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shrimperton

Manager
Joined
Mar 16, 2007
Messages
1,937
Location
Stanford Le Hope
Well, half way through our season back in L1 & after reading some things on here, what are people expecting!

We are doing extremely well to be where we in a tough league & I am very proud to be a blues fans..... the last 2 games haven't gone to plan, 4-0 & 3-0 at home, but, we were always going to get these type of results with the squad & little money we have available to us in a very competitive league.

The lads have had a hard xmas line up & being in for extra training in that period don't suppose helped, they are knackered & Phil needs to freshen things up this weekend.

Imagine if we go up this season, it would be a disaster next year, we are in a worse state than when Tilly took us up with Goater & co, the only thing we have better than then is the youth set up, we even payed the players more in that season than we are this season......................take Bristol City for example, romped L1 last season..... only won 4 game this season & they are paying lads 15 to 20k a week.......... we cannot ever do that

Please please think before you type, we are Southend United, we all want success, but, success is staying in League 1....
 
All good until...success is staying in league. Is it ****...success is going up
 
Agree, a few seasons in this League to consolidate and build a squad good enough to get into and stay in the Championship should be the goal. As great as getting promoted would be, seeing other clubs who were better equipped to compete in the league above struggle makes the thought of going up even scarier. We would need 8 or 9 new starting players.

Well chuffed with how the season's going and survival is success for us, this season.
 
We have been excellent so far and only requiring 15 points to guarantee safety is by anyone's mind a wonderful achievement.
 
Of course the odds will be stacked against us if we go up, the size of our club and budget will be dwarfed by many in the championship. What I don't understand is this opinion that in a couple of seasons time we'll be in a better position? Players want to push on, if we don't move forward and they think they can then they will. Then we are tasked with replacing key players meaning we could just as easily be a weaker side than a stronger side in a couple of seasons. Any small club will struggle but smaller clubs with smaller budgets than ours have managed to survive the championship, lets not forget that Col ewe went up at the same time as us last time and were competitive, if a tinpot club like that can do it then we have a chance. You play to win, play for promotion and take any chance you get. I want promotion this season and don't understand why any fan wouldn't?
 
The problem now is the gulf in finances between a Club like ours and the vast majority of Championship teams. There are exceptions of course. All 3 promoted clubs from last year are struggling, including Bristol City which is a surprise. I would definitely be satisfied with the way the season has gone so far.
 
I struggle to understand how we'll be better equipped to go up next season. Surely whenever we have a good enough squad to finish in a promotion spot after 46 games, we're equipped to go up?

And why will we be better off in the Championship in a couple of years time? We can't grow as a club at Roots Hall, we won't become any more financially well off. Meanwhile the gap between the Championship and League One continues to grow every year. The Premier League TV money comes in next year IIRC, won't it be tougher competing with clubs that have just come down from that league and have millions more money to spend?

All a tad irrelevant as we are going to be well short of a promotion side this season IMO but I'm enjoying life back in L1 and a top half finish will be good progress.
 
because over the course of each season we can assess which players aren't up to it and replace them with better ones while allowing our young players to develop and hopefully establish themselves. it'll be a case of largely shifting money around although there will be some more than in League 2.
that's why i think waiting a season or two may, or at least should, help regarding promotion to the second tier
 
I stated at the beginning of the season i would be over joyed if SUFC could finish in the top 12 as i believe this season is a season to consolidate our position in league one, too many times we have won promotion from div 2 only to get relegated back down.Yes it would be great to finish in a playoff position also. But just to finish in the top 12 to me would be a successful season.This would then allow PB an off season to assess what players the club requires to really push for promotion next season.
 
because over the course of each season we can assess which players aren't up to it and replace them with better ones while allowing our young players to develop and hopefully establish themselves. it'll be a case of largely shifting money around although there will be some more than in League 2.
that's why i think waiting a season or two may, or at least should, help regarding promotion to the second tier

But we could lose players too if we didn't get promoted. Bentley will definitely be off (if he doesn't go this month) and one or two others might follow. The squad won't necessarily always get stronger.

Having seen three promotions in 25 years I'm not minded to start turning them down.
 
After seeing the first game of the season and the utter disgrace that it was, I would be delighted with a top 10 finish at best with possibly a late surge into the play offs.

to be fair, Walsall were by far the best side to come to Roots Hall this season.
 
First game was fine I thought, nice trip to the seaside in the sunshine and a decent point won late on.
 
We aren't good enough for top 2 but let's go the play-offs for a bit of excitement. Last thing I want to do now is resign to a mid-table finish that will be about as boring as half the stuff posted on here.
 
I has been a decent start - no question.
We are all aware of the limitations that are both financial and attractiveness to available players.
However, whilst I appreciate the difficulties and applaud the achievement in consolidating - success is always about getting to the next division, winning a proper trophy etc etc.
Achievement is one thing - SUCCESS is totally another.
 
After seeing the first game of the season and the utter disgrace that it was, I would be delighted with a top 10 finish at best with possibly a late surge into the play offs.

to be fair, Walsall were by far the best side to come to Roots Hall this season.

Its this sort of post that proves its our fans more than the players that couldn't handle the Championship.
 
Start of the season I would've taken surviving in this League... Now, I think we could honestly keep Top 10 or maybe even a sneaky push for the play-offs.
 
Show people the slightest bit of success and they sill want everything... That's how it is.. Realistically if you asked anyone before a ball was kicked this season if being slap bang in the middle of the table would've suited them, they would've bitten your hand off... I'll take mid table over a relagarion scrap any day of the week... But this is Southend and we hardly ever have a boring season with nothing to play for come the last few games. Spoiled as fans we really have been
 
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