Demi officially caretaker manager.

[overseas shrimper]

Catching up and reading through this thread was becoming depressing... until the last couple of pages that have countered to bile, anger, toxicity and hatred.

There's a particularly nasty SUFC related Facebook group that's full of negativity, slagging off and hate (mostly posted by nasty individuals who aren't even clued up at all) and I ignore that group now. It would be a shame if this fine site ends up like that.

It seems that, after the past few seasons, a lot of people have become so bitter they have forgotten how to see any good or support this club. They want to hate on everyone. JD steps up to the plate when he is needed and he gets this crap. SC tries to help us in our time of need in various ways and he gets criticism and hate (mostly on that vile Facebook page). I could go on.

Some people have ended with the club they deserve. Not all.

 

[superblue24]

Catching up and reading through this thread was becoming depressing... until the last couple of pages that have countered to bile, anger, toxicity and hatred.

There's a particularly nasty SUFC related Facebook group that's full of negativity, slagging off and hate (mostly posted by nasty individuals who aren't even clued up at all) and I ignore that group now. It would be a shame if this fine site ends up like that.

It seems that, after the past few seasons, a lot of people have become so bitter they have forgotten how to see any good or support this club. They want to hate on everyone. JD steps up to the plate when he is needed and he gets this crap. SC tries to help us in our time of need in various ways and he gets criticism and hate (mostly on that vile Facebook page). I could go on.

Some people have ended with the club they deserve. Not all.

SUFC's downfall has come from within, blaming the fans is a pathetic excuse and like blaming a plane crash on the witnesses on the ground. You can't be a "bit pregnant", and if we really want to breathe fresh air and life into the club, wholesale changes have to happen. Demi's performances for years have been insipid, and he risks being sent off every week with that big mouth of his. Just because someone in the calmness of a "meet the blues day" is nice as pie, it doesn't mean that he isn't a toxic influence around the club in the heat of the changing room on match day, and it is naive to take how a person is on a handful of meetings in one type of setting and use those meetings as a judge of character. I am of course speculating, but I would argue that wanting REAL change means exactly that.

How many "heroes" are there on the pitch? When was the last team that was fielded that contained a "hero"? Probably Ryan Leonard in my case. This means the management team, who have already gone, RD, who has gone back to the youth setup.

As I've said, there is nothing good about this club right now, and while we are joined to the hip with RM, we can only hope that the structure inside the club changes, and changes fast. This should also mean AR and senior players. What kind of senior player would have seen this club lurch from disaster to disaster over the past few years. We need a fresh start, and I have nothing but praise for Stan Collymore (who I notice you don't criticize him for wanting similar things) wanting to turn the club around and help.

I get that JD is probably our only option for this weekend, most of my comments have been more cynical tongue in cheek. I just hope that it is a decision borne out of acknowledgement that he is the only person qualified, and not because he is highly though of and expected to be given future roles at the club.

Finally, this is a forum. People are entitled to their views, positive or negative. It would be more helpful for you to discuss the topic at hand as opposed to sniping and trying to undermine people's opinion just because their viewpoints and the way they handle the grief of their disintegrating football club differ to that of your own.

 

[overseas shrimper]

SUFC's downfall has come from within, blaming the fans is a pathetic excuse and like blaming a plane crash on the witnesses on the ground. You can't be a "bit pregnant", and if we really want to breathe fresh air and life into the club, wholesale changes have to happen. Demi's performances for years have been insipid, and he risks being sent off every week with that big mouth of his. Just because someone in the calmness of a "meet the blues day" is nice as pie, it doesn't mean that he isn't a toxic influence around the club in the heat of the changing room on match day, and it is naive to take how a person is on a handful of meetings in one type of setting and use those meetings as a judge of character. I am of course speculating, but I would argue that wanting REAL change means exactly that.

How many "heroes" are there on the pitch? When was the last team that was fielded that contained a "hero"? Probably Ryan Leonard in my case. This means the management team, who have already gone, RD, who has gone back to the youth setup.

