Summer clearout

[Neil 24]

Smith is a decent keeper and is good enough. Yes has faults like everyone but because he not a fan favorite peeps want him to leave. Bentley is a decent keeper but no better than smudge imo. Put mr brown will decide not us.

 

[Norwichshrimper]

Smith is a decent keeper and is good enough. Yes has faults like everyone but because he not a fan favorite peeps want him to leave. Bentley is a decent keeper but no better than smudge imo. Put mr brown will decide not us.

Smith is a good keeper at this level, Bentley MAY be a good keeper at this level : that's the difference.

I rate Smith and think his positive's far outweigh his negatives and he would be one of the few I would strive to keep for next year - however if we could remove him from the payroll (by the medium of a transfer) and his portion of the salary budget could go to strengthening the outfield squad, then I would support promoting Bentley to No.1 for next season.

Saying that PB will probably bring back Cameron Belford, and we'll end up with 3 senior keepers :'(

 

[Neil 24]

Fair enough bud. Only time will tell.

 

[DTS]

Kane Ferdinand is 20 and playing championship football, and Franck Moussa is 23 and playing at the top end of league one.

If we can produce one player of that calibre every couple of seasons we are doing well.

Add in 18yo della Verde (sold to Fulham) and Ngoo (sold to Liverpool) who is on loan at Hearts playing in the SPL aged 20 and there's maybe a little more hope.

Where we are probably missing out is developing squad players - cheap players who can fill out a squad and can develop over time. We want to be producing our own Luke Prossers and Ryan Leonards. Not necessarily stars but very handy squad players who can go onto earn regular starting roles. It's not all about developing stars.

ps Whilst Bentley didn't come through the system from aged 12, we were able to sign him because of the youth structure we had in place.

I take your point but if these two are what we are aspiring too then I am with Prodical Son.

 

[DTS]

How can you say Leonard is ineffective?

His 8 starts this calendar year we've won 4 and drawn 4 (counting the Wimbledon game as a draw as we were drawing when he went off injured). Not only did he get the winner at Orient but he came on to score the only goal v Oxford.

He's only 20 - that's a year younger than Reeves who he should be starting ahead.

I know you love your stats and yes he is young but what does he really do.

He dosent attack very well, he isnt very fast, he hasnt got a good range of passing, he is overly tough tackling or defensive.

He works hard, has a long throw and is a decent enough player but I think you could find 100 Leonards being released every season. He is an ok player who has no real position and for my mind we signed because he was cheap and we needed bodies.

He also I suspect (but dont know) has a pretty poor injury record.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I take your point but if these two are what we are aspiring too then I am with Prodical Son.

No, we aspire to produce the stars, the Ferdinands and Moussas but along the way you should produce some players who aren't stars who can still help you.

Prosser and Leonard are way better than you think. They are good solid League Two players who are both young enough that they could develop beyond that. You don't have to be flashy to be good.

 

[Jedi Shrimper]

Disagree about Leonard DTS. He has been hampered by injuries and I think if he could steer clear of them and get a run the first team he'd prove his worth. He may not be overly blessed with pace or flair but he works hard, when he passes he invariably finds a blue shirt, and when he tackles he normally wins the ball. I see him as a better version of Pettefer, and he's just the sort of player you want in your squad at this level.

 

[Norwichshrimper]

I know you love your stats and yes he is young but what does he really do.

He dosent attack very well, he isnt very fast, he hasnt got a good range of passing, he is overly tough tackling or defensive.

He works hard, has a long throw and is a decent enough player but I think you could find 100 Leonards being released every season. He is an ok player who has no real position and for my mind we signed because he was cheap and we needed bodies.

He also I suspect (but dont know) has a pretty poor injury record.

When we signed Leonard he was a right back, and I assume he still is, although I don't think he's played there once for us. If certain rumours are true about certain players moving on in the summer then we should be able to judge him next season on an extended run in his favoured position.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I know you love your stats and yes he is young but what does he really do.

He dosent attack very well, he isnt very fast, he hasnt got a good range of passing, he is overly tough tackling or defensive.

He works hard, has a long throw and is a decent enough player but I think you could find 100 Leonards being released every season. He is an ok player who has no real position and for my mind we signed because he was cheap and we needed bodies.

He also I suspect (but dont know) has a pretty poor injury record.

