Transfer News, Gossip & Speculation Transfer Thread - Summer 2025 Edition.

[WestyReturns]

Well it was Justin who said we were going for promotion (ok maybe he was ****ed, who knows!).

People saying 1st is unachievable/fantasy land .. well it isn't .. anyone can win the league with consistent results over 46 games and the required quality. Quality doesn't have to equal big bucks. Maher is a master at getting team spirit going and getting players running through walls. We've got no points deduction and no embargo. We've got amazing passionate fans. I'm with Mr Rees - let's go for it. If we fail we fail but let's go for 1st place. None of this 'happy with 4th' malarkey.

Justin doesn't share that failure/loser mentality those guys have. No one who is successful in life has that mentality.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

To me, the second option is unlikely to produce much success. When players have been paid who knows, how much more and possibly played in front of tens of thousands of fans, how could they increase their effort or enthusiasm when playing against 75 away fans on a rainy Tuesday night. You may always get 1 or 2 that play up, but you have more chance with the fame hungry young players, wanting to get noticed.

I think it’s less about motivation but rather players on their way down have had their confidence damaged. They play with fear and play safe whereas the ones who play on the front foot tend to be the ones full of confidence who are rising up the leagues on a wave of success and have less to lose.

We definitely need to sign someone with a recent proven record of goals at this level or I can see us coming 6th/7th

Why?

It doesn’t matter what they’ve done in the past.

What matters is what they’ll do in a Southend shirt.

None of Eastwood (in L2 or the next season in L1), Corr, Constantine, Angell or Cadette were proven goalscorers at the level we played at. Yet they all scored 20+ goals for us.

We can extend that to Barnard, Assombalonga, Cardwell, Carruthers, Collymore who scored 18+ in a season but had never done it at the level we were at before.

To find a forward who was a proven goalscorer at the level we were in who then scored 18+ in a season for us we’d have to go back to the 80s, before the Bosman ruling, to Crown and Phillips and even then I’m not even sure if they’d managed 20 in a season before joining us.

 

[ChesterfieldFan]

Rumblings we (Chesterfield) are in for GSM - has anything been mentioned on the southend side of things or just rumours at this point?

If true and most importantly can he DEFEND? Jeff King scored loads for us in the National League but ultimately was found out in League 2 as he couldnt defend.

 

[GNH]

Rumblings we (Chesterfield) are in for GSM - has anything been mentioned on the southend side of things or just rumours at this point?

If true and most importantly can he DEFEND? Jeff King scored loads for us in the National League but ultimately was found out in League 2 as he couldnt defend.

Not heard anything so far about that.

In answer to your question, the short answer is no he can't

 

[hlane17]

Rumblings we (Chesterfield) are in for GSM - has anything been mentioned on the southend side of things or just rumours at this point?

If true and most importantly can he DEFEND? Jeff King scored loads for us in the National League but ultimately was found out in League 2 as he couldnt defend.

Will be Jeff King part 2 if you got him IMO

 

[loz]

Rumblings we (Chesterfield) are in for GSM - has anything been mentioned on the southend side of things or just rumours at this point?

If true and most importantly can he DEFEND? Jeff King scored loads for us in the National League but ultimately was found out in League 2 as he couldnt defend.

Great going forward, less convincing at the back. Only really suited to a 3 at the back system. Yours for 500k

 

[Callumturner22]

Rumblings we (Chesterfield) are in for GSM - has anything been mentioned on the southend side of things or just rumours at this point?

If true and most importantly can he DEFEND? Jeff King scored loads for us in the National League but ultimately was found out in League 2 as he couldnt defend.

Good at attacking bad at defending he wont get the same numbers he got for this season imo .

 

[Exiled Shrimper]

I think it’s less about motivation but rather players on their way down have had their confidence damaged. They play with fear and play safe whereas the ones who play on the front foot tend to be the ones full of confidence who are rising up the leagues on a wave of success and have less to lose.




Why?

It doesn’t matter what they’ve done in the past.

What matters is what they’ll do in a Southend shirt.

None of Eastwood (in L2 or the next season in L1), Corr, Constantine, Angell or Cadette were proven goalscorers at the level we played at. Yet they all scored 20+ goals for us.

We can extend that to Barnard, Assombalonga, Cardwell, Carruthers, Collymore who scored 18+ in a season but had never done it at the level we were at before.

To find a forward who was a proven goalscorer at the level we were in who then scored 18+ in a season for us we’d have to go back to the 80s, before the Bosman ruling, to Crown and Phillips and even then I’m not even sure if they’d managed 20 in a season before joining us.

David Crown scored 24 goals in a Fourth Division season for Cambridge United in 1985/86 (which was a record for the club until Paul Mullin eclipsed it in 2020/21), so he had managed 20 in a season prior to joining us, although we were in the Third Division by then.

Steve Phillips was the leading scorer in the Football League for Brentford in 1977/78 with 32 Fourth Division goals, but again joined Blues in the Third Division in 1982.

 

[danbowen]

We have experienced players.

Ralph, Miley, Hopper, Taylor, Bridge, Bonne, Husin etc were all experienced and we have an experienced core for next season.

If you want leadership that’s something else. Lopata is about as inexperienced as we’ve had in the Maher era but was a leader.

How many of those names players do you see acting like a real leader (lifting players up when things get tough, encouraging others etc). They are all experienced but they are all fairly quiet on the pitch which is my point and why I think we need a proper leader/captain.

 

[Colchester and proud!]

Sounds like this lad who you loaned last season is in demand! Oxford United defender James Golding is a loan target for a host of League One and League Two clubs this summer. Golding enjoyed a successful spell on loan at Southend during the second half of last season.

