Simon Cox

[MK Shrimper]

An update on the A-league. It is rumoured that players will start training in July with the last five games to be played from early August. The government here has shut the borders and only citizens and pernament residents are allowed back in. This looks to be the case for quite a while. I doubt Simon Cox is either of these. Might be looking for a gig in the UK if football ever kicks off again.

Well he won't be playing for us when the remainder or a new season kicks off. Bridges burnt.

 

[KevinJH]

“That’s fine, I understand that, so getting me out of the dressing room was probably something he wanted from day one.” Reads like Sol sussed him out pretty darned quick for who/what he was. With the amount of time, experience and success SC has had, it'd take a pretty sharp operator to pull the wool over his eyes - good move, I reckon.

 

[South Bank Hank]

“That’s fine, I understand that, so getting me out of the dressing room was probably something he wanted from day one.” Reads like Sol sussed him out pretty darned quick for who/what he was. With the amount of time, experience and success SC has had, it'd take a pretty sharp operator to pull the wool over his eyes - good move, I reckon.

Worst thread ever to use the initials SC though!

?

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

Be fair, its pretty tough doing 3 hours work a day.

Ha! As a part-timer myself (these days) I feel your pain.

 

[Cockle43]

Compare that to a story I was told about by someone who was with Liverpool at one time as a young lad.
One of the Liverpool greats trained with them one day and was asked after the session how you got to that level; apparently, he took his shirt off and wrung out a pool of sweat on to the floor, looked him in the eye and said, 'If you can't do that you're not training hard enough, lad...'

Attitude and a willingness to put the effort in goes a long way.

It's similar to what makes players respected in the stands. If a player turns up on match day and gives everything then the respect will be there from the fans.
The fans will understand a player can have an off day, we all have them. However, most of them will be grafting eight hours or more a day not two or three; chances are a lot will be on wages a fair bit lower than a lot of the players so expect a level of effort both on the field and the training ground.

 

[Murkey_Mouse]

Typical rag can’t get the facts right. Says Sol was on charge since August 2019

If that was true, we would be 20 points better off by now.

 

[Kris]

Lesson here is to stop buying players chilling on there final payday....

We had amazing success with spinner, the eagle and the goat. 2 that were passionate about the club and 1 that just seemed like one of the nicest guys in football, and all very skilled. They added a touch of class and experience and had the personality to make the younger players around them thrive.

The cox's and ridgewells of this world were just taking the ****.

I know it's probably inadvertent but you're seriously comparing Cox with Ridgewell?

 

[Kris]

What a pathetic article.

At what point does Cox describe Sol's training methods as being brutal?

At what point does Cox disagree with Sol's rules to ban birthday cake?

Why did training sessions drag on? Was it fitness-based (seems people on here seem to assume that), maybe too much repetition, maybe too many gaps between exercises? Who knows.

There doesn't seem to be much bitterness at the end either.

Remember that this publication (or The Sun) suggested that Sol was about to quit, which prompted similar bitchiness on here and so far I don't think there has been much evidence of that either this.

I was sorry to see Cox leave but equally I could understand it; to be honest I was more upset about Hopper's departure.

Whatever people think about Cox's departure, you surely can't base it on this article. Utter sensationalist tabloid bollocks. Er, rant over.

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

He's just outed himself as being lazy here. More concerned about cakes than putting a shift in

 

[Kris]

He's just outed himself as being lazy here. More concerned about cakes than putting a shift in

In fairness the interview was over the phone and it's more than likely that Cox was asked about changes since Sol arrived. It's not as if he ran to the journalist and ranted about cake.

I also think it's a myth that Cox didn't put a shift in. If anything it was the opposite because he was either up front on his own or playing as a third midfielder and having to chase lost causes. A guy next to me in one game commented that he was running around like the proverbial headless chicken and asked me why he was wasting his energy in areas where he couldn't hurt the opposition. Still, opinions and all that...

 

[kentblues]

Agree Cox always put in a shift and despite being early thirties kept himself in good condition.

I think it’s more he had his own opinions and was fairly outspoken. Sol however wanted to change the culture that had built up and get everything on a far more professional and discipled footing- a bit of back to school and either you sign on, commit and get your head down or it’s time for pastures new. I think Cox wa keen to move anyway as has been mentioned

 

[Strykr]

I know it's probably inadvertent but you're seriously comparing Cox with Ridgewell?

Not comparing, just putting them in 1 same category. A totally different type of player to prior, edwards, goater etc.

Compared to ridgewell cox was like the messiah.

 

[stuey26]

Pretty sure the article is largely made up.
Theres no way Cox was talking from Western Sydney, as Western Sydney have stood down all their players and aren't paying them - also sure I saw he was back in Benfleet.
In media stuff in Australia he seems pretty full of himself and makes out that he played at a far higher level than he ever did - Ex premier league star and all that - a coupe of appearances as sub doesn't make you Ex premier league star IMO.
Having watched the A'league for past few years I'd say standard is upper league 1 at best so definitely not a step up for him.

