STURROCK go and do one

[Kevin Hogg]

On par with Tilly I think.

But it was fun with Tilly...not dull!

 

[Depor_Shrimper]

But it was fun with Tilly...not dull!

Fun at times, but extremely frustrating as well!

 

[united we stand]

we have been crap to watch this year (whilst winning) and we have been brilliant to watch in other games

Would some one else had done better with our set of players---- no one knows
would another manager been able to assemble such a good squad---- no one knows

personally I am hurting far too much right now, that's the only thing I know

 

[eastling]

Oh well it just wasn't to be. To be fair to Crewe if they'd taken their chances especially the Belford present then we'd been dead and buried a lot earlier.
I don't think PS should go necessarily but would far rather he adopted the Shrewsbury approach to home games whereby they were rock solid and positive (just look at what a positive approach can do at RH) and then set the team up in a way to see what can be garnered away. Think Brizzle Rovers, Rotherham and Exeter will be the ones to chase next season.
It'll be nice to play Alder**** again. Hopefully we might beat 'em!

 

[silentshrimper]

Paul Sturrock has done an excellent job in assembling a decent squad.

Paul Sturrock is also the worst tactical manager I have known at Southend United in more than 40 years!

What about the tactics that made us one of the best away sides in England this year?

He is definitely to blame tonight, there was a few things that were completely wrong. I don't think he should go, but will be interested to see if he goes by his own decision. I really worry about our financial situation now we are staying in this league, but we always seem to do okay.

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

I know this is a losing battle with you Dave, :winking:
But you cant honestly tell me you've been thrilled this season!

83 points! Honestly as a Southend fan, what on earth do you expect?

I'm completely confused!

 

[Shrimper]

Ridiculous over-reaction. It was the players inability to pass two feet that cost us today, not Sturrock.

 

[Depor_Shrimper]

Ridiculous over-reaction. It was the players inability to pass two feet that cost us today, not Sturrock.

Coupled with a bizarre decision to play Benyon up top with Freddy leaving Bilel isolated on the left.

 

[Grayson]

I've been going for 17 of my 21 years. This is the highest points total we've ever had in a season in my Southend-supporting life.

The only complaint that could be made is we choke in big games. But overall, well done Sturrock, you've done a good job.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

What about the tactics that made us one of the best away sides in England this year?

He is definitely to blame tonight, there was a few things that were completely wrong. I don't think he should go, but will be interested to see if he goes by his own decision. I really worry about our financial situation now we are staying in this league, but we always seem to do okay.

I admit we had 13 excellent away wins.

However, throughout the season we have been mostly dire to watch. Throttling a game away from home is one thing but I think the players felt uncomfortable with tactics at home, especially during the early part of this year. Rotherham, Aldershot, Accrington...the players appeared almost embarassed by the tactics and that appeared to destabilise the momentum that had been achieved with decent results rather than performances.

 

[the_forgotten_man]

I don't get it. Our squad seems to be simultaneously 'too good for this level' and yet not good enough to beat a (in my opinion fantastic) Crewe team. Who should have Sturrock have started? What should we have done better in this second leg, other than play better.

Our whole midfield, Grant excluded, was outplayed by the quality of Crewe's. We didn't play well, but is that because Sturrock inhibited our players from playing well, or because they aren't as good as Crewe's?

I know what I think, but I fear there will be a lot who disagree with me.

 

[southendkid]

I think people need to understand that 7th is a false position for Crewe, I'm gutted we lost but after the change in management, Crewe went from a relegation bound team to promotion contenders, had they started the season like they would have in all likelihood made the top 3. Sturrock is the best we will get, who do people expect to take over? We have no resources, I would expect our budget to be slashed next season, we were banking on promotion, Sturrock is still the best man for the job.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Not playing Harris from the start was a major **** up tonight!

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

Absolutely gutted for everyone involved with Southend. Keep Luggy as I can personally see a lot of players saying enough is enough and moving on now. Sturrock to bring in about ten new players in the off season, a centre mid for one as I've had enough of Timlin now blowing hot and cold constantly. If we can do what PS originally planned, which was to have 2 different systems both home and away with two different line ups then I'll be happy, as long as we get out of this **** league. One more season for Sturrock for me to get us promoted, then if not I'm afraid it should be time for a new management team. And for the ones saying hat 83 points would have been enough most seasons, open your eyes. It wasn't enough this season so therefore is a pointless stat.

 

[Mighty Shrimper]

I'm in the Sturrock should go camp.

 

[he_dont_speak_no_english]

Some silly comments here. I personally felt Bomber and Freddy should have been on from the start, but we still played poorly for large parts of both legs and that is the player's fault. Sturrock has brought a good squad of players together and deserves credit for all he has done. We hit the post twice with that luck you are not going through.

 

[BrettieAngell]

Hit the post twice but should have been 3-0 down at half-time.

 

[Richard_Cadette]

I don't post on here that often these days - a good thing some may say - but I do wonder if some people actually want the best for our club at times.

It is a very emotive time given what happened tonight, but how on earth can anyone advocate sacking a manager who has just given us our highest points haul for many a year? Yes, we're all gutted about losing tonight, but we got beaten by the better team over the two legs - why does there then need to be a major overhaul because of it? We've gone from a club on the brink of imploding with only 3 senior players to a team who has amassed 83 points (enough to have got us promoted 5 out of the last 6 seasons and more than we got when we won League 1 I believe) in a very short space of time. All of which masterminded by PS.