 

[kentblues]

To me, the second option is unlikely to produce much success. When players have been paid who knows, how much more and possibly played in front of tens of thousands of fans, how could they increase their effort or enthusiasm when playing against 75 away fans on a rainy Tuesday night. You may always get 1 or 2 that play up, but you have more chance with the fame hungry young players, wanting to get noticed.

They can want to be noticed as much as they want, the NL is full of such players already, I would have been equally keen to get noticed- however my complete lack of talent would probably have worked against me.

When recruiting attitude and desire should be a given wherever they arrive from. The lack of it disqualifying. Unfortunately being severely undernourished alone is not enough….regrettably…

 

[kentblues]

Sounds like this lad who you loaned last season is in demand! Oxford United defender James Golding is a loan target for a host of League One and League Two clubs this summer. Golding enjoyed a successful spell on loan at Southend during the second half of last season.

We are very good at developing other peoples players…if we had a u21 or development squad we could even be good at developing some of our own.

He is very promising but bit of an accident waiting to happen at CB at EFL level- certainly L1. Centre of a 3 less so but in a 2…

But there will be an EFL club that helps iron those errors out a bit more.

By the way of course I would have him back in the NL

 

[Callumturner22]

Sounds like this lad who you loaned last season is in demand! Oxford United defender James Golding is a loan target for a host of League One and League Two clubs this summer. Golding enjoyed a successful spell on loan at Southend during the second half of last season.

Got potential for sure Shame we couldn’t get him back but wasted at this level .

 

[Southend Elvis]

David Crown scored 24 goals in a Fourth Division season for Cambridge United in 1985/86 (which was a record for the club until Paul Mullin eclipsed it in 2020/21), so he had managed 20 in a season prior to joining us, although we were in the Third Division by then.

Steve Phillips was the leading scorer in the Football League for Brentford in 1977/78 with 32 Fourth Division goals, but again joined Blues in the Third Division in 1982.

You are always going to get the odd one or two as I said, but there's hardly any value in these guys as a re sell. Would love it if we stood out as a club who gambles on and nurtures young talent, like Peterborough or Crewe.

As transfers currently stand, would love if the blues got a prospect on sooner rather than later, as would indicate that we were talking before the end of the season. I don't much buy the not knowing what division we were in, as I hope they would have bought in to the Southend future plan.
Something could happen soon, which could settle a couple of nerves we are currently having.

 

[Suffering shrimper]

Anyone know if we’re in talks with any center half’s after losing Goodliffe and golding that’s gotta be a priority after the Bulgarian

 

[kentblues]

I think it’s less about motivation but rather players on their way down have had their confidence damaged. They play with fear and play safe whereas the ones who play on the front foot tend to be the ones full of confidence who are rising up the leagues on a wave of success and have less to lose.




Why?

It doesn’t matter what they’ve done in the past.

What matters is what they’ll do in a Southend shirt.

None of Eastwood (in L2 or the next season in L1), Corr, Constantine, Angell or Cadette were proven goalscorers at the level we played at. Yet they all scored 20+ goals for us.

We can extend that to Barnard, Assombalonga, Cardwell, Carruthers, Collymore who scored 18+ in a season but had never done it at the level we were at before.

To find a forward who was a proven goalscorer at the level we were in who then scored 18+ in a season for us we’d have to go back to the 80s, before the Bosman ruling, to Crown and Phillips and even then I’m not even sure if they’d managed 20 in a season before joining us.

It seems to me one of the things most of those successes did have was an early development at clubs up the pyramid. They had the training and ability to be part of that.

They then drop down the pyramid but retain the desire to recapture what they hoped for earlier in their career. They believed in themselves then and do now.

If you look at KAF. He will have hoped for a career with WH in the premiership. Didn’t work out but he has the grounding, the fundamental skills and retains the desire and professional attitude. He will again play higher up the pyramid even if not the Prem.
This is the type of background I like. Personally.

 

[bazzashrimper]

Sounds like this lad who you loaned last season is in demand! Oxford United defender James Golding is a loan target for a host of League One and League Two clubs this summer. Golding enjoyed a successful spell on loan at Southend during the second half of last season.

Good player, but can’t defend the 6 yard box / mark from a corner.

 

[kentblues]

Anyone know if we’re in talks with any center half’s after losing Goodliffe and golding that’s gotta be a priority after the Bulgarian

Btw if we indeed do sign Spasov hopefully people will be realistic and not expect to much to soon. Top strikers should get a hatful at that level. He’s not a Pearce, Charley Kendall got 29 in 51 appearances at Eastbourne Borough in the NLS. This guy 15 in 40. But if Kev and co see something in him brilliant. Just don’t expect to see him necessarily leap frogging what we have and being a starter from day one.

 

[Supershrimper]

Rumblings we (Chesterfield) are in for GSM - has anything been mentioned on the southend side of things or just rumours at this point?

If true and most importantly can he DEFEND? Jeff King scored loads for us in the National League but ultimately was found out in League 2 as he couldnt defend.

Too late MK Don's are in for him according to a much respected X Transfer Account.

I'd say cut your losses and offer crazy money to secure him. Excellent at defending but only reasonable at getting forward. Only managed 17 last season. Think he was costing for the last 2 or 3 months.

Tell your owners anywhere upwards of £250k should secure him from the clutches of the franchise.

 

[It'sGrimUpNorth]

Get over the fact that we are not looking like we can compete for promotion, but may scrape into the playoffs.....please

The season is what, 7 weeks away and you’re suggesting we cannot compete for promotion?
We will sign players and I’m sure Cashman isn’t the be end all of the push for a successful season.

It wasn’t meant to be.