I think todays starting XI...

[fbm]

...will all be staying next year. Prosser was probably the only doubt but the fact he started todays game I guess means he's been offered another deal otherwise I coiuldn't see the point. Play Nesbit instead if that were the case.

The absence of Soares and Bouzid from the bench speaks a lot.

 

[Andy_S]

I actually expect Comminges and Asante to follow Soares and Herd out. I'd like to see Asante stay, but I can't help but think the fact he hasn't been used very much recently means he's not caught Sturrock's eye. Certainly today was a perfect idea to give him a start, but he wasn't even given 20 minutes...

 

[Somerset Ex-TTB]

I actually expect Comminges and Asante to follow Soares and Herd out. I'd like to see Asante stay, but I can't help but think the fact he hasn't been used very much recently means he's not caught Sturrock's eye. Certainly today was a perfect idea to give him a start, but he wasn't even given 20 minutes...

Would be mighty harsh getting rid of Asante, he is a youngster getting back from a serious knee injury. Could be a big mistake ala Kightly

 

[Cricko]

...will all be staying next year. Prosser was probably the only doubt but the fact he started todays game I guess means he's been offered another deal otherwise I coiuldn't see the point. Play Nesbit instead if that were the case.

The absence of Soares and Bouzid from the bench speaks a lot.

Well that will be handy then as we drew at home to one of the bottom teams with them...woopie do!

Do you think they are going to become superstars next year then? A few are the basis of a good squad that is all.

Glenn Morris, he will do.
Sean Clohessy, I am not convinced about him at all.
Bilel Moshni, As the other post asks is he a liability or not...
Anthony Grant, Flits in and out of games these days.
Craig Easton, I have yet to see him do much , he scores the odd goal.
Barry Corr, Without doubt , if his back holds up.
Ryan Hall, again 100%
Luke Prosser, Another who although young, is not to good a prospect.
Blair Sturrock, Please no more...the guy is crap and is the most expensive nurse ever.
Chris Barker,I felt sorry for Corr but he is certainly in the top 2 for POTY
Kane Ferdinand...Great prospect as long as he keeps learning the game.

 

[fbm]

Well that will be handy then as we drew at home to one of the bottom teams with them...woopie do!

Do you think they are going to become superstars next year then? A few are the basis of a good squad that is all.

Glenn Morris, he will do.
Sean Clohessy, I am not convinced about him at all.
Bilel Moshni, As the other post asks is he a liability or not...
Anthony Grant, Flits in and out of games these days.
Craig Easton, I have yet to see him do much , he scores the odd goal.
Barry Corr, Without doubt , if his back holds up.
Ryan Hall, again 100%
Luke Prosser, Another who although young, is not to good a prospect.
Blair Sturrock, Please no more...the guy is crap and is the most expensive nurse ever.
Chris Barker,I felt sorry for Corr but he is certainly in the top 2 for POTY
Kane Ferdinand...Great prospect as long as he keeps learning the game.

Morris - Certainly good enough for a promotion winning L2 side
Clohessy - Don't agree John, I think he's decent enough to be at this level but not if we want to get out of L1 upwards
Barker - Age and pace is against him but the classiest player we have. Certainly good enough to be in a promotion winning side from L2
Mohsni - He's our biggest asset and our biggest liability. He's pure entertainment and he will get sold for a lot of dosh one day.
Prosser - I agree with you on him and I wouldn't keep him
Hall - Will be dynamite and probably good enough for top L1 as well
Easton - Again age will be against him but you need experience with kids
Ferdinand - Great prospect if he develops
Grant - we know what he's about and we know if he's on form he's good enough for CCC
Corr - Great at this level but fitness is his problem so can't see him getting any higher
Sturrock - Not as bad as Crawford was yesterday... but whilst I think he is a fine footballer, he probably isn't a fine striker. But he assists a lot and that's more than Crawford does

As for the rest, Sawyer I'm sure will be fine, Comminges is a utility player who has been injured most of the time and I haven't seen enough to decide about him. Evans can go with Herd, Bouzid and Soares. Phillips and Gilbert have another year anyway. Crawford hasn't shown anything that would indicate he'd be a decent striker at this level and yesterday when he came on he was woeful.

 

[chadded]

Well that will be handy then as we drew at home to one of the bottom teams with them...woopie do!

Do you think they are going to become superstars next year then? A few are the basis of a good squad that is all.

When we won League One in the 2005/2006 season, we lost games. Does that mean that because they lost one game, they were automatically crap? Yes we drew at home to a struggling team, but it is what happens over a season that matters. Really Cricko, how many bitterness pills have you been swallowing recently?

 

[Andy_S]

Would be mighty harsh getting rid of Asante, he is a youngster getting back from a serious knee injury. Could be a big mistake ala Kightly

I personally wouldn't release him, as I think he'd be a useful, cheap impact player with his pace, but I can't think why he hasn't been used much recently.

 

[The Big Shrimp]

John the one thing you forget about Burton is that they were up near the top of Div 2 until their FA Cup run distracted them. They tore us apart at their place, although that was one of our worse performances of the season.