As I've said, there is nothing good about this club right now, and while we are joined to the hip with RM, we can only hope that the structure inside the club changes, and changes fast. This should also mean AR and senior players. What kind of senior player would have seen this club lurch from disaster to disaster over the past few years. We need a fresh start, and I have nothing but praise for Stan Collymore (who I notice you don't criticize him for wanting similar things) wanting to turn the club around and help.

I get that JD is probably our only option for this weekend, most of my comments have been more cynical tongue in cheek. I just hope that it is a decision borne out of acknowledgement that he is the only person qualified, and not because he is highly though of and expected to be given future roles at the club.

Finally, this is a forum. People are entitled to their views, positive or negative. It would be more helpful for you to discuss the topic at hand as opposed to sniping and trying to undermine people's opinion just because their viewpoints and the way they handle the grief of their disintegrating football club differ to that of your own.

Exactly how did you come to the conclusion that I was blaming the fans for the downfall of the club from my post?

 

[Blue Yonder]

JD is pretty much the only choice that could have been made in the circumstances. I’ve been critical of his on field performance but good luck to him with this short term responsibility. He’s got a tough job on his hands. A weak squad weakened further by injuries make you nervous even about a game against a team several tiers lower. Some of our lot look like park players and even when we were better at the start of the season we weren’t very good. Unless some money is found, and preferably a lot of it, this is going to take some turning round.

 

[superblue24]

Exactly how did you come to the conclusion that I was blaming the fans for the downfall of the club from my post?

That was where your issue seems to stem from as you talk for three paragraphs on the negative comments of frustrated fans - who I think are entitled to be despairing and upset. I apologize for coming across as making that assumption.

We've tried three or four managers, mostly with their own management team. Same result each time. Please acknowledge that there is something or someone else with influence on the inside who is a poison pill. Maybe it's not JD, but his time at the club mysteriously coincides with the downfall, you must see that? Please don't say Ron, I'm not a fan by any means, but he's been here many years and overseen a season in the Championship. We also can't do anything about him.

 

[Maidstone Shrimper]

I get that JD is probably our only option for this weekend, most of my comments have been more cynical tongue in cheek. I just hope that it is a decision borne out of acknowledgement that he is the only person qualified, and not because he is highly though of and expected to be given future roles at the club.

If what you've posted is "cynical tongue in cheek" I hate to think what your posts would be like if you really had it in for somebody.

 

[southendkid]

Lost on me too!

But I’m a simple man so thats not hard.

It's from Catch-22, I only know this because I literally finished reading it yesterday so it's a hell of a coincidence I'd read a quote from it on SZ. Either that or Jonny_Stokes is spying on me.

 

[Texas Eslan]

That was where your issue seems to stem from as you talk for three paragraphs on the negative comments of frustrated fans - who I think are entitled to be despairing and upset. I apologize for coming across as making that assumption.

We've tried three or four managers, mostly with their own management team. Same result each time. Please acknowledge that there is something or someone else with influence on the inside who is a poison pill. Maybe it's not JD, but his time at the club mysteriously coincides with the downfall, you must see that? Please don't say Ron, I'm not a fan by any means, but he's been here many years and overseen a season in the Championship. We also can't do anything about him.

So your reasoning for our decline from league one to now is JD being a toxic influence on the dressing room and not Ron because we had one whole season in the Championship? You couldn’t make this stuff up. Actually, you could, because you just did.

 

[Shrimper44]

SUFC's downfall has come from within, blaming the fans is a pathetic excuse and like blaming a plane crash on the witnesses on the ground. You can't be a "bit pregnant", and if we really want to breathe fresh air and life into the club, wholesale changes have to happen. Demi's performances for years have been insipid, and he risks being sent off every week with that big mouth of his. Just because someone in the calmness of a "meet the blues day" is nice as pie, it doesn't mean that he isn't a toxic influence around the club in the heat of the changing room on match day, and it is naive to take how a person is on a handful of meetings in one type of setting and use those meetings as a judge of character. I am of course speculating, but I would argue that wanting REAL change means exactly that.

