help our cause. I've watched the Blues for over 20 years and it's always been there - over that time period, good players have come in for silly amounts of stick, and players who are badly off form (paul smith?) have received no support whatsoever. I don't notice this as much away from home - there are a couple of grounds where fans get on their teams back, but I think we're one of the worst offenders in this area. We're supposed to be supporters and certain individuals simply don't understand this.

 

[Reg Martin]

Those fans who do get behind the team are also entitled to complain when they get served up a pile of garbage.
What frustrates me though is that there are far too many Southend fans who shout/sing very little in encouragement but are very quick to get on the players backs with every mistake.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

I agree we MUST be positive with what players we have out there or on the bench; they are what we have and getting on their backs DOES NOT help them or us. However I do find the team selections and substitutions unfathomable & I can only assume it is because of too often unexplained injuries, unrest or poor training. Some of the transfer and loan activity is also hard to work out a logic to for this season & last year. PS is a hard man to comprehend and at the end of each match my gut reaction is too often that there was too little entertainment or skill, the players work hard but don't seem fit enough or have faith in the way they are told to play. I believe Grant wanted to go as much for football reasons as much as for an extended contract 7 some of the non signings (such as Hills) could be for the same reasons.

 

[Beverly Hills Cop Blue]

Well its hardly the first time players have said they don't like playing at RH, its been happening for years.

That said I didn't see much better at Morecambe and you can't get much further away from RH

I seem to recall Steve Wignall claiming a few players went to see him about the fear they had of playing at Roots Hall. Wignall named David McSweeney as one of those few.

 

[Beverly Hills Cop Blue]

What's the likelihood that when a manager full of experience is struggling (well 3 points off of playoffs) that someone with no experience whatsoever turn things around ?

Tilly did when he was a rookie that replaced an experienced manager in Wignall and saved our FL staus when we appeared to be diving forward with pace out of it. Thats not to say he was still the right man when he left in 2010. The thing is if a younger manager came in and if there was worse to come or at least things stayed the same fans would then say if only we had a guy with expewrience and that Luggy going wasn't the answer after all. A classic no-win scenario.

 

[Beverly Hills Cop Blue]

I agree we MUST be positive with what players we have out there or on the bench; they are what we have and getting on their backs DOES NOT help them or us. However I do find the team selections and substitutions unfathomable & I can only assume it is because of too often unexplained injuries, unrest or poor training. Some of the transfer and loan activity is also hard to work out a logic to for this season & last year. PS is a hard man to comprehend and at the end of each match my gut reaction is too often that there was too little entertainment or skill, the players work hard but don't seem fit enough or have faith in the way they are told to play. I believe Grant wanted to go as much for football reasons as much as for an extended contract 7 some of the non signings (such as Hills) could be for the same reasons.

Maybe. Actually Grant had wanted out for a while. He and Mr Brady did not see eye to eye.

 

[Beefy]

At the end of the day, Roots Hall could be the most passionate ground in the country and the fanbase could be get behind the team like none other and we're still not going to win many football matches with this midfield. It's by far the most important position in any team and to be honest it's probably where we were lacking last year and certainly is this year.

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

At the end of the day, Roots Hall could be the most passionate ground in the country and the fanbase could be get behind the team like none other and we're still not going to win many football matches with this midfield. It's by far the most important position in any team and to be honest it's probably where we were lacking last year and certainly is this year.

Really? Grant, Timlin, Ferdinand, Kalala plus others I'm sure that I can't think of. Give me them 3 players back now and I would be "well appy".

 

[Beefy]

Last season's midfield was much better than this seaosn's midfield and any of Grant, Kalala or Ferdinand would stroll into this year's side. I think if you compared our team to those around us in the promotion mix last year our midfield is where we didn't compare too favourably though. Anthony Grant would have competed for a place in Swindon, Crewe or Shrewsbury's midfield. I'm not convinced the others would have done.

 

[Jam_Man]

Maybe. Actually Grant had wanted out for a while. He and Mr Brady did not see eye to eye.

Brady left 6 months before Grant so doubt that had any bearing on it when he left.