Zone Update Doesn't look like anyone's coming in...

[Hooly]

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

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.

Some well thought out comments Shrimper IMO, but a large part of your 1st team is
- an untried or even unknown LB or RB depending on where Franno plays, who as yet hasn't played a proper competitive game at all for Southend,
- Damian Scannel (like him as I do) who hasn't started a proper competitive game at all for a league team &
- Anthony Grant (again who I like) who hasn't started a proper competitive game at all for Southend & has actually only started 3 L1 games whilst on loan in the last 2 1/2 years.

So no disrespect to any of those, but they could between them have naff all more L1 experience than Herd. But he's viewed as an upcoming prospect & they have to be 1st team shoe in's as basically we've got no one else.

Unlike others I feel your concerns are well considered, but given the difference between say Herd & Sacanell even more of a worry. For me anyway.

 

[jassyfa1]

So we are short of a few players for the season, and we are playing the diamond formation and we have had a crap pre-season. Last pre season Harrold was knocking goals in for fun and when the started he couldn't do anything right.
We have a left back on trail against Wycombe could this be Powell, after all I believe Bournemouth didn't keep him.
We still have loan players that we can fall back on which will only cost wages and not a transfer fee or a signiong on fee. Finally we have the support of you fanatic supporters who can and will make more positive noise than the critics when things are not going well.

 

[Beefy]

I think a lot of these concerns are fuelled by our complete failure in the past to blood youngsters. A lot of the nay-sayers are essentially discounting our young players and yet Walsall challenged for the playoffs last year with six or seven youth team players who only broke through that season.

Does that mean that we'll do the same? Absolutely not, but clubs other than Southend United don't automatically presume that their young players will be rubbish.

 

[Beefy]

Ignore....

 

[Irate Ian]

Are you having a f*cking laugh?

Let's take a look at the squad that will be competing this year, taken from the squad numbers...

1. Steve Mildenhall
2. Simon Francis
4. Nicky Bailey
5. Peter Clarke
6. Adam Barrett
8. Alan McCormack
9. Lee Barnard
10. James Walker
11. Alex Revell
12. Damian Scannell
14. Franck Moussa
15. Osei Sankofa
18. Johnny Herd
20. Matt Harrold
22. Richie Foran
24. Ian Joyce
25. Clark Masters
29. Paul Furlong
30. Stuart O'Keefe
43. David Marrable

Ok, let's take off the competition winner/more money than sense man as well as the 3 Goalkeepers:

2. Simon Francis
4. Nicky Bailey
5. Peter Clarke
6. Adam Barrett
8. Alan McCormack
9. Lee Barnard
10. James Walker
11. Alex Revell
12. Damian Scannell
14. Franck Moussa
15. Osei Sankofa
18. Johnny Herd
20. Matt Harrold
22. Richie Foran
29. Paul Furlong
30. Stuart O'Keefe

Now let's take off O'Keefe and Herd as, despite impressing in pre-season, have barely played an ounce of competitive football in their lives. Also deduct from that Foran and Harrold who won't put on a blue's shirt unless it's absolutely imperative that we do.

2. Simon Francis
4. Nicky Bailey
5. Peter Clarke
6. Adam Barrett
8. Alan McCormack
9. Lee Barnard
10. James Walker
11. Alex Revell
12. Damian Scannell
14. Franck Moussa
15. Osei Sankofa
29. Paul Furlong

That's 12 outfield players with 10 outfield positions to fill. Of those 12, 4 are strikers, played anywhere else they'll be out of position. No feasible left back without shaking the team up, no left wing without shaking the team up and, with Macca out and Moussa more than likely to start, the midfield looks incredibly lightweight.


Yes. Indeed we are f*cked without bodies being brought in. Anybody who doesn't think that is living in cloud cuckoo land i'm afraid.

I think T & B would ideally want a squad of 20-21 as a minimum - as would we all.

However Plymouth are a pretty good example over the past few seasons of maintaining Championship status with a high number of loan players.

Had always thought team spirit and morale might suffer with large contingent of loanees, but that has not been the case with a small club like Plymouth, who traditionally had languished in the lower two leagues for years before.

In fact their home form has been formidable.

Maybe when needs most [and cash to buy in players is tight] that will have to be the compromise to be made ?

 

[gazza]

My concern re the loan players would be what kind of quality would we be able to bring in? I would have thought most Premiership teams would be looking at sending their youngsters to Chumpionship teams.

 

[londonblue]

Think those 3 went for nearer £200,000.



Dont think we are paying them £5,000 and we are actually trying to sell them, no one wants them though...



PS Well done you win longest post of the week :)

Minus their signing on fees and wages over the time they've been with us and we've probably not even broken even.