Looking ahead with Phil

[Shrimp and two veg]

So chatting to my West Ham friend and drawing obvious parrallels with Sam Allardyce and Phil Brown, no suprise as they worked together that Phil's style should draw many similarities. Both managers have really racked up the wins and points when their squad and more importantly their best players are fit and raring. Of course, West Ham fans hated Allardyce's teams and his style in the end and now he is jobless. I did point out that if Phil scraped out results like this and got us up the divs then i would be all for it. A different perspective when we've endured 5 seasons in the bottom div i guess. I wonder how long our fans could withstand these tactics from Phil if it meant we consolidated a mid table L1 position for a couple of years? After all, we too are waiting for a shiny new stadia. Personally i love seeing wingers beat their man and get the cross over, nothing better than continually turning the oppositions back four around to challenge for the ball when it comes in. A cracking defence inc keeper, couple of good wingers and a handful of a centre forward isnt a bad starting point when you look at the team sheet come August. We will have momentum though from the end of this season and plenty of fight about us. I cant wait to see how we fair. Good luck Phil and may the Southend faithful be kind to you.

 

[spoons]

So chatting to my West Ham friend and drawing obvious parrallels with Sam Allardyce and Phil Brown, no suprise as they worked together that Phil's style should draw many similarities. Both managers have really racked up the wins and points when their squad and more importantly their best players are fit and raring. Of course, West Ham fans hated Allardyce's teams and his style in the end and now he is jobless. I did point out that if Phil scraped out results like this and got us up the divs then i would be all for it. A different perspective when we've endured 5 seasons in the bottom div i guess. I wonder how long our fans could withstand these tactics from Phil if it meant we consolidated a mid table L1 position for a couple of years? After all, we too are waiting for a shiny new stadia. Personally i love seeing wingers beat their man and get the cross over, nothing better than continually turning the oppositions back four around to challenge for the ball when it comes in. A cracking defence inc keeper, couple of good wingers and a handful of a centre forward isnt a bad starting point when you look at the team sheet come August. We will have momentum though from the end of this season and plenty of fight about us. I cant wait to see how we fair. Good luck Phil and may the Southend faithful be kind to you.

Myles Weston ran the defence ragged down the left wing and delivered a perfect cross that led to Piggots goal. It took 122 minutes but boy it was worth the wait:smile:

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

Certainly was Spoons, and Stevenage amongst others endured a torrid time down the flanks with the likes of Worrall too.

 

[Bkdside]

I must see the game different to most. I see a team that's tries to play football to the best of their ability. Getting the ball on the deck and knocking it about. Working hard defensively as a unit to not concede and then moving the ball forward to try and create opportunities.

This in comparison to the Sturrock years and his awful style of football (IMO), I now enjoy my roots hall and away day visits. That's not against PS, he did what he needed to do to keep us up but never achieved what Brown did last week.

Just because we could've gone "more attacking" in those 0-0's doesn't mean we would've won...we could've as easily have lost 1-0. You can't live in a parallel universe.
I feel with the team set up, we have a great platform to build from next season.

 

[leeblue]

Loads of factors to consider for next year. Especially the oppositions view of playing southend. In league two we were one of the big clubs. Most teams came to roots hall intent on spoiling tactics and looking for a good away point. This will not be the case for many teams in league one, we will be viewed quite differently. This may lead to far more open games thus leaving more space etc to operate in.
Then of course the summer of player recruitment is vital as much as I love the lads we have now I think we need at least 3 or 4 upgrades in the first 11. Offensive guile in the middle, some real pace up front just a couple of areas I believe need tweaking. I never worry about style or entertainment tbh as neither have a bearing on my support, the dross dished up by sturrock was very effective for that season we missed out on autos And the first season of course when he effectively rebuilt an entire squad.

 

[Jam_Man]

I must see the game different to most. I see a team that's tries to play football to the best of their ability. Getting the ball on the deck and knocking it about. Working hard defensively as a unit to not concede and then moving the ball forward to try and create opportunities.

This in comparison to the Sturrock years and his awful style of football (IMO), I now enjoy my roots hall and away day visits. That's not against PS, he did what he needed to do to keep us up but never achieved what Brown did last week.

Just because we could've gone "more attacking" in those 0-0's doesn't mean we would've won...we could've as easily have lost 1-0. You can't live in a parallel universe.
I feel with the team set up, we have a great platform to build from next season.

Exactly how I see it.

We dont play anything like Sam Allardyce , we do try to play decent football, building from the back, playing it on the floor as much as possible. Sturrocks football was far more like Sam's, whilst he did well for us results wise I agree it was the most dire period Ive sat through in a long time. Never enjoyed any of the football in that period.

We have never really been an effective attacking force under Brown, but Ive never seen that as part of our tactics.