Leonard's tactically aware: he knows his job, he knows his team-mates job and he reads the game. He doesn't lose his man. How many times this season have people had to blame him for a goal? He knows when and where to cover and when to get forward. His goals against Oxford and Orient were excellent examples of this where he's got forward to join the attackers. How many goals have our other wide players say Timlin or Hurst scored like that this season?

He uses the ball efficiently and makes the right decision. He's not Hurst but he's still a decent crosser of the ball (ie his cross for BBBC's goal against Brentford).

He's tall, he's mobile - he may not be quick but neither is he slow and he covers a lot of ground - again consider the amount of ground he made up to get in the 6 yard box from a wide midfield position for those Orient and Oxford goals.

He's just an all-round footballer with few weaknesses in his game. He knows his jobs and he does it with the minimum of fuss. He's a top pro, a Pettefer deluxe if you like.

My main (only?) criticism of him is that injury record. But they think they've solved that.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Disagree about Leonard DTS. He has been hampered by injuries and I think if he could steer clear of them and get a run the first team he'd prove his worth. He may not be overly blessed with pace or flair but he works hard, when he passes he invariably finds a blue shirt, and when he tackles he normally wins the ball. I see him as a better version of Pettefer, and he's just the sort of player you want in your squad at this level.

Ha ha, great minds think alike.

I just posted the same thing before reading this.

 

[DTS]

I think I am in a minority but I dont see working hard as enough of a reason to keep a player. He is a decent player and I would keep him over Spicer or Spillane but I cant help but think we can do better.

He is also a crock and we have carried too many of them over the past few years. Maybe it is sorted maybe it is not.

Happy to be proven wrong but just does not do enough to make me want to keep him.

Regards

David

 

[Napster]

Regards

David

very polite. I'd like to think you'd just signed a work email DTS

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

Dear Sir

His work-rate is very much secondary to his football brain.

Yours faithfully,

 

[yogi bear up the cagire]

IMHO many people haven't come to terms with the changes the arrival of Phil Brown will bring about. I would be surprised to see virtually any of the present squad next season..................apart from one or two that can't be winkled out. Bomber may move to a coaching rôle. People wanted change and I reckon that's what their going to get, BIG time. Whether it will be change for the better or for the worse........God only knows!
This fag-end of the season looks as though it is being used as a 'show me if your face fits' period..................if the performance last night is anything to go by, there are not many prepared to rise to the task.

 

[Bobby dazzler]

Very harsh. Im no expert on other teams players but Im sure he is one of the best fullbacks in this league. Replacing him will be very difficult.

Sorry to say this, but i for one think Clohessey has been poor for the last couple of months. The inept performances being put in by Straker have focused ourwrath elsewhere.

my take as i see it (my opinion not a concensus)

Bentley could be the future of this club keeper wise. Hes young and looks solid. Unlucky with the goals conceded. KEEP
Smith. If only he would command his box I would say stay. Too many points dropped due to his indicision this season. GO
Clohessey. Very predictable going forward and faded badly last couple of months. GO
Cresswell. Very dependable and needs speedy partner at the back. KEEP
Phillips. Past sell by date . GO
Prosser. needs to stop skying his clearances but able to cover CB and Full Back. KEEP
Barker. Too old now. GO
Straker. GO GO GO GO GADGET GO ! Get the hint !
Hurst. Faded towards end of season. Undoubted ability if harnessed correctly. KEEP
Laird. KEEP
Timlin. Midfield has a big hole without him.Look at results without him. KEEP
Tomlin. If we can persuade him to Stay. KEEP
Leonard. One more season to see if he can perform. KEEP
Eastwood. Sorry guys, he's an enigma, our hero, but not the Freddie that left us. GO
Harris. Hometown fan. cudos to him. But legs gone. Possibly keep for experience in squad. unsure .
Mohsni. I want him to succeed due to his passion. Liability in big games. not his fault he played cm in final. unsure
Lastly and not to be forgotten
Corr. Has to stay. Never lets us down and can cover at CB in a way we wouldnt have believed. KEEEEEEEP !

Phil Brown. Fair comment from him about his wembley selection (reference who hes seen play etc) find it difficult to get out of my mind this seasons performances and the inclusion of Straker anywhere on the pitch.
Should have watched videos of previous games and players performances would have stood out. Needs our support to form his own team rather than his inherited one.

