Tilly's comments on Official Site

[Richard_Cadette]

Just read Tilly's comments on the official website, and I dont agree with what he has come out with.

The 'we have exceeded all expectations' comment smacks to me a bit of trying to put a positive spin on what could end up being a huge let down.

Maybe he should have been a bit more honest and said, look, weve blown automatic promotion, for which there is no excuse, and now we have make sure we do it via the playoffs.

Of course, as he says, he cant guarantee promotion, but using that old exceeding expectations line doesnt cut the mustard with me im afraid.

 

[Kris]

But we have exceeded expectations. Wasn't Ron Martin's target 12th at the beginning of the season? How many people here honestly expected us to get automatic promotion? I personally predicted a top 10 finish but outside the play-offs

Of course I'm disappointed at what's happened over the past month but it's still ultimately been an amazing season and a massive step forward after the gloom of last term.

Let's get behind the team and I'm sure they'll do us proud in the upcoming games, whatever the result.

 

[Shrimper James]

Quote[/b] (Richard_Cadette @ May 12 2005,16:54)]Just read Tilly's comments on the official website, and I dont agree with what he has come out with.

The 'we have exceeded all expectations' comment smacks to me a bit of trying to put a positive spin on what could end up being a huge let down.

Maybe he should have been a bit more honest and said, look, weve blown automatic promotion, for which there is no excuse, and now we have make sure we do it via the playoffs.

Of course, as he says, he cant guarantee promotion, but using that old exceeding expectations line doesnt cut the mustard with me im afraid.

What's he supposed to say?

'The Echo letters were right' - then he'd get roundly canned for being negative.

The fact is, we have exceeded expectations. It gets said on this message board about 50 times a day that we've achieved more than expected this year.

 

[Tweedy]

To be fair Tilly isnt going to come out and say "the players have been crap the last few games and we dont deserve promotion on the back of those performances". Hes just covering the clubs backsides by being optimistic and at the same time being rational. Come on honestly how many people last August sat at Roots Hall and said "yep we will get promotion".answer: VERY FEW.

 

[Richard_Cadette]

Ron Martin's expectation of 12th was ultra cautious and pretty poor in my opinion. It was clear for everyone to see, even last season, we had a decent squad of players here and with a bit of tweaking here and there, they were always going to be in the promotion shake up, especially when you consider the poor standard of League Two this season.

It may get said 50 times a day that we have over delivered etc, but unless we get promotion, can we honestly say we have?

No, I dont think so. Two cup finals, both lost.

Top of the league with three games left, and we blew it.

To me that is not over achieving. Ill probably get slated for it, but people seem to have very low expectation of Southend, and maybe thats the problem.

We have been in this Gof forsaken division too long.

We cannot be content to spend another season in this league, we really cant.

 

[rabbloke]

I might be more sympathetic to Tilly if when we were top he had turned round to the fans and said he wishes they would not lavish so much praise as the team are exceeding expectation and the adulation is undeserved. He did not and so should expect equal amounts of disappointment from the fans as their reaction is measurable by the teams success or failure. Rough with the smooth, good with the bad.

 

[Tweedy]

any 1 agree with my statement?

 

[Shrimper James]

Quote[/b] (Richard_Cadette @ May 12 2005,17:06)]It may get said 50 times a day that we have over delivered etc, but unless we get promotion, can we honestly say we have?

Yep.

 

[Shrimper James]

Quote[/b] (Tweedy @ May 12 2005,17:07)]any 1 agree with my statement?

Yep. Agree.

 

[Jai]

Quote[/b] (Richard_Cadette @ May 12 2005,17:06)]To me that is not over achieving.  Ill probably get slated for it, but people seem to have very low expectation of Southend, and maybe thats the problem.

You can't blame people for having low expectations after the last ten years. I realised how far we had come when I went to an away game (Cambridge) expecting to win, the first time that had ever happened to me in my ten years as a Blues fan.

 

[Rusty Lee]

Quote[/b] (rabbloke @ May 12 2005,17:06)]I might be more sympathetic to Tilly if when we were top he had turned round to the fans and said he wishes they would not lavish so much praise as the team are exceeding expectation and the adulation is undeserved. He did not and so should expect equal amounts of disappointment from the fans as their reaction is measurable by the teams success or failure. Rough with the smooth, good with the bad.

Its simple win the next three games and everyone is happy

 

[Tweedy]

To be fair if we get to league 1 and are are bottom half team for say 2/3 seasons the fans will then moan that we arent good enough for the championship.

WE NEED MONEY TO COMPETE IN LEAGUE 2 AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP, WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BRACKET AS BARNSLEY, BRADFORD, BRENTFORD ETC!!

 

[Ron Manager]

Quote[/b] (Tweedy @ May 12 2005,17:16)]To be fair if we get to league 1 and are are bottom half team for say 2/3 seasons the fans will then moan that we arent good enough for the championship.

WE NEED MONEY TO COMPETE IN LEAGUE 2 AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP, WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BRACKET AS BARNSLEY, BRADFORD, BRENTFORD ETC!!

Oh yeah, those teams are absolutely rolling in it aren't they...?

The fact of the matter is very few teams outside of the Premier$hite and half a dozen or so clubs in the Championship have money to spend - far from it in fact. A well run club, a good manager and a decent bunch of success hungry and well motivated players can achieve a great deal in the Coca-Cola League. That could be us, and from what Tilly has achieved in little over a year why shouldn't it be us?

