Steve Tilson

[Richard_Cadette]

Not long back from the game (Don't ask) and something that sprung to mind today is that Tilly's reputation is starting to become tarnished at the moment, and the big question is, is it his fault, or is it a lack of funds available for him to spend?

I hate the 'Has Tilly taken us as far as he can' questions that appear everytime we concede a goal, but I am struggling to find ways of defending his actions at present.

The team today, IMO, have their all, and if truth be told, did not deserve to walk away from that game empty handed, indeed, you could argue for long periods, we were the better side. The players on the park, I don't believe, could have done much more than they did, and that for me is the problem.

How can you moan at the players when they are doing their level best, and performing as well as they can do? You can't. They deserved every bit of applause today because they tried their hardest, and despite the fact MK Dons were seemingly either in cruise control or way below par, should have got a result.

With that in mind, the only possible conclusion to draw is that the manager who assembled this squad, who selected the team today, and who dictated the tactics we employed is at fault for our current plight.

When the team was read out before the match today, there was that sinking feeling - you just knew however much we huffed and puffed, we were going to get diddly squat from today's game, other than maybe a 0-0. The team out there today was, in all honesty, one of the weakest Tilly has ever put out. The midfield again was just a mish mash of players put together in the vain hope of something working..... And God forbid anyone that ever moans about Betsy again by the way, because how incredibly unbalanced have we looked since he was inexplicably dropped on Boxing Day??

What is worrying is that our previously scoring strikers are now starting to miss the chances that are coming their way, or they are losing the confidence to even shoot in the first place, and as I have said before, the defence and the midfield being as they are is starting to undermine everything good about this side.

Tilly's blind spots are actually becoming more than just annoying, they are seriously starting to threaten our league position - and anyone who scoffs at the thought of relegation should be warned - better teams than us have fallen through the trap door.

If funds are a problem, then he needs to say so, because if he doesn't, then he is runnig the risk of ruining his reputation amongst the fans that have held him in such high esteem for so long. Even if funding is a problem, that should have no bearing on some of the decsions he makes with regards his team selections - the side he has picked for the last two games has smacked of desperation.

At the moment, I genuinely don't know what Tilly is trying to do - the team does not seem to be playing in the style that is usually associated with his teams, there seems to be an alarming lack of game plan, and the team, despite the players giving their all, seem bereft of any shape whatsoever. I don't know about the team spirit, something Tilly holds very highly, but there seems to be no cohesion in our side and what is very evident is exactly how easy it is to beat us - MK Dons barely attacked today, but still scored twice, and did so without having to work for it.

Make no mistake, Tilly HAS to improve HIS game in the near future, and quickly, because would anyone on here feel confident with the squad we have of the outcome of a relegation dog fight? I know I wouldn't, and regardless of what your feelings are towards Tilly, everyone must surely recognise that he is struggling big time right now.

As for changing the manager, well if results continue as they are, then the chorus from the people who have been championing this for a while will only get louder, and will only get more popular.

 

[Uncle Leo]

There are plenty of decent managers out there i'm sure - and as I said, thats down to the board to chose the best applicant out of any CVs we receive - many of which we would probably never think of. Suggesting anyone would be folly.

How long are you prepared to give him CS?

A good while yet; certainly not any time this season. Maybe if we start 2009/10 in terrible fashion, but even then he desereves a good bit of slack. I'm not saying we shouldn't be questioning him, but neither should we be looking to stick in the knife.

Let's not forget that Tilson has been responsible for one of the greatest eras in the history of the club. One season of mediocrity in the third tier (I'm certain we're going neither down nor up this season) shouldn't mean he loses his job.

 

[palexander]

...
I hate the 'Has Tilly taken us as far as he can' questions that appear everytime we concede a goal, but I am struggling to find ways of defending his actions at present...

Good post RC and you seem to cover a lot of the points my frustrated ramblings couldnt coherently get across!

Just highlighted this bit above though as you say you hate these sort of posts, but then the rest of your message conveys the message that Tilly is at the point of taking us as far as he can in a way.

Also, I couldnt applaud that performance today as I dont believe they gave their all. We fashioned some 'ok' chances, but I believe more by luck than judgement and every team in any match will get chances. Think the chances flattered our performance and i think we got what we deserved.

MK Dons should have put us to the sword today and I felt they played well with in themselves - they have quality players and will be in and around the promotion mix.

 

[A Century United]

Just for those people who complain that Tilson always blames luck:

Di Matteo, speaking to the MK Dons official site, said: "We are very happy to have picked up another three points today. It was a very difficult game - Southend played really well and were a bit unlucky because they created a few chances.

Seems that Di Matteo agrees with him this time. Choosing this match to beat Tilly with is remarkably short sighted, pborham. Perhaps you need a loan of my rose-tinted specs?

 

[palexander]

A good while yet; certainly not any time this season. Maybe if we start 2009/10 in terrible fashion, but even then he desereves a good bit of slack. I'm not saying we shouldn't be questioning him, but neither should we be looking to stick in the knife.

