STURROCK go and do one

[Kevin Hogg]

Again, I ask you, how can that be true when we're the second top scorers in the league? It's simply contradictory. We score goals, we're far from a negative team.

You think we are not dull? Boring??

Honestly???????

Good for you. You must see the best in everything, even when it is not there.

Richard Cadette? Can you imagine the ball flying over his head if he played for Luggy? Would be laughable.

I appreciate your opinion though. Nite!

 

[sufc_dave]

On another night we could have conceded 5!

On another night we could have scored 5!

 

[bigmolt]

Didn't take long did it. We will win the god damn league next season.

Not if sturrocks still in charge. Maher, Duncan or Coughlan please. NOW

 

[Jim Stannard]

Unfair to blame Sturrock's tactics tonight - it's essentially the same 4-4-2 that has served us well at home recently, with some enforced changes because of injury. If blame is to be dished out, tonight and for the season, then the players have to take a large percentage of it too - they've fallen short in most of the games that really mattered this season. And Crewe should be given a hell of a lot of credit tonight - they played good football, contained our supposed 'star' players well and always looked dangerous on the break. There are annoying things Sturrock does, I agree, like insist all eleven players are in our box to defend a corner when we have to score a goal to get anything from the tie.

Some poor signings have been made too - Baldwin, obviously, and Martin never seems to have got a look in for some reason. I also think Grant was overlooked for too long during our dip in form. Sturrock has made mistakes this year, no doubt.

But to want to get rid of a manager because he didn't bring us promotion two years after he built a squad from nothing is absurd. If we'd finished mid table this year, fair enough, but we have had an excellent season and amassed one of our highest points tallies for years. This is a fantastic achievement.

The style of play is more of a contentious issue. Everyone is entitled to an opinion on what they think their money entitles them to watch. Personally, supporting Southend has never been about expecting high quality passing football for me. I like winning, and we've done that more this season than we have for a very long time.

If Paul Sturrock remains our manager for next season, I am very optimistic we'd go up. If he isn't, I haven't a clue what'll happen.

 

[Silencer]

83 points...loads of goals....most crosses....most corners...blah blah blah

I don't care what 83 points get's you most seasons, at the end of the day we fell short from being Pole position with a points advantage. The gaffer then had the opportunity (unlike previous Blues managers) to strengthen his squad with six players at the start of the window.

Yes we scored a few goals from crosses, corners, free kicks and yes 83 points is a decent tally but - I watch and take the cr@p from football for the special days (*).

Now We will have to endure another season in this awful division and miss out on derbies against * Colchester, * Leyton Orient along with exciting matches against *MK Dons, *Brentford and of course great days out at the likes of *Coventry and *Pompey.

Hopefully then people will consider that 83 points was one thing and on thing only.......NOT ENOUGH

 

[Onion_Bag_Dave]

Incredible to read some of these opinions! Unbelievable!

 

[the_forgotten_man]

Gah. It's got to the stage where I don't know what fans want; we've scored more goals than every other team than one in the league.


We've done our best with our squad to get promotion. We haven't managed it because the team we've come up against has got players worth in excess of £2 million and plenty others with a lot of potential. Crewe have got a huge amount of ability - far more than Torquay, Crawley and probably Shrewsbury on top.

All I want from a proponent of the 'Sturrock out' school is what should have been acceptable this season. A number of points, a number of wins, a qauntification of success - what would have made Sturrock palatable for those who don't like him?

 

[Silencer]

On another night we could have scored 5!

Would have been 5-5 in that case and we still would have gone out!!!! :raspberry:

 

[bigmolt]

Have to agree. At the end of the day one person has cost us this season and that's the manager. Full credit to him for building a team from scratch and for attracting players who are very, very good at this level. But at the end of the day we have challenged this season in spite of his tactics and philosophy, not because of it. He has tried to shoehorn players into his ****, negative set-up which they're not suited to instead of tried to fit the tactics to the players and their strengths.

He has been backed financially in the market but spectacularly failed to utilise his acquisitions to their fullest potential. The players have been uncomfortable with what they've been asked to all season long, visibly so, and discussions have gone on to that effect at the training ground but he wouldn't change things. He's played odd systems and made odd team selections all year, over-complicated tactics with players who are at this level because they require simplicity, and tinkered with winning line-ups.

A change is needed. Sturrock has had his go, he's taken the club as far as he can, credit to him for what he's done well but something fresh and positive is needed to push the club to the next level. We'll always be a nearly team with him.