How many "heroes" are there on the pitch? When was the last team that was fielded that contained a "hero"? Probably Ryan Leonard in my case. This means the management team, who have already gone, RD, who has gone back to the youth setup.

As I've said, there is nothing good about this club right now, and while we are joined to the hip with RM, we can only hope that the structure inside the club changes, and changes fast. This should also mean AR and senior players. What kind of senior player would have seen this club lurch from disaster to disaster over the past few years. We need a fresh start, and I have nothing but praise for Stan Collymore (who I notice you don't criticize him for wanting similar things) wanting to turn the club around and help.

I get that JD is probably our only option for this weekend, most of my comments have been more cynical tongue in cheek. I just hope that it is a decision borne out of acknowledgement that he is the only person qualified, and not because he is highly though of and expected to be given future roles at the club.

Finally, this is a forum. People are entitled to their views, positive or negative. It would be more helpful for you to discuss the topic at hand as opposed to sniping and trying to undermine people's opinion just because their viewpoints and the way they handle the grief of their disintegrating football club differ to that of your own.

Okay I understand that JD is not your cup of tea, but in the short term when we don't have a manager what is your suggestion for leading the team tomorrow?

We have all experienced the heartache of 3 poor seasons, let's try and be a little positive and get behind JD and team tomorrow and the new manager when appointed.

This is a forum and we are not all going to agree on all points but lets all try and look to the future rather than keep harping on about the past. We can change the future but not the past.

 

[southendkid]

Just because someone in the calmness of a "meet the blues day" is nice as pie, it doesn't mean that he isn't a toxic influence around the club in the heat of the changing room on match day, and it is naive to take how a person is on a handful of meetings in one type of setting and use those meetings as a judge of character.

You could say the same about your claims.
Bad performances on the pitch do not support your claim that he's a toxic influence at the club whatsoever.

 

[SUBBlue]

Catching up and reading through this thread was becoming depressing... until the last couple of pages that have countered to bile, anger, toxicity and hatred.

There's a particularly nasty SUFC related Facebook group that's full of negativity, slagging off and hate (mostly posted by nasty individuals who aren't even clued up at all) and I ignore that group now. It would be a shame if this fine site ends up like that.

It seems that, after the past few seasons, a lot of people have become so bitter they have forgotten how to see any good or support this club. They want to hate on everyone. JD steps up to the plate when he is needed and he gets this crap. SC tries to help us in our time of need in various ways and he gets criticism and hate (mostly on that vile Facebook page). I could go on.

Some people have ended with the club they deserve. Not all.

What he said.
?%. ??.

 

[Roots2Roots]

I’m sorry but this squad needs a clear out and younger players with potential recruited! Danny Searle is the main for the job as he has done this on a shoe string at Aldershot and 6/7 players who nobody had heard of moved on to the league/SPL etc after Searle worked with them. With the size of our Club he would work wanders if allowed to

 

[Gustafferson]

That was where your issue seems to stem from as you talk for three paragraphs on the negative comments of frustrated fans - who I think are entitled to be despairing and upset. I apologize for coming across as making that assumption.

We've tried three or four managers, mostly with their own management team. Same result each time. Please acknowledge that there is something or someone else with influence on the inside who is a poison pill. Maybe it's not JD, but his time at the club mysteriously coincides with the downfall, you must see that? Please don't say Ron, I'm not a fan by any means, but he's been here many years and overseen a season in the Championship. We also can't do anything about him.

I've been off here for a week and have flicked back through this thread to take my mind off of other more depressing issues in the local area. Jesus wept I have never read such vitriolic nonsense regarding Southend in all of my 19 posts.
To attribute our demise to players like JD is frankly laughable, and I'd add you clearly have no idea of the state of the club or quality of character in it.
My old man was working within the first team setup from 2014-2018 and always spoke highly of Demi, as many others on here have attested to. Do you honestly believe some of these guys want the club to fail?
Being a younger fan, I agree with what @Jasrod posted. The highlight of my supporting career has been the ManU win (even that's hazy) and Wembley 2015. I'd say that I hold JD in some of the highest regard of any player I've seen at the hall, and that's supported by all those who've met him.

