SUPPORT THE BLUES!

[whsb_shrimper]

Hi there,

I haven't posted on SZ before, but I'm a regular columnist for All At Sea magazine. I got the "Support The Blues" t-shirt last week whilst queueing-up for 4.5 hours for my Spurs ticket, and was looking at that slogan today.

We may be bottom, we may be nine points adrift, but we are SOUTHEND UNITED. The success of the last few years has been greatly down to the great team spirit, echoed by the fantastic support we've given the boys from the stands. Don't give up now, we can make up 9 points in 26 games - THIS IS POSSIBLE. I want to be positive, because we have worked so hard to be in the Championship this season, and I don't want to throw it away.

We could give up on the boys, but I pay good money to watch my team and I want them to stay-up. If the fans give-up then we will definitely go down. So let's get behind the Blues, and when the first goal goes in on Saturday against Wolves (in the RIGHT net), cue the chants of: "We are staying up, say we are staying up"!

It doesn't matter how badly we've been playing, Saturday is a new start. We CAN stay up so let's...SUPPORT THE BLUES!!

 

[Pubey]

seconded

 

[Wickford Blue]

With you mate!!

Support Tilly and the boys!!

 

[mattytheshrimper]

get behind your team!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

I don't think anyone has actually decided to "give up on the boys", have they? I think it's more about frustration at the inability to compete with the other 23 teams in this division, even Col******r United. Yes, we might have played well in most of our games so far, we might have even shown great character and fight in some of them. But neither of those factors win a club three points ...

 

[secondalibi]

I admire your spirit, but I live in the real world and I just cannot see a way out of this mess. I was at Barnsley last night and we were just plain awful, not quite as bad as the Colin Murphy days, but it was bad. There was no fight no spirit and frankly no idea. If Mitchell Cole really wanted to stay at this club where was he last night, he was very poor. Eastwood looks like he couldn't give a toss and Tilly and Brush stand on the touchline and look bemused by the whole thing. However, I am not one of those fans with an incredibly short memory who wants Tilly out, as this man has transformed this club in the last 2 season, people would do very well to remember that. Its the kneejerk reaction to sack the manager, who are we gonna bring in?? Also we all knew that we would struggle this season and that is exactly what is happening. It's not negative to say that we will go down, its just reality, I think we will go down. Can anyone really see us clawing back 9 points?? I certainly can't. I really can't fault the effort of this side, but the team spirit has gone, the direction has gone and after last night I just cannot see how we can get that back. Anyway, lets see what Saturday brings.

- G

PS: For the record, if you go by the generally recognized safety points target of 52 points, we need what equates to...............13 wins from 26 games!!! Any takers?

 

[whsb_shrimper]

I accept your point, Xabia. Great character and fight don't win games, but if this sort of play starts to excite the crowd, we really can be the 12th man. The atmosphere against Norwich was the main reason we got that last-gasp goal IMHO. But, I understand that playing well doesn't win you games. The boys are on a sharp learning curve at the moment - hopefully they can catch up with the others, but they won't do it if we write them off, and I have many friends at school that have done that, and it really annoys me.

I'm just issuing a rallying cry - I don't want to offend anyone. You sound like you believe we can do it just like me! Let's hope that everyone feels that way at the Hall this weekend!

By the way Spanish Shrimper, you are not alone en Espagne! My uncle lives in Barcelona and is an avid Blues fan!

 

[whsb_shrimper]

Secondalibi, if I'm talking realistically based on the past 10 games, then no I can't see us doing it either, but if we go into games with that sort of attitude, then there's no point in me being there. We're not down until we're down, and sacking the manager is an utterly stupid thing for some people to say.

Just before the season started, people were saying "will you stick with the manager if we mess it up" and the unanimous vote was 'yes'! Stupidity, let's get behind all of them - even Paynter!

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (whsb_shrimper @ Nov. 29 2006,18:19)]By the way Spanish Shrimper, you are not alone en Espagne! My uncle lives in Barcelona and is an avid Blues fan!

And Espanyol fan?

 

[Xàbia Shrimper]

Quote[/b] (whsb_shrimper @ Nov. 29 2006,18:19)]I'm just issuing a rallying cry - I don't want to offend anyone. You sound like you believe we can do it just like me! Let's hope that everyone feels that way at the Hall this weekend!

And a decent rally cry it is.

However I have to admit that I don't believe we can avoid relegation. I think we're too far gone now. I'm not entirely surprised (see my other comments referring to my belief that SUFC don't belong in this division just yet) and I'm won't be overly depressed when the inevitable is finally confirmed. But I am worried about whether the club has the character to fight back ...

 

[Shrimp in a Kilt]

Quote[/b] (whsb_shrimper @ Nov. 29 2006,17:21)]Secondalibi, if I'm talking realistically based on the past 10 games, then no I can't see us doing it either, but if we go into games with that sort of attitude, then there's no point in me being there. We're not down until we're down, and sacking the manager is an utterly stupid thing for some people to say.

