I think i speak for a lot of Southend United fans when i say that i am starting to get worried about the upcoming season, not only on the pitch but also off of it. Whilst staying up is definately our first priority i think it's also a must that we make sure that Fossett's Farm is a certainty to happen. In a few year, maybe 2 this club will depend heavily on Fossett's Farm, so much so that it will be out lifeline, along with the supporters.
I think the credit crunch has hit us hard, much harder than we probably anticipated if i'm honest , but despite this i fail to see how we aren't spending money in the transfer market. I mean, i know we spent £200,000 on Walker in January but we've made a sure profit in this summers window. MacDonald, Hoopers and Liptak's sales have made us around £300,000 odd, so surely we have at least £100,000 to spend.
I know it doesn't work this way in football and we've probably had to spend the money elsewhere, but where? We haven't done anything that i am aware off to make us need to spend money. Okay we have the away pre-season friendlies but that only costs around £100 in petrol each game which would only be around £500. So where has the other £95,500 gone?
It's been said over 100 times and it'll be said again we simply don't have a big enough squad to compete with even staying in this league, let alone trying to aim for a play-off place, which is the vibe i get from the management trio. They said a couple of weeks ago that they were looking at 4 signings. Well where the bloody hell are they? We have to have at least 11 out field players before the first game against Peterborough. We have 12, but some are so crap i'm worried
Francis
Barrett
Clarke
Sankofa
Bailey
Moussa
Scannell
Barnard
Harrold
Foran
Walker
Revell
Of all the players we had to still have it had to be Harrold, didn't it? Just had to be. No disrespect to the prince, but he just doesn't cut it at this level and i think he well knows that. I can see why we got rid of him at first chance all those years ago. He should've stayed away. And Foran, well i haven't seen much of him in ages.
We signed him when we were in the Championship, we're not in the Championship anymore, we should stop looking at players that are Championship level, look for players that are League One level, then move on. As for Foran. Well, he hardly inspired me when he was at us in the Championship and seeing as he had to move to Darlington on loan. Meaning he failed to beat Harrold and Barnard in getting a place. Something very embarrassing for a player of his supposed calibre.
Despite having only 9 outfield players, one thing that would make me unbelievably happy would be seeing Harrold and Foran leave, we're paying them around £5,000 in wages, together. If they're not wanted and are hoping to move away, do so. Flog them off.
Now with the current players that we have i think that we should be looking at playing something like this, which i posted somewhere earlier on another website.So it would look something like this:
Mildenhall
? - Clarke - Barrett - Francis
Grant*
Scannell - Moussa - Bailey
Barnard - Walker
Now surely this would cover our Left wing problem temporarly , whilst Grant isn't a certainty to sign if he did sign i would put him in that place, where he is most effective and would be able to spray passes to the midfield trio of Scannell , Moussa , Bailey who can relay it onto the strikers.
Our subs bench would look something like this:
1. Ian Joyce
2. Osei Sankofa
3. Harrold
4. Revell
5. Herd
Now, that doesn't look like a bench that we could rely on that much. No disrespect to Herd, he is young but he hasn't played a proper competitive game at all for Southend. Granted he has played a series of years in the Reserves and U18'S but i just don't feel he will be able to perform this year if given the first team chance and i'd hate for him to get the boo boys on his back.
I've already spoken out about Harrold and Foran, both ubershite in my opinion and should be flogged off when we have a big enough squad, but unfortunately for the moment they will have to do, no matter how crap they are. I would be very surprised if they managed to score at all.
So that leaves a keeper, who's American, but tall and able to do the job. Just a shame we can only play 1 at a time. Sankofa, again a young player who needs time to improve but i feel that he really impressed in the pre-season and dispite one or two mistakes he will become a decent player.
So who could we sign in the next week and a few days? Well ,as stated we'd need a LB, LM, CM and possibly another good striker. Once we get all these in then i feel that we can release, or sell for cash, which i would hope we do , Foran and Harrold. Then we would have around 15 decent players, which would be a decent base to build on, plus McCormack, we'd have 16. A small squad, but a competitive one.
So, signings , possible loanee's as well. But before i say some names, it'd be hilarious is Paul Brush was reading this, or Tilly. But i doubt it. Anyway.
LB: Joe Jacobson ~ A young 21 year old who plays for Bristol Rovers and is the current Wales U21 captain. Versatile as he is able to play across the whole of our defence which is an added bonus should any potential injuries arise. Also able to play in the ML role
ML: Jeff Smith ~ A 27 year old from Carlisle who appeared over 30 times for them in their campaign for promotion last year, has experience in promotion races as part of the Bolton Wanderers squad that gained promotion from the Championship to the Premiership. A technical player but one who will do a decent job.
ST: Leon McKenzie ~ I've said it before and i'll say it again, Leon McKenzie is a must to target. And like Smith, experienced in promotion campaigns. In the past two years he has only appeared 37 times and with the arrival and current inclusion of Freddy Eastwood, Leon Best , Michael Mifsud , Kevin Kyle and Robbie Simpson it's unlike he'll get many games and would prefer a loan move out.
CM: Ed Upson ~ A young player at Ipswich who will be looking at some first team action away from Portman Road, unless he wishes to continue another year in the Reserves and or U18's. i'd look into getting him to fill the gap left by McCormack's injury and then use him whenever needed.
Thank you and that's my 200000000 cents