Its been done to death about 451/442 but neither tactic is attacking or defensive despite what some claim. We played 442 for half the season and we were still struggling to score more than a goal a game for most of it. In our record breaking winning run most of the games were 1-0 still.

All of that was fine personally, we were in the play offs all season and thats what was important. Wycombe were one of the top scorers in the league and will now be spending another year in league two, I know which of us Id prefer.

I certainly want to see an improvement next year as this year was fine because we were always in the promotion race, next season we will no doubt be nowhere near it so to have a goal famine when you are mid table will not be as easy to justify.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I must see the game different to most. I see a team that's tries to play football to the best of their ability. Getting the ball on the deck and knocking it about. Working hard defensively as a unit to not concede and then moving the ball forward to try and create opportunities.

This in comparison to the Sturrock years and his awful style of football (IMO), I now enjoy my roots hall and away day visits. That's not against PS, he did what he needed to do to keep us up but never achieved what Brown did last week.

Just because we could've gone "more attacking" in those 0-0's doesn't mean we would've won...we could've as easily have lost 1-0. You can't live in a parallel universe.
I feel with the team set up, we have a great platform to build from next season.

I've discussed the game with a lot of neutrals (Liverpool, Brighton, Shrewsbury, W*** H**, Chelsea etc) and day-trippers and to a man/woman they've all commented on what an exciting finish it was but how bad it was before that, although interestingly they're all come up with slightly different periods at which the game picked up (eg 65 minutes, 85 minutes, and extra-time).

My only defence to how bad the football was that they should have been at our home games this season.

Sturrock's teams may have used the long ball to get the ball into the final third, but when they managed to get it down they then played much superior football. Much of the interplay between players like Clohessy/Simpson/Sturrock or later Clohessy/Hurst/Tomlin was delightful and a real pleasure to watch and trumps the best football we've managed this season. We don't work the triangles nearly as well any more.

Things have picked up a little in recent months with the return to two up front (although only later on in games in recent weeks) and when we have two footballers on the wing in Worrall and McCoughlin rather than a duracell bunny in Atkinson. Hurst's continued absence bemuses me.

Watching Bolger roll a ball across to White to shuffle it up to Atkinson to run into a deadend isn't particularly my idea of good passing football. Passing football is good when it moves opponents about and creates space, when it allows you to slip players in behind opponents. Our passing is generally workmanlike, laboured, inefficient and dull. That's not good football. Slipping Clohessy in behind the full-back was good football. Only really Timlin tries this type of ball now (although McCoughlin plays some nice one touch stuff which adds some impetus to our moves, which is why I'm heartened we're trying to get him), although he gets berated every time his attempt at a defence splitting pass doesn't split the defence.

It was a great finish to the season, but to be brutally honest most of this season bored me in a way I haven't been bored since Alan Little was stifling all joy out of football.

 

[Jam_Man]

Sturrock's teams may have used the long ball to get the ball into the final third, but when they managed to get it down they then played much superior football. Much of the interplay between players like Clohessy/Simpson/Sturrock or later Clohessy/Hurst/Tomlin was delightful and a real pleasure to watch and trumps the best football we've managed this season. We don't work the triangles nearly as well any more.

Must have been different to the games people were watching on these threads then, even when we were top of the league we had people complaining about the style, I dont remember anything being a delight to watch.

With the players in the squad we have, who seem to have talent, why is it we are playing such crap football. Is it that PS knows only one game and that is hoof ball or is it that the formation is completely wrong..I don't mind picking up points but I hate seeing the style of football we have to endure at the moment which bores me to tears.We are dog **** lucky to be where we are in this table playing as we are and the entertainment value is zero. - The Reverend Cricko 2011


http://www.shrimperzone.com/vb/show...-errr-Paul-Sturrock/page2&highlight=hoof+ball

http://www.shrimperzone.com/vb/show...-playing-rubbish-football&highlight=hoof+ball

http://www.shrimperzone.com/vb/showthread.php?70744-Style-of-Play-Debate&highlight=hoof+ball

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Must have been different to the games people were watching on these threads then, even when we were top of the league we had people complaining about the style, I dont remember anything being a delight to watch.

With the players in the squad we have, who seem to have talent, why is it we are playing such crap football. Is it that PS knows only one game and that is hoof ball or is it that the formation is completely wrong..I don't mind picking up points but I hate seeing the style of football we have to endure at the moment which bores me to tears.We are dog **** lucky to be where we are in this table playing as we are and the entertainment value is zero. - The Reverend Cricko 2011


http://www.shrimperzone.com/vb/show...-errr-Paul-Sturrock/page2&highlight=hoof+ball

http://www.shrimperzone.com/vb/show...-playing-rubbish-football&highlight=hoof+ball

http://www.shrimperzone.com/vb/showthread.php?70744-Style-of-Play-Debate&highlight=hoof+ball

You missed a word.