Just before the season started, people were saying "will you stick with the manager if we mess it up" and the unanimous vote was 'yes'! Stupidity, let's get behind all of them - even Paynter!

Nice to see that whsb is still churning out loyal blues fans.

Agree with you all the way, we still have every chance of getting out of this as long as the fans don't turn on the team. And for the fans who say "I'll start cheering when the players give me something to cheer about", you really don't get it. The players need your support and encouragement from the first kick to the last.

 

[Bielzibubz]

For what it's worth I'll lump my two penneth worth in for good measure.

I believe that what's lacking this season as compared to the last two is team spirit. The team that one promotion from League 2 to League 1 was in effect the same squad, the same players.
Tilly built a team bonded around a bunch of guys that had played week in week out for getting on for two years and that paid dividends. With the addition of a number of players this season and the disappearance of a number of others I believe that unique bond the players had has to some extent disappeared and if you couple that with the undoubted step up in class we have witnessed this season that loss in a team ethic has been cruelly found out.
I don't for one minute doubt the players desire to stay in this league but the 'all for one, and one for all' attitude that got us through games in the lower leagues has not materialised this term and that has got to be down to the loss of old players and the acquisition of others that haven't perhaps 'fitted' in as Tilly would have liked.
I'm not suggesting the likes of Benno, Gray etc would have cut the mustard at this level but I seriously don't think there is the same team spirit at the club that there used to be.
Perhaps Lukes comments about not being able to play with a smile on his face was eluding to just this scenario.

As to whats required to try and turn our situation around, if indeed it isn't already to late? I think all that can be done is to keep plugging away on the training pitch, try and instill some belief and confidence in the players and hopefully make some very shrewed buys come the January transfer window and then hope that those brought in can add to the 'all for one' one for all' attitude that Tilly instilled in the players of our promotion winning season.

My heart says one thing but alas, my head says something else but I will still be there Saturday doing my bit to encourage the players to not give up, to get stuck in and above all else, believe in themselves.

 

[jamessufc88]

Quote[/b] (whsb_shrimper @ Nov. 29 2006,16:54)]Hi there,

I haven't posted on SZ before, but I'm a regular columnist for All At Sea magazine. I got the "Support The Blues" t-shirt last week whilst queueing-up for 4.5 hours for my Spurs ticket, and was looking at that slogan today.

We may be bottom, we may be nine points adrift, but we are SOUTHEND UNITED. The success of the last few years has been greatly down to the great team spirit, echoed by the fantastic support we've given the boys from the stands. Don't give up now, we can make up 9 points in 26 games - THIS IS POSSIBLE. I want to be positive, because we have worked so hard to be in the Championship this season, and I don't want to throw it away.

We could give up on the boys, but I pay good money to watch my team and I want them to stay-up. If the fans give-up then we will definitely go down. So let's get behind the Blues, and when the first goal goes in on Saturday against Wolves (in the RIGHT net), cue the chants of: "We are staying up, say we are staying up"!

It doesn't matter how badly we've been playing, Saturday is a new start. We CAN stay up so let's...SUPPORT THE BLUES!!

Ah, well said Mark.  I think that anyone who lives in the real world would realise that if we play like we did against Barnsley, then we're going down, simple as.  But we CAN get out of this mess, although that doesn't mean that we will.  There are 26 games left, which equates to 78 points.  I think it's quite unrealistic to say that we can't claw back 9 points when there 78 up for grabs.  We can't write the team off now.  There are too many variables.  Who's to say that some of the teams aren't going to go on awful winless streaks later on the season, just at the time that we get our first win in ages and embark upon a good run of form?  People must take into account the possibilities.

Anyway, it's very easy to be negative at the moment.  But keep it away from the ground especially.  The team spirit may be down, and any negativity on our part will rub off on the players during matches.  We must get behind them and be the 12th man.  I haven't heard a decent atmosphere at the Hall since Norwich.  We can give them a real boost. Look at the Plymouth game. The electricity in the crowd only seemed to appear after we equalised, and from then till the end of the match, we started playing like a team possessed and possibly could have nicked it. If we did that from the start of the game, perhaps it will have the effect that it had against Plymouth from kick off, rather than with half an hour to go.

 

[The General]

Im not giving up ... just accepting our fate already!!

I dont want Tilly/Brush out and thats even if we do go down, i just want to see some fight, sprit, commitment and an occasional win!!

 

[C'mon you Blues]

I agree with WHSB. Never ever go down without a fight. I'll never forget Huddersfield at home a few seasons ago. Pathetic was not the word. Waiving the white flag at this stage of the season is not an option. Having said that I can't see anything less than a miracle saving us but at least the players will have the repect of the fans if they go down all fists blazing, and other mixed metaphores.