With varying degrees of success, we were a nice little passing side under Steve Tilson. Some of the movement of the ball when we were really playing well was a joy to watch. Yeovil and Brentford in the League One winning season stand out, Carlisle at home the next season (a match we somehow lost 1-0 despite playing some sublime one-touch football for most of the 90 minutes) and many other matches all showed a style of football that we could be proud of. Even the Manchester United and Spurs matches, which many lower league sides would have approached in an aggressive 'up-and-at-em' attitude, we went into looking to get the ball down and give our opponents a game of football.
In the last season or so those philosophies were sacrificed somewhat, not least because we lacked the players with the ability to put their foot on the ball and pick out a pass, but the hallmark of a Steve Tilson side was a confidence to try things, even if they didn't always come off.
Whilst Paul Sturrock's Plymouth side that won League Two way back when were renowned as an attacking team playing a nice brand of football, some of his subsequent sides more recently have played a far uglier, far more pragmatic style of football.
So my question would be, would you like to see the passing philosophy which has been what Southend United have been about the past six years retained next year or do we just want a winning/surviving team no matter how they achieve it?
In the last season or so those philosophies were sacrificed somewhat, not least because we lacked the players with the ability to put their foot on the ball and pick out a pass, but the hallmark of a Steve Tilson side was a confidence to try things, even if they didn't always come off.
Whilst Paul Sturrock's Plymouth side that won League Two way back when were renowned as an attacking team playing a nice brand of football, some of his subsequent sides more recently have played a far uglier, far more pragmatic style of football.
So my question would be, would you like to see the passing philosophy which has been what Southend United have been about the past six years retained next year or do we just want a winning/surviving team no matter how they achieve it?