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Mick

Life President
Joined
Oct 28, 2003
Messages
10,936
"Southend United boss Paul Sturrock is worried the distraction of next month's Johnstone's Paint Trophy final is causing his side's erratic form.

The Shrimpers have slipped off the play-off pace after winning only two of their last eight League Two matches.

Following Tuesday's 2-0 home defeat against Plymouth, Sturrock said: "Is the cup final playing on their minds?"



I might be wrong, but isn't it the manager's job to prevent this happening rather than identifying that it has happened.

Last couple of times we got to the final we only lost one out of twelve matches between getting to the finals and playing in them.
 
I think he's wondering whether it has caused it rather than blaming it. Personally I don't think it's got anything to do with it.
 
"Last couple of times we got to the final we only lost one out of twelve matches between getting to the finals and playing in them.


The final wasn't at Wembley though so maybe that's an added incentive (decentive?)
 
"Southend United boss Paul Sturrock is worried the distraction of next month's Johnstone's Paint Trophy final is causing his side's erratic form.

The Shrimpers have slipped off the play-off pace after winning only two of their last eight League Two matches.

Following Tuesday's 2-0 home defeat against Plymouth, Sturrock said: "Is the cup final playing on their minds?"



I might be wrong, but isn't it the manager's job to prevent this happening rather than identifying that it has happened.

Last couple of times we got to the final we only lost one out of twelve matches between getting to the finals and playing in them.

Had our most influential player broken his leg in the Area Final and our second most influential player been injured for two months, I think that stat would have been different.

Since losing Timlin with a broken leg we've won 2, drawn 4 and lost 5. We hadn't won any of the last 8 games without Timlin prior to that either. So that's 2 wins in our last 19 without him as opposed to ten wins, five draws and four losses in his last 19 matches.

Anyway, Sturrock's playing mind games here. He's talking for the benefit of the players. The players are low on confidence and he wants them to think that they are a good team and that they are just suffering a mental mind block. The reality is that the balance has been ruined in our midfield and we're nowhere near as good a side without the energy, intelligence and creativity of Timlin.
 
Had our most influential player broken his leg in the Area Final and our second most influential player been injured for two months, I think that stat would have been different.

Since losing Timlin with a broken leg we've won 2, drawn 4 and lost 5. We hadn't won any of the last 8 games without Timlin prior to that either. So that's 2 wins in our last 19 without him as opposed to ten wins, five draws and four losses in his last 19 matches.

Some very interesting points from both you and Mick on this thread.

IMHO Sturrock simply referred to the Wembley trip to try to distract the disgruntled.
 
Not a distraction whatsoever, if the players, gaffer or fans think, say or believe this then it is just an attempt at finding excuses.

We have been dreadful long before making Wembley and even during our unbeaten run and cup runs, we had a lot of draws instead of wins.

Our form is relegation form post Xmas and plain and simply, it's not good enough.
 
Had our most influential player broken his leg in the Area Final and our second most influential player been injured for two months, I think that stat would have been different.

Since losing Timlin with a broken leg we've won 2, drawn 4 and lost 5. We hadn't won any of the last 8 games without Timlin prior to that either. So that's 2 wins in our last 19 without him as opposed to ten wins, five draws and four losses in his last 19 matches.

Anyway, Sturrock's playing mind games here. He's talking for the benefit of the players. The players are low on confidence and he wants them to think that they are a good team and that they are just suffering a mental mind block. The reality is that the balance has been ruined in our midfield and we're nowhere near as good a side without the energy, intelligence and creativity of Timlin.

Surely a joke?
 
Surely a joke?

Your sense of humour and one liners on Shrimperzone are much enjoyed, not least by me, :Worthy: but unfortunately my respect for your wit doesn't extend to your judgement on football matters.

The statistics that YB has produced in support of his opinion are surely pretty hard to argue against?
 
Had our most influential player broken his leg in the Area Final and our second most influential player been injured for two months, I think that stat would have been different.

Since losing Timlin with a broken leg we've won 2, drawn 4 and lost 5. We hadn't won any of the last 8 games without Timlin prior to that either. So that's 2 wins in our last 19 without him as opposed to ten wins, five draws and four losses in his last 19 matches.

Anyway, Sturrock's playing mind games here. He's talking for the benefit of the players. The players are low on confidence and he wants them to think that they are a good team and that they are just suffering a mental mind block. The reality is that the balance has been ruined in our midfield and we're nowhere near as good a side without the energy, intelligence and creativity of Timlin.

Agree 100% that Timlin has been sadly missed, your stats bear this out. He always puts in a shift and wins tackles which can lift the players around him.
 
Your sense of humour and one liners on Shrimperzone are much enjoyed, not least by me, :Worthy: but unfortunately my respect for your wit doesn't extend to your judgement on football matters.

The statistics that YB has produced in support of his opinion are surely pretty hard to argue against?

But creative? Yes he runs around a lot, but I would be surprised if his passing accuracy is anything above 25%.
 
I always think the "distraction" theory is used about teams that are just not good enough to sustain a consistent challenge. The better the team - the more it thrives on success.
I think our squad is just not mentally strong enough to produce good results over an extended period - Cup Final or not.
 
I can fully understand the distraction, we are talking about average footballers, guys who are no where near the lifestyle of Premiershite players, when there career is over most of them will be trying to get a normal 9-5, and on the horizon is most probably the biggest game & one of the worlds top stadiums, who can blame them for 'putting the league to side', when we beat Orient it was always gonna be a struggle to keep them looking at the league.

It is bound to play on there mind about getting injured or suspended when the biggest day of there footballing careers is around the corner, a cup final at Wembley in front 45,000, i cant blame them, it was almost to be expected wasnt it, this blip we are going through now is no more than cup final fever, when its all said & done they will get back to the nitty gritty of Rochdale & Barnet away on a rainy Tuesday night......

Victims of there own sucess, i would rather have a trip to Wembley than losing to Orient that night & then trying to pick themselves up from the floor, the result in the league could have been the same anyway!!

How many of our current squad will EVER play at Wembley again in a cup final?? not many, if any im guessing

Us as fans cant wait & havent stopped talking about it, so if you was playing that is magnified 100000 times, i bet most of them dont even sleep the night before!!
 
But creative? Yes he runs around a lot, but I would be surprised if his passing accuracy is anything above 25%.

Even if it was as low as 25% which I don't believe, football games swing on moments of vision - it doesn't take many astute passes to make a huge difference. And that doesn't necessarily mean defences splitting passes leading to one-on-ones, etc, it can be as simple as swinging the balance of the move a little.
 
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