Let's not forget that Tilson has been responsible for one of the greatest eras in the history of the club. One season of mediocrity in the third tier (I'm certain we're going neither down nor up this season) shouldn't mean he loses his job.

The post I started is starting to come up more and more often though and the point of 'Tilly deserves more time' gets banded about time and again - how many times do we 'give him more time'?

Like RC says, I dont fancy this side in a relegation scrap - so if we unthinkably end up in Lg2 next season - what then? It could be too late and we end up like 'Darlington' - stuck in the basement, with a 20,000 seater stadium (or whatever) with 2,000 people in it.

Its got to be on Rons mind that the new stadium plan - and our future, could turn to **** pretty quickly in the next 18 months...

 

[Grayson]

Just for those people who complain that Tilson always blames luck:

Di Matteo, speaking to the MK Dons official site, said: "We are very happy to have picked up another three points today. It was a very difficult game - Southend played really well and were a bit unlucky because they created a few chances.

That says all that needs to be said on this.

Today we were unlucky. That was plain to see by everyone sitting there shivering.

 

[Uncle Leo]

Just for those people who complain that Tilson always blames luck:

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Seems that Di Matteo agrees with him this time. Choosing this match to beat Tilly with is remarkably short sighted, pborham. Perhaps you need a loan of my rose-tinted specs?

Incidentally, the three chaps I went with, none of whom support MK or Southend, all thought it was a closer game than the scoreline suggested. I honestly didn't think today was all that bad.

That's not to say there haven't been some shockers the last couple of months of course!

 

[palexander]

Just for those people who complain that Tilson always blames luck:

[/i][/color]

Seems that Di Matteo agrees with him this time. Choosing this match to beat Tilly with is remarkably short sighted, pborham. Perhaps you need a loan of my rose-tinted specs?

Easy to say that on the back of a win though from Di Matteo. Honestly, I thought we were so awful today, how anyone can see any positives (ignoring the chances) amazes me :(

 

[ashingdon-shrimper]

If lack of funds are the problem, feel free to exaplin to me why Scunthorpe and Millwall are doing so outstandingly well having spent next to nothing.

agreed, lets not forget the money that tilson has had to spend...

foran, paynter, walker, revell, harrold (some people would say we payed to much for clarke, as ron martin was happy to agree with at the agm)

for combined we are looking at 600k, and barring bailey and eastwood when tilson has had the money to spend the players he have bought in have been 1.easy to sign, 2. played out of position, 3. cant re create previous form, and end up leaving and scoring elsewere.

 

[Grayson]

Easy to say that on the back of a win though from Di Matteo. Honestly, I thought we were so awful today, how anyone can see any positives (ignoring the chances) amazes me :(

By ignoring the chances we created, it's going to be negative. You can't ignore the part that makes your argument flawed because it suits you, surely?

 

[A Century United]

Easy to say that on the back of a win though from Di Matteo. Honestly, I thought we were so awful today, how anyone can see any positives (ignoring the chances) amazes me :(

Which just makes me think that perhaps you aren't in the best position to judge - you are fed up and looking for the negatives instead of taking a balanced approach as (presumably) Uxbridges neutral friends did.

After 40 years of following Southend, I am very much in the "Devil you know" camp. To just chuck Tilson out in the hope that the next chap through the door will be an upgrade is stunningly naive in my opinion.

And please remember that whatever Uncle Ron's many good points, his record of appointing good managers isn't one of them. He only got Tilly by default.

 

[palexander]

By ignoring the chances we created, it's going to be negative. You can't ignore the part that makes your argument flawed because it suits you, surely?

I do appreciate that and it wasnt meant quite as I said. I just mean, aside from the chances, there were no positives and nobody came out of the game with any credit.

Chances normally come a teams way during a game, so not as if we carved MK open or did anything of positive creativity to say 'thats something to build on'.

Stanislas chance was an awful finish...

 

[palexander]

Which just makes me think that perhaps you aren't in the best position to judge - you are fed up and looking for the negatives instead of taking a balanced approach as (presumably) Uxbridges neutral friends did.

After 40 years of following Southend, I am very much in the "Devil you know" camp. To just chuck Tilson out in the hope that the next chap through the door will be an upgrade is stunningly naive in my opinion.

And please remember that whatever Uncle Ron's many good points, his record of appointing good managers isn't one of them. He only got Tilly by default.

Sorry, but is it any more naive than hoping Tilly can inspire the troops or pull another Eastwood out of the bag in January?

I've seen nothing recently that shows any glimmer of hope and i'm afraid for our league status at this moment...

 

[Grayson]

I do appreciate that and it wasnt meant quite as I said. I just mean, aside from the chances, there were no positives and nobody came out of the game with any credit.

Chances normally come a teams way during a game, so not as if we carved MK open or did anything of positive creativity to say 'thats something to build on'.

Stanislas chance was an awful finish...

But we did carve them apart at times. Ok, we lacked the cutting edge and quality to punish them, but that's due to a lack of confidence that's filling the side. Players look too afraid to make mistakes at the moment - even Dougie won't shoot.

