Gary Waddock appointed Assistant Manager; Svetoslav Todorov appointed First Team Coach

[SUBBlue]

Will be a great loss to the club. Very stupid not to do everything in their power to keep hold of him.

I agree 100%. When Keen left we should have demonstrated Mahers worth to the club by saying “We recognise all your hard work & really value your contribution, therefore we’d like to make you assistant to Kevin Bond”

We just always seem slow on the uptake when a decent player is available or if someone is sniffing round our manager or staff.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Incredible to let Kev Maher go without a fight. He absolutely loves Southend. He's a Southend legend, (After a poor start of getting booed a lot. Testament to his will and character). Very hard working when you see him at training. Very popular. Driven. Knows all our players and staff. Kevin Bond is just getting to know him. Graham Coughlan knows him much better, and wants him to be his head coach at Bristol R. That should be a big sign to Kevin Bond that Kev Maher is good enough for the step up here, with our club, where he belongs. Come on Bond and Martin.

 

[Napster]

I agree 100%. When Keen left we should have demonstrated Mahers worth to the club by saying “We recognise all your hard work & really value your contribution, therefore we’d like to make you assistant to Kevin Bond”

We just always seem slow on the uptake when a decent player is available or if someone is sniffing round our manager or staff.

its up to the manager to appoint their own staff, not leave it to us/the club.

 

[Flinty]

There seems to be a lot of ‘clearing out’ of the back room and coaching staff this time round, will be interesting to see what develops this season

 

[SUBBlue]

its up to the manager to appoint their own staff, not leave it to us/the club.

Why do people jump on someone’s back when they dare express an opinion on this site, & that’s all it is: my opinion..

Am fully aware it’s Bonds role to appoint his own staff.
I wasn’t for one minute putting myself forward as recruitment officer at Roots Hall

The point of these threads is to encourage discussion isn’t it?
It’s one of the reasons I don’t come on here all that often these days.

 

[kentblues]

I doubt KB will decide regarding the number two based on how long someone has been around or if they a past player/legend. He has no history at the club and is interested in doing what brings success on the pitch.

It will come down to what he wants as a number 2- good/great coach, more of motivator/people manager type, bad cop to his good cop or vice versa..
And how he rates KM given whatever is more important is that counts

Even though KB is himself a great coach I suspect he will want someone similar strong on the training ground. That could be KM but equally he could have other ideas. KK was definitely in the top coach rather than manager bracket which might tell us something.

 

[Napster]

Why do people jump on someone’s back when they dare express an opinion on this site, & that’s all it is: my opinion..

Am fully aware it’s Bonds role to appoint his own staff.
I wasn’t for one minute putting myself forward as recruitment officer at Roots Hall

The point of these threads is to encourage discussion isn’t it?
It’s one of the reasons I don’t come on here all that often these days.

and vice versa. I'm hardly being controversial or jumping on your back.

 

[Evening Echo]

SOUTHEND United’s under-23 manager Kevin Maher is close to joining Bristol Rovers as first team coach.

More...

 

[kentblues]

Suspect KB will want to bring in a coach he has worked with before on the training ground and will know how he wants to play. Short period of time pre-season to get this ingrained so needs to hit the ground running.

I'm sure some names will start appearing.

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

A real shame to lose Kev Maher should he decide to go. Look at what a massive job those kids that filled in for injured first teamers last season did. What an influence he would have been for those players. Ex club skipper that ran the show in midfield for us in three different divisions, played with top pros like Prior and Goater and has been around the club for what seems like eons. You dont buy that sort of experience into a club. I remember well when big sections of Roots Hall used to boo him in League 2, little did they know at the time he'd actually look fantastic in the Championship. You can send the players around cones, give them beep tests, teach them about space and awareness and control, but when it comes to club passion ...that comes from within. Its all over the papers now so he'll more likely be off to Bristol. FFS.

 

[SUBBlue]

and vice versa. I'm hardly being controversial or jumping on your back.