How can sacking him, getting in someone new, and starting all over again possibly be of benefit? If we'd finished 18th, then yes, for sure, but for crying out loud, we've just narrowly lost a play off semi, which in truth, we could so easily have won with a bit of luck.

We have the nucleus of a really good squad here - a lot of which came here solely because of Sturrock.

If you want an example of why we should not do this, take Nottingham Forest.... Sack Billy Davies after losing in the play offs last season, and this season, only just managed to avoid relegation to League 1.... Do we want that here?

It's as if all the positive work he has done, and his extremely impressive CV, have been forgotten or ignored.

Some don't like his style of play? Well it can't be that bad... and as for negative.... Only Gillingham scored more goals than us this season!!!..... If that's negative, then I'll take that every day.

Yeah, we messed it up - from top of the league, we hit a major blip - it happens... it's happened to better teams than us, and sometimes, there is no explanation - loss of form, injury, suspension... I'm certain PS has made mistakes during that time - he always holds hid hands up when he does - but name a manager who hasn't? Should Man Utd sack Fergie because they managed to throw away an even better position than us this season?

And the best comment of the night, we almost got promoted in spite of Sturrock, not because of - That's cheered me up no end. 83 points over 46 games, the second highest scorers, a plus 30 goal difference, but that has nothing to do with Sturrock?..... If that's the case, then teams may as well dispense of managers altogether!!

I think a huge does of reality is needed here - When the dust has settled and everything is calm once again, surely people will see the massive strides forward we've taken this season, and if that continues, then promotion surely has to be a very real possibility next season.

 

[Suffolk Shrimper In Dorset]

I like Luggy, sound bloke, honest, rescued us out of the mire, good connections, not afraid to be self critical, can address difficult player situations (eg. Moshni), by and large got us a good squad, got Fred back, works hard, somehow seems to get on with Uncle Ron (I would fail certainly on that point) .................

But some of the crap football we have seen this year even when winning has been woeful and amongst the worst I have seen in 41 years of watching SUFC. And there has been loads of crap. Agree there have been periods in that time when we were worse, but in those times it was when we were in more difficult situations, had poorer players, etc.

We mostly now have good players, not great, but good. For too many times they have been asked to play hoofball, then switch it around, and the result is a mess. They are capable of so much more, and had they had some better quality and more consistent tactics we would I am sure have walked this league by March.

Should Luggy go? No if he can address his tactics, as with all of the other attributes as above he is everything we could hope for in a manager at this level. Most definitely he should go though if he can't improve the tactical quality (and I would not keep Coughlan either, as I suspect he is in the Luggy camp re tactics and without a lot of the good qualities Luggy does have) - I believe he can address that ..... if he wants to, but if he doesn't then Uncle Ron should say 'thanks and bye bye' to him and bring in Paul Clark.

UTB. Have a great Summer. I'm off to Poland to drink Guinness with the Irish and dance the Poznan.

 

[Kevin Hogg]

I don't post on here that often these days - a good thing some may say - but I do wonder if some people actually want the best for our club at times.

It is a very emotive time given what happened tonight, but how on earth can anyone advocate sacking a manager who has just given us our highest points haul for many a year? Yes, we're all gutted about losing tonight, but we got beaten by the better team over the two legs - why does there then need to be a major overhaul because of it? We've gone from a club on the brink of imploding with only 3 senior players to a team who has amassed 83 points (enough to have got us promoted 5 out of the last 6 seasons and more than we got when we won League 1 I believe) in a very short space of time. All of which masterminded by PS.

How can sacking him, getting in someone new, and starting all over again possibly be of benefit? If we'd finished 18th, then yes, for sure, but for crying out loud, we've just narrowly lost a play off semi, which in truth, we could so easily have won with a bit of luck.

We have the nucleus of a really good squad here - a lot of which came here solely because of Sturrock.

If you want an example of why we should not do this, take Nottingham Forest.... Sack Billy Davies after losing in the play offs last season, and this season, only just managed to avoid relegation to League 1.... Do we want that here?

It's as if all the positive work he has done, and his extremely impressive CV, have been forgotten or ignored.

Some don't like his style of play? Well it can't be that bad... and as for negative.... Only Gillingham scored more goals than us this season!!!..... If that's negative, then I'll take that every day.

Yeah, we messed it up - from top of the league, we hit a major blip - it happens... it's happened to better teams than us, and sometimes, there is no explanation - loss of form, injury, suspension... I'm certain PS has made mistakes during that time - he always holds hid hands up when he does - but name a manager who hasn't? Should Man Utd sack Fergie because they managed to throw away an even better position than us this season?

And the best comment of the night, we almost got promoted in spite of Sturrock, not because of - That's cheered me up no end. 83 points over 46 games, the second highest scorers, a plus 30 goal difference, but that has nothing to do with Sturrock?..... If that's the case, then teams may as well dispense of managers altogether!!

I think a huge does of reality is needed here - When the dust has settled and everything is calm once again, surely people will see the massive strides forward we've taken this season, and if that continues, then promotion surely has to be a very real possibility next season.

Some excellent points.

One point you have missed however is:

If you employ tactics that bore the pants off of supporters that have paid reasonable entrance fee, in tough times, you had bloody well better win promotion.
He did the boring...but did not deliver the party!

Am not shouting "sack him" but do find it difficult to warm to such an incredibly negative manager. He really did need to deliver!!!