 

[Southampton Shrimper]

Even with Sawyer in the side, most of the remaining players playing today were in that side that had a good run, so I dont believe its all due to 1 or 2 loan players going back to their parent clubs.

I mentioned this in my earlier post - there is a vast difference between the team in the good run and the team that played today (and has been playing the last six weeks).

Our good run started on 13 September with the 1-0 win against Hereford and ended on 15 November with the 2-2 draw at Tranmere. I am counting League games only here, and not counting the FA Cup. In that two-month period we lost only one game in 11 and moved from 22nd place in the League to 8th (peaking at 6th in the middle of October).

In 9 of those 11 games, there were only five players who started those games that started this afternoon. In the other two (including the one defeat) there were six.

Interestingly, the men who make up the five most often are the ones who seem to get most criticism on here, ie the defenders (Francis, Clarke, Barrett, either Harding or Sankofa) and Revell.

The biggest difference to today's team is the midfield. Throughout that run, the midfield contained Betsy, Christophe, Sawyer and Robson-Kanu (with Walker in place of HRK for the first two games). The only defeat in that run came when Sawyer was replaced by McCormack.

 

[Nobby Snide]

I said at the start of the season it was possibly Tilsons last season, due to lack of funds, small and inadequate squad (frustration at poor position) as well as believing has taken the club as far as he can...I was shot down.

1) I am a Tilson fan, I would not want him to go.
2) If he does go, I would only want him to go if there was a 'better' manager with money to spend to take his place. (this aint gonna happen)
3) I dont expect ths season to be challenging for play-offs..mid table would be enough, but what REALLY are the boards expectations?
4) Is Ron true to hisword about Tilson and giving him time, or is he impatient for success as he hinted at recently at the AGM?
5) Give it until end of January, then we really have an argument for or against

 

[A Century United]

Sorry, but is it any more naive than hoping Tilly can inspire the troops or pull another Eastwood out of the bag in January?

I've seen nothing recently that shows any glimmer of hope and i'm afraid for our league status at this moment...

Are you serious? So far Tilly has managed to pull something out of the bag when needed, getting to the playoffs last season being the latest example. Experience shows that Tilson has done it reapeatedly, and experience also shows that for every Steve Tilson we have been managed by a host of Alvin Martins. If we had been relegated and were now struggling in League Two you would have a case, but mid table in League One? To me it's a no-brainer.

 

[Irate Ian]

I really don't think so. His being a former Southend player (and not just any mug either, a member of two promotion winning teams) is always going to help him in the eyes of the fans, but from the point of view of the board, they need to be satisfied he is doing a good job. Doesn't matter whether he played for Southend United or Neptune Rovers.

Ask someone who doesn't follow SUFC to analyse what Tilson has done in his time as manager, the chaos that preceded him and the current situation objectively and I reckon most people would agree that he deserves the chance to take the club forward.

Hear, hear, hear.

Some are maybe angry with performances and results of late and maybe understandably, but the lack of faith in T & B turning things around is astounding, considering their overall record.

Better and more reasoned decisions are often arrived at after sleeping on it.

References to spending or wasting money following the team away amounts to a personal expenditure choice and whilst I applaud those who do so, it amounts to a gamble and one which you don't have to take.

The bare and concerning facts are we have scored only one goal in the last 6 games and hitting the woodwork twice to-day maybe behind references to bad luck.

Yes we need to be hitting the back of the net and the strikers will need to sharpen up their acts, quickly to get us back on track.

I recall similar rumblings after last seasons draw away at Gillingham on Boxing day, when Leon Clarke squandered numerous chances and a game we should have won comfortably, and the rest of the season is now history.

Keep calm until the dust settles after the transfer window re-opens.

One loss and one win over Christmas, is still better than two draws.

 

[Sussex Shrimper]

Sorry, but is it any more naive than hoping Tilly can inspire the troops or pull another Eastwood out of the bag in January?

I've seen nothing recently that shows any glimmer of hope and i'm afraid for our league status at this moment...

The same things were said when we started slowly, and then Tilson addressed most of the problems. Now he has to do it again, and luckily he'll have that opportunity when the window opens.

Talk of how we'll look coming out of January is pure speculation at this point. Tilly can only be judged on his track record to date - over the course of this season we've been mediocre, over the course of his time in charge he's been a revelation. If we find ourselves backsliding into the relegation zone then maybe the question will need to be asked, but sacking him while we're solidly in mid-table "just in case" would be a huge betrayal of a man who has done so much for us, and has proven that he can turn a team around.

 

[palexander]

Are you serious? So far Tilly has managed to pull something out of the bag when needed, getting to the playoffs last season being the latest example. Experience shows that Tilson has done it reapeatedly, and experience also shows that for every Steve Tilson we have been managed by a host of Alvin Martins. If we had been relegated and were now struggling in League Two you would have a case, but mid table in League One? To me it's a no-brainer.

Well, I just hope you are right and Tilly does sort it out in Jan as like I said, he is more than likely here to stay.