Sam Mantom

[Shrimper Brownie]

Unfortunately this is an attribute that is almost as important as footballing ability. Without the right mentality or mental strength you won't reach your potential. Non league is full of gifted players who don't have the mentality to succeed and the league has many players who are much more limited in ability who's application and effort make them a league player.

I remember James Stevens coming to my sunday league club and technically he was amazing. He scored some of the most amazing free kicks I have seen, his control and passing was superb but he never made it at Southend and he was always out of shape. He didn't have the mentality do train hard and have a decent diet.

Nile Ranger had undeniable talent but doesn't have the mentality to get an early night and get up for training in time.

Mantom has shown us he has ability when he was here initially on loan. There are massive question marks on his mentality though and he could easily be one of those guys who drops out of the league.

Totally agree and I was speaking to one of the stewards at Shrewsbury a few months back and he was a Walsall fan and was telling me that when mantom was there, he was absolute quality but moved to Scunthorpe, lost all confidence and hasn’t changed since.

 

[Massimo Giovanni]

Sam has been back for a few games now, in a team and squad that has lost most of it's big name/ head/ trouble players.
Other plays, primarily Milligan has emerged from the shadow of a player he was to become a potential leader.
The transfer window has gone, no rumours regarding Sam.
What do people think folks?

 

[Stuart W]

Sam has been back for a few games now, in a team and squad that has lost most of it's big name/ head/ trouble players.
Other plays, primarily Milligan has emerged from the shadow of a player he was to become a potential leader.
The transfer window has gone, no rumours regarding Sam.
What do people think folks?

Personally I think he has gone in the other direction to Milligan.
Assuming he is out of contract in the summer, it's a thanks but no thanks from me.

 

[Mr Browns Ghost]

Sam Mantom to me is the player that i relate to when I think of this dark period for the club .... a **** house and dosser who cried like a baby when he couldn’t get his move in the transfer window, the worst captain the club had ever had and unable to interact with any midfielder he has played alongside ... the one thing I am looking froward to on July 1st 2020 is knowing that big gutless donkey no longer represents the club I love

 

[flangejackrabbit]

He does have the 6th highest number of assists in the division.

 

[KiwiRob]

He does have the 6th highest number of assists in the division.

And all Southend managers since Chris Powell left seemed to have rated him highly.

 

[Chrisb]

And all Southend managers since Chris Powell left seemed to have rated him highly.

Not sure that being rated by Kevin Bond is much of an accolade.

 

[rlb999]

He does have the 6th highest number of assists in the division.

Does he really? There’s a stat for everything! For me he‘ll have been here 2.5 seasons in the summer and it’s time for him to move on with our best wishes. Am sure he’ll do better elsewhere.

 

[wakes123]

Sam Mantom to me is the player that i relate to when I think of this dark period for the club .... a **** house and dosser who cried like a baby when he couldn’t get his move in the transfer window, the worst captain the club had ever had and unable to interact with any midfielder he has played alongside ... the one thing I am looking froward to on July 1st 2020 is knowing that big gutless donkey no longer represents the club I love

I didn't think he was that bad today.

Remember when he was excellent with Dru when Powell first come in? I think you're being harsh on him. That being said, I would get rid of him in the summer as we do need a massive clear out and fresh start.

 

[Blue Streak]

And all Southend managers since Chris Powell left seemed to have rated him highly.

Probably because Managers are influenced by how a player trains during the week, his punctuality, his **se licking skills. Whereas we, the fans, purely judge,and rightly so, on what they do on a saturday afternoon when they cross that white line. Steve Tilson did it with Lewis Hunt. Dreadful player on a saturday afternoon but great, suck up, trainer apparently. To be fair it happens in all walks of life. Often the sales guy who lunches with the boss gets promoted ahead of the guy with the best sales record. Personally I want Sol to pick 11 players who will give 100% on the pitch on a saturday afternoon , not in training. Then if we lose we know we gave 100% but were outplayed. But what i cant tolerate is players being selected, from a limited pool, because they train well and say the right things. I'm sure Sam isn't being selected on his 90 minute performances.

 

[rayleigh dan]

I didn't think he was that bad today.

Remember when he was excellent with Dru when Powell first come in? I think you're being harsh on him. That being said, I would get rid of him in the summer as we do need a massive clear out and fresh start.

IMO, not harsh all. We signed him because he looked good alongside Dru who was on fire. Since then what has he done? Two years of cruising, can't be arsed bollocks. I can't remember him making one fully committed tackle.