Morris - More than good enough at this level & as a back up in Div 1
Clohessy - Good enough for Div 2 & has potential, especially when you consider he was shocking at the start of the season
Barker - Class act in this division & will pull the strings well for the less experienced like Bilel, Prosser & Clohessy
Mohsni - He will come back next season greatly improved & with a bit more of a sensible head on!
Prosser - Not convinced although his confidence is probably not great. Has defended ok of late, but getting rid of the ball is a problem for him!!
Phillips - Injured for ages, but hasn't looked good enough when he has played. Let him go
Hall - Too good for Div 2 & will only get better
Easton - Not convinced, but seems to hold things together in the middle
Ferdinand - Good enough now & will get a lot better. Can we hold onto him
Grant - Good enough for CCC, but needs to sort his mind out as to whether he wants to stay RH, as he wanted out at Xmas
Corr - The worst player ever to score 20 goals in a season? I will reserve judgement after a season of him staying fully fit
Sturrock - far to clever for this level, but needs to score goals or have a partner that is on the same wavelength & will benefit from his great footballing brain.
Crawford - not sure after seeing him have a bit of a run. For a ginger, he is not nasty enough. Might get better with age?
Asante - his scoring record in the Youths & reserves means he must know where the net is, but needs a bit of time, especially with the time he's lost through injury.

I think with a few reasonable signings we will be pushing for promotion, especially considering how poor Div 2 is.

 

[fbm]

I think we are one or two players away from being a really good side, but maybe 6 away from being a good squad. Having said that I'm optimistic for next season. As always.

 

[Cricko]

I just don't get it , most people are happy to keep the majority of the squad that got us to 13th this year...we will have injuries etc again next year..IMO most should go if we are to have any chance next year.It is a shame that Phillips and Gilbert still have a year to run on their contracts. And chadded just because you are happy for see us to float about in League 2, I am not, if that makes me bitter then fair enough..This league is dire and the sooner we are out of it the better, we had a good chance this season, next year this division will be stronger and we will need a near-on complete re-shuffle to get anywhere.

 

[Mr. Benedict]

I just don't get it , most people are happy to keep the majority of the squad that got us to 13th this year...we will have injuries etc again next year..IMO most should go if we are to have any chance next year.It is a shame that Phillips and Gilbert still have a year to run on their contracts. And chadded just because you are happy for see us to float about in League 2, I am not, if that makes me bitter then fair enough..This league is dire and the sooner we are out of it the better, we had a good chance this season, next year this division will be stronger and we will need a near-on complete re-shuffle to get anywhere.

Complete re-shuffle? Then we'll be in the same boat as we were at the beginning of this season, needing time for the squad to gel again.
After 22 games we had won 26 points, in the next 23 games we have won 35 - perhaps if the team hadn't played like strangers at the beginning of the season we might have gained that extra few points to get us in the playoffs.

It needs tweaking, certainly. But the basis of a squad that can compete at the top end of the table is already here - so long as we can hold on to our better players...!

 

[Cricko]

We will never get anywhere near the top of the table playing the kind of football PS seems to like.

That was what I meant more by the re-shuffle comment.We have got the basis of 8 to 10 players at the most and we need new to add to that and to change the abysmal style of football we currently play.

It is only Hall and Corr showing anything ATM up front and Morris and Barker in defence.

 

[The Big Shrimp]

But we play better football away from home for some strange reason, but you only saw two away games!! :whistling:

 

[Cricko]

But we play better football away from home for some strange reason, but you only saw two away games!! :whistling:

Yes of course we do as the league table shows.

13 Southend 45 10 7 6 37 28 6 6 10 24 25 +8 61

 

[Andy_S]

We will never get anywhere near the top of the table playing the kind of football PS seems to like.

That was what I meant more by the re-shuffle comment.We have got the basis of 8 to 10 players at the most and we need new to add to that and to change the abysmal style of football we currently play.

It is only Hall and Corr showing anything ATM up front and Morris and Barker in defence.

Nope, after all PS has never had any success before has he... Clearly he doesn't know how to get out of this league.

Seriously, what is going on. You've turned into everything you used to hate.

 

[The Big Shrimp]

Yes of course we do as the league table shows.

13 Southend 45 10 7 6 37 28 6 6 10 24 25 +8 61

Read it again. I said we play better football, not get more points. As you have kindly shown, playing pretty football doesn't always win you games, as the stats you have provided, clearly proves! :raspberry:

 

[Cricko]

Lol playing dire football it is then to pick up some points...god help us all.

 

[Perth Bambi]

Plenty of teams get out of this division playing the sort of football PS plays. And playing the sort of football PS plays had us in the playoffs at one point. Unfortunately when some off the first team got injured we had nothing to bring in. I am happy with the team in general although would like another winger and another striker and a left back but our biggest problem was when our first 11 were injured the people we had to bring in just wern't up to it.

 

[The Big Shrimp]

Lol playing dire football it is then to pick up some points...god help us all.

I'm afraid so unless you can chuck loads of money at a team to play good football like Notts County did last season. As somebody who had seen a few Div 2 games last season, it came as no real shock that we would have to play like that to achieve promotion. Amongst the teams I saw last season were, Aldershot (twice & Soares was crap both times!), Shrewsbury, Notts County, Morecambe & Cheltenham. With the exception of Cheltenham, the others all were promoted, got into the play offs or just missed out. Not one of the games I saw involving these teams was pretty!

I forget who it was, but early on this season we played a team who were all 6ft+ tall & knocked us off the pitch & if we didn't learn from that, we were never going to do well. This is why we have had to play hoofball!