Our club is in the ****ter, I know it, we all know it. I've grown real tired of expecting to lose every week, but my word it's rubbish coming from so called 'supporters' like you (many out there, most on the FB page as identified elsewhere in this thread) that really gets me down about the future of the club. We are not going to get anywhere by character assassination of one of the more faithful players in recent times.

Some on this board need to have a quiet word with themselves. Demi has taken this responsibility on himself and that's a credit to him, with the negativity around the club atm I doubt many would put themselves in the frame for it.
The guy is 33, its no doubt his performances have dropped from his success a few seasons back. Ultimately he's trying to do his job, no ones ever seriously doubted his effort. If we could all remember that, perhaps we'll end up with some positivity around the place.
Otherwise, a shiny new stadium, or all the oil money in the world wouldn't make a difference, our club will already have succumbed to the toxic atmosphere.

 

[geoffmundo]

I've been off here for a week and have flicked back through this thread to take my mind off of other more depressing issues in the local area. Jesus wept I have never read such vitriolic nonsense regarding Southend in all of my 19 posts.
To attribute our demise to players like JD is frankly laughable, and I'd add you clearly have no idea of the state of the club or quality of character in it.
My old man was working within the first team setup from 2014-2018 and always spoke highly of Demi, as many others on here have attested to. Do you honestly believe some of these guys want the club to fail?
Being a younger fan, I agree with what @Jasrod posted. The highlight of my supporting career has been the ManU win (even that's hazy) and Wembley 2015. I'd say that I hold JD in some of the highest regard of any player I've seen at the hall, and that's supported by all those who've met him.

Our club is in the ****ter, I know it, we all know it. I've grown real tired of expecting to lose every week, but my word it's rubbish coming from so called 'supporters' like you (many out there, most on the FB page as identified elsewhere in this thread) that really gets me down about the future of the club. We are not going to get anywhere by character assassination of one of the more faithful players in recent times.

Some on this board need to have a quiet word with themselves. Demi has taken this responsibility on himself and that's a credit to him, with the negativity around the club atm I doubt many would put themselves in the frame for it.
The guy is 33, its no doubt his performances have dropped from his success a few seasons back. Ultimately he's trying to do his job, no ones ever seriously doubted his effort. If we could all remember that, perhaps we'll end up with some positivity around the place.
Otherwise, a shiny new stadium, or all the oil money in the world wouldn't make a difference, our club will already have succumbed to the toxic atmosphere.

Superbly put!

 

[Ipswhrimp]

It's from Catch-22, I only know this because I literally finished reading it yesterday so it's a hell of a coincidence I'd read a quote from it on SZ. Either that or Jonny_Stokes is spying on me.

And what a book it is!

 

[rigsby]

Just because someone in the calmness of a "meet the blues day" is nice as pie, it doesn't mean that he isn't a toxic influence around the club in the heat of the changing room on match day, and it is naive to take how a person is on a handful of meetings in one type of setting and use those meetings as a judge of character. I am of course speculating, but I would argue that wanting REAL change means exactly that.

Yes its much better to judge a man when you have never met him. That way you can say what you like and never be wrong.

 

[bluesfansince1952]