 

[Tweedy]

i MEANT MORE ALONG THE FAN BASE SIDE OF THINGS, TO BE HONEST ROOTS HALL IS FULL OF GLORY HUNTERS, GARUNTEE THAT IF WE DONT GO UP THE ATTENDANCES NEXT SEASON WILL DROP BACK TO 3,4 THOUSAND.

PLAYERS WOULD RATHER DROP OUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND PLAY IN LEAGUE 1 FOR A TEAM LIKE BARNSLEY,BRADFORD,STOCKPORT BECAUSE THEY ARE TEAMS WHO WILL ALWAYS BE LINKED WITH PROMOTION, SADLY SHOULD WE BE PROMOTED WE WILL DEFINATELY NOT BE NAMED WITH BIG NAMES LIKE: BARMBY, MERSON, STEWART, SALAKO.

 

[Rusty Lee]

Quote[/b] (Tweedy @ May 12 2005,17:26)]NAMED WITH BIG NAMES LIKE: BARMBY, MERSON, STEWART, SALAKO.

Big names

 

[Ron Manager]

Quote[/b] (Tweedy @ May 12 2005,17:26)]i MEANT MORE ALONG THE FAN BASE SIDE OF THINGS, TO BE HONEST ROOTS HALL IS FULL OF GLORY HUNTERS, GARUNTEE THAT IF WE DONT GO UP THE ATTENDANCES NEXT SEASON WILL DROP BACK TO 3,4 THOUSAND.

PLAYERS WOULD RATHER DROP OUT THE CHAMPIONSHIP AND PLAY IN LEAGUE 1 FOR A TEAM LIKE BARNSLEY,BRADFORD,STOCKPORT BECAUSE THEY ARE TEAMS WHO WILL ALWAYS BE LINKED WITH PROMOTION, SADLY SHOULD WE BE PROMOTED WE WILL DEFINATELY NOT BE NAMED WITH BIG NAMES LIKE: BARMBY, MERSON, STEWART, SALAKO.

We didn't need big names to get promoted two seasons running before and to be honest the so-called 'names' we have signed in all of my time watching Southend have been largely disappointing. As for Roots Hall being full of glory hunters, I beg to differ. The attendances we have enjoyed show that there is an underlying support for the club in this town but as with any football club it needs a bit of success to awaken it. Regardless of whether we go up or not our attendances will go up fairly noticeably next season on the back of this campaign - it is up to the club to build on that.

 

[footymad13]

Quote[/b] (Tweedy @ May 12 2005,16:16)]To be fair if we get to league 1 and are are bottom half team for say 2/3 seasons the fans will then moan that we arent good enough for the championship.

WE NEED MONEY TO COMPETE IN LEAGUE 2 AND THE CHAMPIONSHIP, WE ARE NOT IN THE SAME BRACKET AS BARNSLEY, BRADFORD, BRENTF ORD ETC!!

Oh yea brilliant clubs!!!, Bradford are lucky to be in existance, get 7,000 a game oh and are millions in debt and been in Administration two times. Oh and Bransley i didnt realise they had done so well this season, 13th is really good see those big names make a difference. Brentford again struggling to survive off the field, dont own there own ground and get about 6,000 fans same as us i might add.

You forgot to mention C********r, Chesterfield, Peterborough, MK Dons, Hartlepool, Torquay, Wrexham, Blackpool who have all had very average gates of 2000-5000 this season on a regular basis and don't have any 'big names'

I agree these comments are negative from Tilly and i don't know what planet he is on but if he expects supporters not to be ****ed off with the fact his players totally blew promotion with 3 games to go then im very concerned. The expectations by anyclub unless in administration or very low gates etc is to get promotion. 12th will not cut it every year im afraid. Would be nice to show a little more ambition.

 

[Tweedy]

So your saying that if the likes of Barmby, Marcus Stewart, Martin Keown became available that you wouldnt want Tilly to enquire?

Us fans would be DELIGHTED to have those names banded around Roots Hall as potential signings, If we want to be among the big boys in League 1 and to be taken seriously then Uncle Ron needs to dig into his pocket and supply tilly extra funds for WAGES not tranfer fees to enable us to sign free agents like Ferdinand, Keown, Rodgers etc

 

[Tweedy]

Quote[/b] (Rusty Lee @ May 12 2005,17:30)]

Quote[/b] (Tweedy @ May 12 2005,17:26)]NAMED WITH BIG NAMES LIKE: BARMBY, MERSON, STEWART, SALAKO.

Big names  

England Caps-how many times have Prior, Flahavan,Gray,etc represented their country?



my point exactly

 

[Ron Manager]

Quote[/b] (Tweedy @ May 12 2005,17:43)]So your saying that if the likes of Barmby, Marcus Stewart, Martin Keown became available that you wouldnt want Tilly to enquire?

Us fans would be DELIGHTED to have those names banded around Roots Hall as potential signings, If we want to be among the big boys in League 1 and to be taken seriously then Uncle Ron needs to dig into his pocket and supply tilly extra funds for WAGES not tranfer fees to enable us to sign free agents like Ferdinand, Keown, Rodgers etc

Yeah, fans love to be linked with big names - especially dring the summer as it gives us something to talk about when there's no footie. However the reality is that the players who go on to be big names at Roots Hall weren't big names before they arrived - Chris Powell and Stan Collymore to name but two - and I'm far more excited about discovering the next big thing than being linkd with Premier$hite has-beens!