 

[RHB]

I get that Mantom comes in for criticism. but not some of the vitriolic stuff that comes out on here. He's not the best, but neither is he the worst and we need all of our senior players now and for next season if the youngsters are to continue to grow. For me, that includes Mantom.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

I get that Mantom comes in for criticism. but not some of the vitriolic stuff that comes out on here. He's not the best, but neither is he the worst and we need all of our senior players now and for next season if the youngsters are to continue to grow. For me, that includes Mantom.

Agreed. I’ve been a bit disappointed with his displays but the nastiness in some of the comments is shameful.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Agreed. I’ve been a bit disappointed with his displays but the nastiness in some of the comments is shameful.

I say this so often though, and in the wake of Caroline Flack's death, some really ought to temper some of their remarks.

 

[Ricey]

I’m going to don my tin hat for this post:

I like Mantom and think he plays a similar role to Kevin Maher. I’ve seen him play a number of Maheresque performances which those who will remember he got similar abuse for his performances. Having Milligan as a partner doesn’t work and he needs a more attacking partner. If (hahaha) we sign the Macclesfield lad I’d like to see him partnered with Mantom.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

I think Mantom is a capable L1 player and has his strengths. Those strengths don’t include set pieces. He’s also not the encouraging, talkative, emotional type like JD he’s more quiet, gets on with it calmly. He’s not in the fist pumping Adam Barrett mould and maybe that’s why he’s not really clicked, as such, with some. Everyone’s different, I think it’s just Sam’s personality. I think a lot of comments about players, especially on twitter, do cross the line and that’s sad.

 

[dannypav]

Sam Mantom to me is the player that i relate to when I think of this dark period for the club .... a **** house and dosser who cried like a baby when he couldn’t get his move in the transfer window, the worst captain the club had ever had and unable to interact with any midfielder he has played alongside ... the one thing I am looking froward to on July 1st 2020 is knowing that big gutless donkey no longer represents the club I love

But what do you really think ?

 

[Blueronron]

I say this so often though, and in the wake of Caroline Flack's death, some really ought to temper some of their remarks.

This also applies to when posters attack a fellow poster, not all are strong minded to understand the poster is weak behind the keyboard

 

[fbm]

I think a lot of comments about players, especially on twitter, do cross the line and that’s sad.

Absolutely, and I know this is off topic, but is there anything that can be done about it?

OBL mentioned Caroline Flack earlier in this thread. I've never watched Love Island and didn't have a clue who she was until I saw Stan Collymore tweet how tragic it was that she'd died. I then researched her a bit to bring myself up to speed and yes, it is tragic.

I mentioned it to 2 of my step-daughters who are 21 and 19, both addicted to Instagram and I broke the news to them (they didn't know - it's not often I can let them know something first!). They both said how sad and blamed the hate on social media... the same social media they are addicted to.

I also read that the papers are being blamed, a bit like they were after Diana's death (not to the same degree, obvs), but if people didn't watch Love Island, weren't always on Social Media being hyper critical of, well, just about anyone who doesn't have a 10/10 look, didn't buy sensationalist tabloid papers there would be no market for the very stuff that does the damage.

In this modern age of celebrity, being famous for nothing more than being weird enough to appear on a freak game show and generally having no levels of decency in any type of behaviour, what's the remedy?

I know this is nowt to do with Mantom, but it's a common theme applicable to all in the public eye to any degree.

By the way, I think we are all capable of giving criticism - most of it deserved - and that's not the issue. It's the OTT comments that do the damage.

And @Ricky Otto is correct re the mental strength bit... just think back to Argentina in the World Cup Q/F a few years back when Beckham was sent off... the vitriol he faced from the press afterwards... my God, he was only 21 at the time I think. The Sun had a cartoon of a Gallows Pole for him! The mental strength he possessed was awesome and for the next World Cup in the final qualifying game when we needed a draw against Greece at home to go through. That was one of the worst collective England displays I have ever seen but one of the best individual ones from DB. He single handedly got us through that game and rammed the words of the press down their throats.

But that's him. Not everyone can do that, not everyone has that strength.

Anyway, sorry, back to Mantom. I think he was decent when he came in and yesterday was ok... not sure he worked with Milligan though.

 

[Kris]

He does have the 6th highest number of assists in the division.

I was surprised when I read that - although to be fair I'm very cynical about the assists stats - but look who it was who sent Goodship clear with a very neat through-ball...