Since being signed by PB in June 2015 JD has made no less than 170 appearances for the Blues. I thought when he first came to us he was very effective, and, for whatever my opinion is worth, I would rate him as one of PB's better signings.
He is now coming up to thirty four years of age, and, it should be no surprise that the quality of his performances has declined in the last two seasons. A chronic knee problem has also taken its toll. One thing that has characterised his career with the Blues is that he is a wholehearted performer who always gives of his best. Yes, at times he can be niggly and petulant which can be very annoying but this attitude has its its roots in his competitiveness. He is a trier and a team player.
My very modest requirement of any Blues player is that he consistently gives his best. If I want to watch Messi I can support Barcelona but I choose to support Southend knowing full well what that entails. All any Southend supporter can realistically demand of a player is that they give their best effort and JD invariably obliges on this score.
Yes, age and wear tear have reduced his effectiveness this season (and last), and he has now reached the stage in his career where he finds it difficult to play two games within seven days. However, that is hardly a reason to call him 'a cancer'.
There are, no doubt, a litany of reasons of why our beloved Club now finds itself in the position they are in but I am of the firm unalterable opinion that JD is not one of them.
He is the logical choice to take charge tomorrow, and, he deserves our full support.
I certainly wish him well and I am sure many others do also.

 

[JWShrimper]

Since being signed by PB in June 2015 JD has made no less than 170 appearances for the Blues. I thought when he first came to us he was very effective, and, for whatever my opinion is worth, I would rate him as one of PB's better signings.
He is now coming up to thirty four years of age, and, it should be no surprise that the quality of his performances has declined in the last two seasons. A chronic knee problem has also taken its toll. One thing that has characterised his career with the Blues is that he is a wholehearted performer who always gives of his best. Yes, at times he can be niggly and petulant which can be very annoying but this attitude has its its roots in his competitiveness. He is a trier and a team player.
My very modest requirement of any Blues player is that he consistently gives his best. If I want to watch Messi I can support Barcelona but I choose to support Southend knowing full well what that entails. All any Southend supporter can realistically demand of a player is that they give their best effort and JD invariably obliges on this score.
Yes, age and wear tear have reduced his effectiveness this season (and last), and he has now reached the stage in his career where he finds it difficult to play two games within seven days. However, that is hardly a reason to call him 'a cancer'.
There are, no doubt, a litany of reasons of why our beloved Club now finds itself in the position they are in but I am of the firm unalterable opinion that JD is not one of them.
He is the logical choice to take charge tomorrow, and, he deserves our full support.
I certainly wish him well and I am sure many others do also.

Could not have put it any better. Great post.

 

[Strykr]

Everyones getting a bit carried away i think.

Of course demi isnt the sole reason for our demise. But he has been a part of our consistent crapness.

Loyal servant? Or someone that couldnt get or didnt want a contract somewhere else?

Personally think he should have gone before the season started, but in terms of saturday i hope we beat chertsey.

 

[Stan33]

I've been off here for a week and have flicked back through this thread to take my mind off of other more depressing issues in the local area. Jesus wept I have never read such vitriolic nonsense regarding Southend in all of my 19 posts.
To attribute our demise to players like JD is frankly laughable, and I'd add you clearly have no idea of the state of the club or quality of character in it.
My old man was working within the first team setup from 2014-2018 and always spoke highly of Demi, as many others on here have attested to. Do you honestly believe some of these guys want the club to fail?
Being a younger fan, I agree with what @Jasrod posted. The highlight of my supporting career has been the ManU win (even that's hazy) and Wembley 2015. I'd say that I hold JD in some of the highest regard of any player I've seen at the hall, and that's supported by all those who've met him.

Our club is in the ****ter, I know it, we all know it. I've grown real tired of expecting to lose every week, but my word it's rubbish coming from so called 'supporters' like you (many out there, most on the FB page as identified elsewhere in this thread) that really gets me down about the future of the club. We are not going to get anywhere by character assassination of one of the more faithful players in recent times.

Some on this board need to have a quiet word with themselves. Demi has taken this responsibility on himself and that's a credit to him, with the negativity around the club atm I doubt many would put themselves in the frame for it.
The guy is 33, its no doubt his performances have dropped from his success a few seasons back. Ultimately he's trying to do his job, no ones ever seriously doubted his effort. If we could all remember that, perhaps we'll end up with some positivity around the place.
Otherwise, a shiny new stadium, or all the oil money in the world wouldn't make a difference, our club will already have succumbed to the toxic atmosphere.

Thanks G ,a breath of fresh air to most of the garbage that has been posted recently on here !