Question What would make you happy?

[Beefy]

There seems to me that there is a cloud of negativity over this Football Club. Now I'm not interested in going over the things which have made everyone unhappy. We've had enough debates about trialists and about Theo Robinson and about the accounts and about the rights or wrongs of helping two youngsters escape from some little town in the North of Essex.

What I'm interested in is where the expectations of our fanbase currently is. Where would you want us to go from this starting point that would make you content? Or where do you think we should be and what should we be doing which would make you less unhappy about things?

Should we get rid of the Manager? Should we get rid of the chairman? Should we get rid of the scoreboard?

Should we bring back Lewis Hunt? Should we bring back bacon rolls at Roots Hall? Should we take a punt and spend more cash on trying to get out of this division? Should we save cash by flogging the first team and let Tilly and Brush work with the youngsters for a couple of years?

I genuinely think that the biggest threat to this Club isn't from the pitch, it isn't from the accounts and it's not from a Courtroom. It's the depression that's set in over the last couple of years and which lingers over every move the Club makes. And I'm hoping that if we all put our heads together we can work out what needs to be done to disperse it.

Annnnnnnnnd go:

 

[Pubey]

two lesbians and a hotel room

 

[dloman]

two lesbians and a hotel room

not joining them then?

 

[Andyhsufc]

I personally think that a lot of the negativity around the club has been stoked by Ron promising things that for, whatever reason, he cannot deliver. For example, we were promised early signings this year and we have ended up in a situation where we are relying on players, who are here for one month, to hold our defence together.

Another example, the war chest we were promised. Where is that?

The stadium that is due to be completed ready in time for next season?

This is not a dig at Ron as I don't think it is necessarily a bad thing to have a aspirational chairman. However I do think he needs to stop making all the big statements and soundbites if he can't deliver on them. Sadly, if you create expectations and then fail to deliver on them, you are asking for trouble as a club.

 

[Beefy]

I'd feel a lot happier if I never, ever, had to read the words "war chest" ever again.

 

[Pubey]

not joining them then?

just filming

 

[leeblue]

I think that firstly we have to look at the fact that the SZ community is a small percentage of the total fanbase, secondly we as a club have taken on so many 'new supporters' since the glory of back to back promotions, three trips to cardiff, etc etc, this has meant IMO that unrealistic expectations have been placed upon the club, thus people have been sinking into pits of despair because we have only made the play offs and just missed out in the last two seasons, I will still maintain that in my 20+ years of supporting the blues we are in agood position, even when we were an established 2nd tier lub for those years 5k was considered a good crowd, we now average well above this, and then there seems to be the attitude that if we are not winning the league then something is wrong............now for this pre season, it has obviously been hard for the club to attract players (for whatever reason, seems to be that we are a bit skint) so it must be even more important for tilly to make sure that what resources he does have he uses wisely, ideally we would have the squad all sorted out for preseason training but WE CANT MAGIC MONEY OUT OF THE AIR to compound this a few clubs in our division have aquired sugar daddies who are willing to sp*nk money left right and centre, so these conditions have seemed to frustrate people greatly, I would say to these people please put a little faith in the best manager SUFC have ever had, we play(or try to at least) a decent style of footy and we do have some decent players at the club with the added bonus of the fact that they seem to care about the club too, so to answer the question what would make me happy? IF WE COULD ALL DECIDE TO BACK WHOEVER RUNS OUT ONTO THE PITCH for SUFC and unite behind the one thing we all love, the club we call Sarfend.......lets not let negativity tranfer to the players we really could be in trouble if this happens

 

[jassyfa1]

two lesbians and a hotel room

I bet the image in your head bears no resemblance to Sandi Toksvig taking Clare Balding from behind with a strap-on.

 

[Jai]

I'd feel a lot happier if I never, ever, had to read the words "war chest" ever again.

You'd best not read the cover of next month's All At Sea then...

 

[fbm]

I'd feel a lot happier if I never, ever, had to read the words "war chest" ever again.

Let's not forget that we've actually spent quite a lot of money in the last 3 years on Clarke, Foran, Paynter, Harrold and Walker. Add that "war chest" up and it's about £1m (including signing on fees etc).

What I think people would do well to realise is where we would be if we hadn't have made the LDV final twice, won the play offs and the L1 title, not sold Freddy, Bailey and JCR not to mention the cup matches against Man Utd, Spurs and Chelsea.

With our hindsight goggles on, we gambled on staying in the CCC and failed. If we had never gone up we may, rather perversely, be in a better financial position now as we wouldn't have had the transfer fees, expenses and wage bills that came with that promotion. The expenses were a continual drain long after we were relegated.

So what would I be happy with?

Personally I'd be happy to stop reading so much tripe on this board and start looking forward to the season. I'm almost at the stage where I want us to struggle, just so that those doom-mongers can wallow in their smugness and then we can deal with it and move on.

Totally agree with Beefy and I said a couple of seasons back (and was criticised for it) that it would be the fans that would bring the bad times back. I stand by that again today. God help us if we aren't in the top 6 by end of October.

 

[MrB]

You'd best not read the cover of next month's All At Sea then...

Just for a minute I thought you'd quoted jassyfa1's post.

 

[Pubey]

I think Leeblue is right, in that it really does come down to expectations and experience. There will be many posters/fans who didn't experience the bad times (of the 90s, or the 70s or whenever) and so either they have hyped up expectations for the club, and/or they actually have a greater fear for situations like we're in at the moment, with a bare-bones squad and desperate for a couple of signings.

also it's important to remember that a lot of posters and fans aren't lawyers/accountants, and so when we're in court or whatever, then it's pretty scary... and without experience or understanding, then people will fear the worst.