Posting banal comments like ‘it’s up to the manager ..’ aren’t needed though.
Everyone on here knows it’s up to the manager.

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

Posting banal comments like ‘it’s up to the manager ..’ aren’t needed though.
Everyone on here knows it’s up to the manager.

in fairness, I didn't..

 

[LCBB72]

A real shame to lose Kev Maher should he decide to go. Look at what a massive job those kids that filled in for injured first teamers last season did. What an influence he would have been for those players. Ex club skipper that ran the show in midfield for us in three different divisions, played with top pros like Prior and Goater and has been around the club for what seems like eons. You dont buy that sort of experience into a club. I remember well when big sections of Roots Hall used to boo him in League 2, little did they know at the time he'd actually look fantastic in the Championship. You can send the players around cones, give them beep tests, teach them about space and awareness and control, but when it comes to club passion ...that comes from within. Its all over the papers now so he'll more likely be off to Bristol. FFS.

Kev should of won some caps Ireland .

 

[rigsby]

Seems like only a few months ago people were calling for the whole of the backroom staff to be fired along with CP.

I know we don't have them yet but If you have an assistant and first team coach I don't even see the need for an under 23's manger. The Boss tells you who will be playing anyway and will be at most games, if not the assistant.

PB or Coughlan would scout players including our own out on loan and I never saw Maher at those youth cup games last season.

 

[Grapevine]

The 23s follow a different games schedule and a different training schedule. Plus they play midweek afternoons and games / training being taken by the first team staff would seriously impact the ability to give the first team their full attention.

For example the 23s play Plymouth away on a Tuesday 1pm kick off and leave Monday night....how are the staff spread over these commitments?

Also the 23s come under the academy and so their staffing levels will be subject to a different budget and will be governed by EPPP guidelines and requirements. This would upgrade even further should they ever go to Cat 2......with more full time staff part of the regulations.

Cat 1 requires full time staff in charge of schoolboy age groups and is even leaning towards a full time manager for EVERY age group!!

 

[rigsby]

The 23s follow a different games schedule and a different training schedule. Plus they play midweek afternoons and games / training being taken by the first team staff would seriously impact the ability to give the first team their full attention.

For example the 23s play Plymouth away on a Tuesday 1pm kick off and leave Monday night....how are the staff spread over these commitments?

Also the 23s come under the academy and so their staffing levels will be subject to a different budget and will be governed by EPPP guidelines and requirements. This would upgrade even further should they ever go to Cat 2......with more full time staff part of the regulations.

Cat 1 requires full time staff in charge of schoolboy age groups and is even leaning towards a full time manager for EVERY age group!!

Right now we are cat 3 and that wont change until they move about 1 mile north.

The players who play for our under 23's are the first team squad, including those coming back from injury, some youths and the odd trialist.......So is there a different training plan?

I don't know about Bond but in the past Wednesday was the players day off so that if you played in the 23's on a Tuesday or not it made no difference.

Games at the likes of Plymouth were the ones CP called a waste of time. I guess if Maher's biggest responsibility was was making sure everyone gets to bed on time a couple of nights a season he has made the right career decision in taking the Rovers job.

 

[Grapevine]

Right now we are cat 3 and that wont change until they move about 1 mile north.

The players who play for our under 23's are the first team squad, including those coming back from injury, some youths and the odd trialist.......So is there a different training plan?

I don't know about Bond but in the past Wednesday was the players day off so that if you played in the 23's on a Tuesday or not it made no difference.

Games at the likes of Plymouth were the ones CP called a waste of time. I guess if Maher's biggest responsibility was was making sure everyone gets to bed on time a couple of nights a season he has made the right career decision in taking the Rovers job.

I know they are a way off cat 1 but you’ve ignored that there is still legislation and requirements for Cat 3 and as the 23s come under academy, full time staff is one of them!

The 23s train separately to the 1st team and don’t have days off during the week (again they are part of the academy so get no day off).