I hope the financial outlay and subsequent failure haven't ****ed the finances too badly. If he has dipped is back in the **** financially, he could lose his job because of that if not the crap on the pitch.

Very well said sir,my sentements entirerly. Thanks and GOOD BYE !

 

[Silencer]

Gah. It's got to the stage where I don't know what fans want; we've scored more goals than every other team than one in the league.


We've done our best with our squad to get promotion. We haven't managed it because the team we've come up against has got players worth in excess of £2 million and plenty others with a lot of potential. Crewe have got a huge amount of ability - far more than Torquay, Crawley and probably Shrewsbury on top.

All I want from a proponent of the 'Sturrock out' school is what should have been acceptable this season. A number of points, a number of wins, a qauntification of success - what would have made Sturrock palatable for those who don't like him?

I am not in the Sturrock Out camp, but I am slightly closer to that camp then the wanting to pat him and the players on the back camp.

We have become a team of nearly men, that's what frustrates me along with negative tactics and in the main, hoofball tactics.

At stages of the season, we blew all of the following:

• We didn't even last in a Title challenge after being top with a points advantage
• We blew what should have been at least Automatic Promotion
• LDV Area final was within our grasp
• To play Liverpool @ Anfield by beating a very average league one side
• We didn't show for the first hour of either play off match

We blew it in the big games FACT

 

[the_forgotten_man]

I don't get this: ' Sturrock has taken us as far as he can' mentality. We have had a lot of managers in our past. Very few have got us promotion, or even near it. Sturrock is one of them. Cut him some slack.


Anyway, that's me out till August. **** this mutual-flagellation.

 

[bigmolt]

Didn't take long did it. We will win the god damn league next season.

No chance, if Sturrock is still in charge !

 

[Jim Stannard]

We have become a team of nearly men, that's what frustrates me along with negative tactics and in the main, hoofball tactics.

At stages of the season, we blew all of the following:

• We didn't even last in a Title challenge after being top with a points advantage
• We blew what should have been at least Automatic Promotion
• LDV Area final was within our grasp
• To play Liverpool @ Anfield by beating a very average league one side
• We didn't show for the first hour of either play off match

We blew it in the big games FACT

Is Sturrock to blame for this? Or the players?

Players at this level are very unused to playing in high pressure games. And I agree we've failed in virtually all of those this season.

He's been forced to assemble an entire squad of 'nearly men'. Players out of favour with their clubs for being not good enough, too inconsistent, having attitude or fitness problems. Who else was going to sign for us, in honesty?

I think this is what has cost us. Another season for Sturrock and he'll be able to further iron out these creases.

 

[Thorpe Groyney]

Having seen Silencer in football shorts, I can certainly vouch for him being close to being part of the 'out, camp'.

 

[Silencer]

Is Sturrock to blame for this? Or the players?

Players at this level are very unused to playing in high pressure games. And I agree we've failed in virtually all of those this season.

He's been forced to assemble an entire squad of 'nearly men'. Players out of favour with their clubs for being not good enough, too inconsistent, having attitude or fitness problems. Who else was going to sign for us, in honesty?

I think this is what has cost us. Another season for Sturrock and he'll be able to further iron out these creases.

Except for Grant, Paterson and Crawford they are HIS players.

Sturrock is the one who played Luke Prosser (Who I like) left midfield in the Paint Trophy at home to Swindon. Far too negative. The side changes too much the tactics too

 

[bigmolt]

He played 442 which most wanted, it was exactly the team most would have chosen for other than Harris who was injured.

When things werent going our way he changed them and that change put us on top and we were very unlucky not to get back in the game.

He must of told Gilbert, Prosser and Barker to hoof the ball away every time it came near them. He failed to see that that tactic just doesn't work when you have two striker's under six foot three inch tall, up front. He failed to see that all f*** ing season. The only reason we were up there pushing for promotion was we were very lucky in our unbeaten run. When we started playing the ball on the floor in the latter part of the season we looked good. So wot did the Manager do? Play negative tactics in the playoff's! Home and away. WHY !!!!!!!! If we had played the first one hundred and forty min's liked we played the last 40 at least we would have gone down trying to win. Instead of trying, not to be beaten. :angry:

 

[fbm]

Woulda, shoulda, coulda.

Hindsight is amazing. We can all say what should have happened after the event.

Sturrock out? Maybe he'll go himself, maybe he won't.

And his replacement will be...

Pep Guardiola?

Sven?

Dalglish?

McLeish?