 

[OldBlueLady]

Pretty sure the article is largely made up.
Theres no way Cox was talking from Western Sydney, as Western Sydney have stood down all their players and aren't paying them - also sure I saw he was back in Benfleet.

He is back in Benfleet, we saw him at the garage yesterday.

As for the article, and some of the comments here. Cox was a good servant for us, and carried us throughout the 2018/19 season, when we'd have been relegated if it hadn't have been for him. Some are very quick to judge here based on comments in The Scum, of all papers!

What he was commenting on, I'd guess, is that under Powell, for sure, they were allowed cakes on people's birthdays - there was a big tray of Krispy Kremes and Mr Kipling cakes on the table in the changing rooms on the first JB Meet the Players Day we did at Roots Hall, which we were told Luke Hyam (IIRC) had brought in for everyone as it was his birthday. He'd have been simply saying about the changes Campbell had brought in, not as a criticism, but as a comparison to how it was under previous managers.

Training had become very lax, even going back as far as Sturrock going. Brown implemented early starts and communal breakfasts and then gave them the afternoons "off", so they could do their own thing. Under Powell and Bond, that reduced down to just a few hours in the morning. Campbell's upheaval of the way they trained was long overdue - and why should the Club provide breakfast for them as well as lunch anyway?

What I don't dispute for one moment is that the two of them didn't get on - and that's hardly news to my ears.

 

[Medway Blue]

After hearing some of the stuff I’ve heard, I can’t side with either of them after reading that article. I think they’re both ****es.

 

[FitzMK]

He is back in Benfleet, we saw him at the garage yesterday.

As for the article, and some of the comments here. Cox was a good servant for us, and carried us throughout the 2018/19 season, when we'd have been relegated if it hadn't have been for him. Some are very quick to judge here based on comments in The Scum, of all papers!

What he was commenting on, I'd guess, is that under Powell, for sure, they were allowed cakes on people's birthdays - there was a big tray of Krispy Kremes and Mr Kipling cakes on the table in the changing rooms on the first JB Meet the Players Day we did at Roots Hall, which we were told Luke Hyam (IIRC) had brought in for everyone as it was his birthday. He'd have been simply saying about the changes Campbell had brought in, not as a criticism, but as a comparison to how it was under previous managers.

Training had become very lax, even going back as far as Sturrock going. Brown implemented early starts and communal breakfasts and then gave them the afternoons "off", so they could do their own thing. Under Powell and Bond, that reduced down to just a few hours in the morning. Campbell's upheaval of the way they trained was long overdue - and why should the Club provide breakfast for them as well as lunch anyway?

What I don't dispute for one moment is that the two of them didn't get on - and that's hardly news to my ears.

I think that’s very fair OBL. I didn’t like the tone of much of this thread as I believe that Cox was one of the few genuine class players we’ve had in recent times. I suspect that the idea that he’s a troublemaker may have stemmed from him having the temerity to question tactics or asking impertinent questions like ‘are we getting paid’?

 

[Medway Blue]

I think that’s very fair OBL. I didn’t like the tone of much of this thread as I believe that Cox was one of the few genuine class players we’ve had in recent times. I suspect that the idea that he’s a troublemaker may have stemmed from him having the temerity to question tactics or asking impertinent questions like ‘are we getting paid’?

No....it’s stemmed from the fact that he’s a troublemaker. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that we’ve seen an improvement in team body language and in performances from players such as Milligan and Shaughnessy since Cox and Kiernan have both left. I understand Macca was part of their little clique and he’s also turned a corner since they left.

 

[stewart]

if you have cliques or rat packs as i call them ,then you will never have a united team,Best for a new manager as SC was to sort them out and tell them to look for a new club as i think he has done. SC is in charge the players need to respect that and do things his way ,after all said and done if he is wrong its his head that will fall first ask a few previous managers that .

 

[Gt Yarmouth Shrimper]

Compared to ridgewell cox was like the messiah.

No he isn't, he's a very naughty boy.

 

[Westcliff DGS]

I have nothing against Cox as OBL said his goals kept us up, he was a senior player and maybe didnt do all he could but that could be said for a lot of players over the years.

If you go back to the playoff winning side there was a clique in that team too, but it was never a problem as we were winning, in the 16/17 season when me just missed out on th playoffs to the championship there was a very obvious group who hung around together but again nothing mentioned.

These things for me only become hi-lighted when things are not going so well. If your having a pop at a clique dont just pop at one person pop at them all.

Anyway never had an issue with Cox for me gave a hell of a lot on the pitch, some selfless running at times.