I’m sure the first team staff won’t want to come in on their day off just to put on a session for the 23s and I’m equally sure they won’t want ALL the 23s in the same training session as the first team and I’m certain that once first team training is over that the first team staff don’t just go home and put their feet up.

They will do analysis on opponents as well as analysis of the session just taken with all the players stats being monitored and dissected.

The 23s staff will also need to do similar with their players / opponents etc.

The 23s games are any day of the week. Each club chooses its home game day so it can be all over the place although they are mainly Monday’s / Tuesday’s.

I don’t ever recall CP calling 23s games a waste of time. He may have said they weren’t an indication of who should and shouldn’t be playing in the first team due to the gap in quality, and he may have said they are a waste of time for some experienced players other than minutes returning from injury. But they are far from a waste of time and offer a valuable step up from the 18s and a different set of challenges for players once they pass the age of 18.

 

[rigsby]

We aren't Chelsea or Man City our 23's are more our reserves than some separate squad who train independently.

I was in the room when CP said "I hate the under 23's with a passion"

He then listed the reasons why it didn't work and used a pointless trip to Exeter as an example.

 

[Grapevine]

I’m not arguing I’m just stating facts. It’s not about Chelsea or Man U who have 15-25 full time staff dedicated to their 23s, but to suggest a league 1 pro club job shares to avid a full time 23s Manager is laughable!

Fact is we are a Cat 3 club and so we are governed by the EPPP and it’s regulations, one of which is full time staff at varying degrees according to category....for us that means full time staff at 18s and 23s level.

Hating the 23s and it not working and a pointless trip to Exeter doesn’t mean it’s pointless...it’s more likely that on its current format some situations are pointless and offer a first team manager no help at all. I would guess CP would prefer a return to the old “reserve” team football which offered the younger players valuable time against full adult pros....but to say the whole system was pointless doesn’t make sense because due to that system he was able to have access to players like Hutchinson / Klass who would not have been taken on from previous clubs had there been no 23s to bridge the gap and offer them time to develop. Likewise Bishop Acquah and Gard who all came via the 23s and bumped up the squad nos during the injuries.

The 23s or reserves offers a valuable bridge (not perfect by any means) for players coming out the youth team and into the first team....which without a 23s would be impossible to bridge without a loan into non league which offers a host of other problems alongside its benefits.

 

[rigsby]

I’m not arguing I’m just stating facts. It’s not about Chelsea or Man U who have 15-25 full time staff dedicated to their 23s, but to suggest a league 1 pro club job shares to avid a full time 23s Manager is laughable!

Fact is we are a Cat 3 club and so we are governed by the EPPP and it’s regulations, one of which is full time staff at varying degrees according to category....for us that means full time staff at 18s and 23s level.

Hating the 23s and it not working and a pointless trip to Exeter doesn’t mean it’s pointless...it’s more likely that on its current format some situations are pointless and offer a first team manager no help at all. I would guess CP would prefer a return to the old “reserve” team football which offered the younger players valuable time against full adult pros....but to say the whole system was pointless doesn’t make sense because due to that system he was able to have access to players like Hutchinson / Klass who would not have been taken on from previous clubs had there been no 23s to bridge the gap and offer them time to develop. Likewise Bishop Acquah and Gard who all came via the 23s and bumped up the squad nos during the injuries.

The 23s or reserves offers a valuable bridge (not perfect by any means) for players coming out the youth team and into the first team....which without a 23s would be impossible to bridge without a loan into non league which offers a host of other problems alongside its benefits.

Not that laughable as Kevin Maher was only part time a few seasons ago whilst he was still involved with Chelmsford. That aside we do have full time staff for the academy.

Yes CP wanted a better competition. More like the old reserves but that clearly cant happen because the match day squad now has 19 players.

Yes i know the theory about bridging the gap but that's just an extension of the academy. The plus point for our 23's is they do play against experienced pros every day in training scenarios where as the don't with a PL club.

As for loans to non league etc. I think that's a good idea and worth the effort. A player can learn something there that they wont whilst the spend their life in the 'safe' environment of the club training ground.