To answer the question, what will make me happy is to see us be competitive in every game we play this season. If/when we lose games then so be it, that's football... but as long as we're competing against Norwich/Leeds/Charlton as well as in the 1st round of the Johnson Paint Trophy and the Carling Cup, then I'll be a happy bunny. We might have long term plans for the future of the club... but as a fan, it's the Tuesday nights and the Saturday afternoon's that make me happy.

 

[Rob1920]

I bet the image in your head bears no resemblance to Sandi Toksvig taking Clare Balding from behind with a strap-on.

mmm now you're talking, throw in Pat Butcher & i'll die a happy man.

I'm off to dream..

Nite nite all

 

[OldBlueLady]

Can I just say a yes to the bacon rolls please? :whistling: That would make me very happy. I agree with Beefy, fbm and leeblue though, negativity of the type we've seen recently is very dangerous to a club like ours - hopefully when this is magnified however many times across the wider fan base, I hope it is not reflective of our supporters as a whole.

Of course in an ideal world we'd want a pre-season where we have a team all working together so that they go into their first game knowing exactly what was what and who was where. Yet again, it's not going to be the case BUT look at what we have got: we have an incredibly strong set of midfield players all capable on their day of doing a good job against any team in this league; we also have a pretty amazing strike force and if we can keep at least three of them fit at any one time they'll be knocking them in soon; we have a goalkeeper who has won the fans over and is capable of being the best in our league (just work on those pens Steve! ;)) and whose number 2, Joycie, has improved dramatically. Our defence contains one of the most loyal players to ever pull on a Southend shirt, he happens to be our captain and can wallow in the glory of having put us ahead against Chelsea for ever and a day as far as I'm concerned; it also contains Simon Francis who is an incredibly gifted young player, versatile as well, who can do a fantastic job for us if people will just get off his case. As for the rest, well, we don't know how these guys from Colchester are going to fit in, but I reckon Heath will go well alongside Barrett and White looks an interesting prospect and much more able to cope when Moussa goes awol in front of him.

Then what else do we have? Well, we have three excellent young players in Herd, O'Keefe and Calver, let's not forget Johnny was officially the reserves' captain last year so the fact that he stepped up to the mark so well when needed is testimony to the work put in at that level. Calver and O'Keefe have both shone in the pre-seasons for me.

We also have a pretty amazing chairman, I don't think he's getting anywhere near enough credit for the amount of information he does let out of the club or the stuff that's going on behind the scenes for FF. He's far more open than the majority of chairmen, and he is a proper supporter too.

Of course we have one of the best management set ups anywhere bar none. The fact that Fergie invited them up to Man U at the end of last season shows that this is recognised at the highest levels, and we're now reaping the benefits of some good ties with "big" clubs. Who else but Tilly and Brush could produce what they do time and time again on a budget such as they're given?

Lastly, there's us. On our day we can make a huge difference to what goes on on the pitch, so let's start the season as we mean to go on, get behind the team and ENCOURAGE them from the word go. Accept that not every ball is going to reach the person it was intended for, not every tackle is going to come off, not every goal bound shot will go in, nor will we stop conceding goals - it's a game of football, this stuff happens!

If we can get through the game against Huddersfield without me hearing a single moan from the curmudgeonly lot around me (well, behind me to my right mainly) then I consider we'll have done well. If we can remind Peter Clarke of exactly what he chose to leave then that would make me very happy.

 

[Mad Cyril]

I'd like to see the rub on Tattoos featuring the club crest return to the club shop.

 

[Beefy]

I should reiterate that the point of this thread isn't to tell everyone to cheer up. It's to try to find out where people expect us to be and what direction they are unhappy that the Club isn't facing. People aren't going to stop being negative because some bloke they don't know on the internet tells them to cheer up but if we can get down a list of things that the club could do to put things right then I think maybe that could be a good start.

 

[leeblue]

I should reiterate that the point of this thread isn't to tell everyone to cheer up. It's to try to find out where people expect us to be and what direction they are unhappy that the Club isn't facing. People aren't going to stop being negative because some bloke they don't know on the internet tells them to cheer up but if we can get down a list of things that the club could do to put things right then I think maybe that could be a good start.

But what else can the club do honestly? they dont publish much info, people moan about lack of info, they come out and give many details on all sorts of goings on they get slated for that, you cant please everybody I suppose, the only suggestion I would make to ron is to maybe watch what he says at times with regards to future events such as signings, money available and if I hear we will be on site in the summer/autumn/spring without it actually happening I will not be happy

 

[SARF]

im perfectly cheerful about the club and honestly reckon we are in as good a position as is reasonable to expect.. I cant see why there is so much moaning other than footy fans always moan regardless.. Most of the stuff on here is based on heresay.. Moan about the tax bill.. oh thats solved moan about the defence.. oh er hang on . There is always something going on in Football clubs. Over the last 5 years we have had only a handful of games that didnt matter. The end of the Championship and the last couple of last season.. Im more than happy with that

 

[Rob Noxious]

...for Plymouth to get relegated and Torquay to go up. My third wish is for Exeter to stay in League One. I'd be happy with three easy away games to go to next season.

 

[Portuguese Shrimper]

Top post OBL.
We've got SO much to be proud about and thankful for - far more positives than negatives. Lets enjoy the season and get behind the boys.