Sturrock's teams may have used the long ball to get the ball into the final third, but when they managed to get it down they then played much superior football. Much of the interplay between players like Clohessy/Simpson/Sturrock or later Clohessy/Hurst/Tomlin was delightful and a real pleasure to watch and trumps the best football we've managed this season. We don't work the triangles nearly as well any more.

It didn't work all the time, but it worked more often in terms of me enjoying the football.

 

[danburyshrimper]

As chuffed to pieces i am after Saturday , myself + all my mates there agreed from the moment we announced the team line up that we would struggle right up until the time we gave Corr more support up front.
And so it proved....
So if Brown has learnt one thing , lets just hope its that we only ever look like winning games when we actually get players forward in more numbers. When Piggy scored at Wembley how many did we have in the box ? Until this moment we rarely had more than 1 apart from set pieces. This , quite frankly, was dreadful. Luckily the subs did push forward more , but why o why o why cant we have a more attacking game plan , pressing up the pitch + getting numbers in the box.
With the squad we had for this season we should have p+ssed this league. The fact it ended so brilliantly disguises the fact that we were lucky.....
Come on Brown , stop playing sooooooooooooo defensively next season.

 

[Jam_Man]

As chuffed to pieces i am after Saturday , myself + all my mates there agreed from the moment we announced the team line up that we would struggle right up until the time we gave Corr more support up front.
And so it proved....
So if Brown has learnt one thing , lets just hope its that we only ever look like winning games when we actually get players forward in more numbers. When Piggy scored at Wembley how many did we have in the box ? Until this moment we rarely had more than 1 apart from set pieces. This , quite frankly, was dreadful. Luckily the subs did push forward more , but why o why o why cant we have a more attacking game plan , pressing up the pitch + getting numbers in the box.
With the squad we had for this season we should have p+ssed this league. The fact it ended so brilliantly disguises the fact that we were lucky.....
Come on Brown , stop playing sooooooooooooo defensively next season.

That had more to do with it being the last 30 seconds of the game and being one down than what tactic we lined up with.

 

[sufcnum1]

It all comes down to a impossible balance. At the end of the day if we played decent football week in and week out but lost every other game we'd be moaning cause we aren't winning enough and still be in league 2, however we've played some good stuff , and battled for some points and played some ugly stuff and won enough points to gain promotion. Its not black and white as it seams you all want. Look at Chelsea they have been accused of being boring but have won the biggest league prize in the world.
Let brown do the job he thinks he can do with the player's he's got, weather its ugly or not.

 

[tallboyblue]

Brown and Coughlan were defenders . Not sure about Penny. Maybe we need an attacking coach.

 

[Liam AAS]

We definitely need an attacking coach. We've not scored enough goals for 2 years now and whilst we have created plenty of chances we need to front men and supporting midfielders to put them away. All our CMs seem more concerned with protecting the defence rather than sticking the ball in the net even though they've all shown they're capable of it.

I think we'll do well next year, all you have to do to not get relegated is avoid length runs w/o wins. With our defence I can't see us grinding out points.

My tips for relegation are: Blackpool, Colchester, Crewe and one of Shrewsbury(to open)/Wigan(free-fall)/Coventry(sacked Pressley who was doing a pretty good job)

 

[Bkdside]

Worth a watch for anyone that struggles to under Phil Brown mentality http://cdn.top4top.net/d_ef21bd90091.mp4

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

Worth a watch for anyone that struggles to under Phil Brown mentality http://cdn.top4top.net/d_ef21bd90091.mp4

Truly splendid

 

[Mark Stevart]

We definitely need an attacking coach. We've not scored enough goals for 2 years now and whilst we have created plenty of chances we need to front men and supporting midfielders to put them away. All our CMs seem more concerned with protecting the defence rather than sticking the ball in the net even though they've all shown they're capable of it.

I think we'll do well next year, all you have to do to not get relegated is avoid length runs w/o wins. With our defence I can't see us grinding out points.

My tips for relegation are: Blackpool, Colchester, Crewe and one of Shrewsbury(to open)/Wigan(free-fall)/Coventry(sacked Pressley who was doing a pretty good job)

Wigan 2nd year of parachute payments from premier league so they will have serious amounts of cash to spend this summer

 

[turkishm]

Difficult to say, until we no who PB signs, but I believe we will end up next season being difficult to beat, lots of draws, and coming in at about midtable.

 

[danburyshrimper]

Brown and Coughlan were defenders . Not sure about Penny. Maybe we need an attacking coach.

Penney showed he can be an attacking coach at 3am Sunday around Eastern Esplanade. Alledgedly.

 

[RHB]

Difficult to say, until we no who PB signs, but I believe we will end up next season being difficult to beat, lots of draws, and coming in at about midtable.

If that is true, it's going to be so much fun on here next season. The 4.4.2 debate and giving Williams a chance will reach cosmic levels.