Or maybe Graham Coughlan, completely untried and no experience as a manager. Could bring T&B back, but they've had zero success at Lincoln and took them down. Ricky Duncan is superb with the Youths, but first team? So we could then have any other out of work lower league manager who won't have anywhere near as many contacts as Sturrock.

PS is probably the highest profile manager we have ever had. Barry Fry came to us from Barnet who he had just got into the league. Peter Taylor had only managed Dover. Bobby Moore, Ronnie Whelan and Alvin Martin were great players but poor managers. Who else has managed us? Arthur Rowley, Ernie Shepherd, Dave Smith, Peter Morris, Paul Clark, Dave Webb, Colin Murphy, Steve Thompson, Steve Wignall, Alan Little... oh, and Dick Bate. That was a masterstroke.

We have a Leaue 2 squad. Yes, we have some very good players within that but they have given their best and just fallen short. Next season I'd like everything to be harmonious OFF the pitch so we can concentrate on what's happening on it. Aside from that, there's not a lot wrong. Tonight was disappointing but I've not heard that sort of noise for years. The players gave their all and did their best which, on this occasion, sadly wasn't enough.

Never mind.

So yeah, Sturrock out, if you like. Clearly that will solve everything. God help whoever we get in though.

I think some of the fans should go personally. That would leave us with a fanbase that gets behind the team at all times rather than only being interested if we a) are playing like Brazil and b) happen to be walking the league. And best they win pretty quickly into the reign, otherwise they'll be the target.

Maybe a tactic of having 5 managers in a season will work?

What do we think?

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

PS is probably the highest profile manager we have ever had. Barry Fry came to us from Barnet who he had just got into the league. Peter Taylor had only managed Dover. Bobby Moore, Ronnie Whelan and Alvin Martin were great players but poor managers. Who else has managed us? Arthur Rowley, Ernie Shepherd, Dave Smith, Peter Morris, Paul Clark, Dave Webb, Colin Murphy, Steve Thompson, Steve Wignall, Alan Little... oh, and Dick Bate. That was a masterstroke.

While I agree with many of the points you make(elsewhere in your post):
PS more high profile than Bobby Moore or Arthur Rowley? I don't think so(and I saw PS play at the Nou Camp when Dundee United knocked out Barça).
Paul Clark(twice)and Dave Webb(twice)did a fantastic job for us as managers as did Ernie Shepherd and Dave Smith(not to mention Steve Thompson in his brief spell in charge)along with Tilly(who you seem to have airbrushed from your list).Whether these managers were high profile (or not)is irrelevant(IMO).They all achieved far more than PS has with SUFC.I'm grateful to PS for what he did last season in putting together a team at such short notice and keeping us in L2.This season(by PS's previous high standards) has been a failure.
(psYou didn't mention Ted Fenton.He did all right by us too).:winking:
































[/QUOTE]

 

[DTS]

Tactics I think were wrong. Artell and Dugdale both wanted it the air and that's what we gave them. When we ot down we had them.

Tactics at Crewe were wrong. Why the **** would you not start Freddy?

Jan signings were abysmal. Martin, Baldwin a total waste of time. Benyon only marginally better.

Nothing to bring off the bench. Never had a right winger all season.

Too much dead wood in the squad.

All roads lead to PS in my book.

 

[bigmolt]

This is a heat of the moment reaction. Give Sturrock at least another season, fine-tune the squad in the summer, get Dickinson and Kalala (and maybe even Corr) back and we'll be strong contenders next season. It was Sturrock's tactical changes in the 2nd half that improved our performance. If that had been Tilson he probably would've left it until the 80th minute. We lost to a very talented team over two legs. We were extremely close to getting automatic promotion with a points total that would normally get you promotion.

Dickinson 6'4" can't win one in four headers, Kalala cant pass water, Sturrock's tactical wot ?
Now dont start with on Tilson. He did it, he is a Southend LEDGEND.
Automatic promotion,WELL, We would have got it IMO, if our current manager had believed in his team. Instead of saying "they think they can play football". When most of them can, even Gilbert when he tries to, then just getting them to play hoof ball.
Yes we were very close to promotion. BUT NOT CLOSE ENOUGH, especsialy after the money that was spent in the transfer window and on Eastwoods loan. Even with the increased gate money and extra game in playoff semi, I suspect its not enough to cover costs. So where does that leave us next season?


I understand we were skint in the latter part of Tilson's era but if he had had half the luck Sturrock had in his 17 game unbeaten run, when we had that season in the Championship, we would still be there now. Watching good football, not getting neck pains every game.