Final mention to our dear ex boss 'LUGGY'
When he first came in he didnt have anywhere need a squad of players with the season approaching fast. He steadied us, built us up, and dealt with unpaid wages and turmoil during his reign. I for one think he had taken us as far as he could with the circumstances surrounding the club and it probably was time for him to go.
I never once called for his sacking and like the overwhelming majority of Southend Fans , I will always hold him in high accord.
Thanks for the memories and have a good life Mr Sturrock !

 

[Bobby dazzler]

:angry:lol didnt realise Mohsni had his own smiley

 

[Bolton Shrimper]

As I see it we need to replace Barker, Straker, Phillips, Benyon and Woodyard and either re-sign or replace the loans of Britt, Reeves, Lund & Mkandawire with similar or better. I would even allow 6 months for Brown to work on Spicer whose CV indicates he should be able to do it at L2 level. Contract conclusions will, though, probably lead to one or two of our more important players leaving when we hoped they would'nt. Their in lies a bigger problem.

 

[PaulM]

A Leyton Orient fan at work reckons Clohessy is joining them

 

[amsemp]

As I see it we need to replace Barker, Straker, Phillips, Benyon and Woodyard and either re-sign or replace the loans of Britt, Reeves, Lund & Mkandawire with similar or better. I would even allow 6 months for Brown to work on Spicer whose CV indicates he should be able to do it at L2 level. Contract conclusions will, though, probably lead to one or two of our more important players leaving when we hoped they would'nt. Their in lies a bigger problem.

I seem to be in the absolute minority on here, but I actually really like Spicer. Think he would be right to feel extremely hard done by this season after witnessing the likes of Mohsni and Eastwood try and fail in the middle of the park and see youngsters like Woodyard getting picked over him. Really thought he was quite good at the start of the season. Lots of good runs, neat passes and won us a few corners with some decent efforts on goal. Really can't think what went so wrong, unless his relationship with Luggy went downhill following his two footed tackle and red card early in the season. Given the fact that Bilel stuck his two fingers up for 6 months then got his marching orders in his first game back, I'd be surprised if that was the reason. Bit of a mystery to be honest, he is nowhere near as bad as some people on here like to make out.

 

[fbm]

Right, pinched from the Squad Contracts sticky, ones in GREEN are under contract so will likely be staying as I can't see them being sold, the rest, I've put what I think alongside
GK:
Paul Smith 2014
Dan Bentley 2013 - Keep
Luke Chambers 2014 (Out on loan at Bishops Stortford until end of season)

DEF:
Sean Clohessy 2013 - Keep
Chris Barker 2013 - Release
Mark Phillips 2014
Luke Prosser 2013 - Keep
Anthony Straker 2014
Ryan Cresswell 2014
Graham Coughlan 2013 - Retire

MID:
Michael Timlin 2013 - Keep
Alex Woodyard 2013 - Release
Kevan Hurst 2014
Ryan Leonard 2013 - Keep
John Spicer 2013 - Release
Marc Laird 2014
Tamika Mkandawire (on loan from Millwall) - No chance, far too good for our level
Ben Reeves (on loan from Southampton) - No thank you, liked him but he'll go somewhere higher
Micky Spillane 2013 - Release
Matt Lund (on loan from Stoke) - Offer contract

FWD:
Elliot Benyon 2013 - Release
Neil Harris 2014
Barry Corr 2013 - Keep
Gavin Tomlin 2013 - Tough, would love to keep him but can't see it
Freddy Eastwood 2014
Britt Assombalonga (on loan from Watford) - Would keep if decent terms agreed
Bilel Mohsni 2013 - Release
Seedy Njie 2013 - Keep (could be our own Britt!)

I think where you've put "Keep" we need to say "Offer deal" because I don't think they will all be kept.

I think the ones already in contract are a given - no-one will buy them and we can't afford to pay them off. So, my two cents on the ones out of contract at the end of the season -

Keeper - Bentley - offer deal

Defence -

Barker - release
Clohessy - offer deal
Prosser - offer deal
Coughlan - retire

Midfield

Timlin - offer deal
Woodyard - release
Leonard - release
Spicer - release
Spillane - release
Lund - send back to Stoke
Reeves and Mkandawire - if they're interested, I'd love to offer them a deal, but...

Forwards

Corr - offer deal
Benyon - release
Mohsni - release
Tomlin - offer deal but I think he's on his way
Njie - offer deal
Assombalonga - he's already signed a new deal with Watford, so no chance