Absolutely Turgid Yesterday

Nope. All terrible. Might as well chalk **** on it and pack up. Every club should be filling their squad with players good enough to win the league above. It’s a sure fire strategy. No idea why other people haven’t seen how simple it is. Fool proof.

 

This is my issue with writing all our squad off at this stage in their careers.

This time in 2015 we were in the middle of a 9 game losing streak with 6 of that squad who'd had a year under Wilson/Johnson in League 1, and then Watkins, Mawson etc had half a season under Johnson and we were plummeting towards the bottom of the league. At that point how many on here would claim those same players would be a big part of a team sat on the verge of The Championship play-offs ?

This lot have had a year at Championship level under a manager who imho had lost interest, then under a raving lunatic. All of them were brought from lower divisions and were expected to hit the ground running - Scowen, Hourihane Winnall etc had a year doing **** all at this level before the promotion season - but they learnt and developed in a more forgiving league and were a close knit squad with momentum when we got into The Championship.

Last season was garbage, but imho it's grossly unfair to chalk **** on our squad based on that, let's see how they fayre working under an apparently sane organised coach, and in a more forgiving league. They haven't lost 9 on the spin or been knocked out of the FA Cup by a non league team like our erstwhile (eventual) Gods of football who then went on to win promotion.

 

Sorry I'm a white knight happy clapper.

 

Cracking post that. Everything I wanted to say, but couldn’t be arsed in the end! Gets boring having the same conversations! It’s just beige....

 

You should be polishing your sword not posting!

 

My point exactly.

 

I really enjoyed it, yet another win, by a slim margin but could have been far more if just a couple of our many near misses had gone in. They hardly had a shot after the first 15 minutes. I was surrounded by good lads and lasses in the Ponty, all behind the Reds, singing their hearts out and enjoying another successful afternoon. Great connection with the team before the game, when some of the players posed for photos with the kids and signed autographs, then Adam Davies went potty when the goal went in and turned round to celebrate with the fans. Then they all came over to the fans to celebrate another victory. I just enjoy it for what it is, ****** to next season. It's been a great season so far, hope we keep it up.

 

Another cracking post. Would add to that the emotion from Stendel. Fantastic to see him running to ponty like a nutter! Really feels good to get behind these lads and the management team.

 

Genuine question then Conan , if we went up this season , do you think we would go into the championship next season with exactly the same squad we have now ? because that seem to be the gist of your post .

 

Exhibit A.

 

The gist is that we shouldn't. I don't know what the new owners will do. However, I do know that if we continue the strategy followed by the previous regime, we will be back in this league in no time.

 

With you there. In years gone by it often used to wind me up seeing stuff I think is OTT on here, now just try to have a little giggle instead.

 

As I said above, I missed the Oxford game and haven't done an away game, but I don't think we have played well for a full ninety minutes. Plenty of the victories could have ended in draws, but the important thing is they didn't.

It's not just about surrendering. From what I have seen of Bahre there is absolutely no way he is a Championship level player. Jury out on Dougall and impossible to comment on Woodrow.

 

I never noticed that at the time, but saw it on the replays. Another thing to notice is how the subs went potty too. Then we showed them how good we are by hardly giving them a touch for the last 8 minutes after we scored. It's great being a Reds fan at the moment.

 

Got to agree with you. If we were running away with the league and spanking teams week in, week out then i'd be thinking that maybe we'd be ok the next season. I think we will need to revamp the squad quite heavily if we did go up. I'd keep Potts and Moore for sure as I think they will do a job but not so sure many of our current XI would cut it.

I see where you are coming from and I think it's daft people insinuating you want Stendel out or anything like that. It comes across to me as concern for next season should we go up.

Nobody wants a season like last year and whilst Morais hammered the final nails in, the team simply wasn't good enough to comfortably avoid relegation IMO. I don't honestly think Hecky would've kept us up either.

 

Defo don't want the manager out.

I think Stendel had a different vision for the type of football he wants to play but now thinks this is not possible and is putting the results first. Which is what will keep you in a job. Unless you're Mick McCarthy!

 

Mention The Lord Of The Rings just once more
And I’ll more than likely kill you
Moorcock, Moorcock, Michael Moorcock you fervently moan
Is this a wok that you’ve shoved down my throat
Or are you just pleased to see me?
Brian Moore’s head looks uncannily like London Planetarium

 

I don’t see many players in our current team good enough for anything other than bottom 6 in the Championship. Very good L1 players with potential but in terms of definite ready to play in the Championship I don’t see It.

 

The transfer windows don't improve though.

 

Respect your views Conan but I didn't think it was turgid yesterday. Definitely a lack of quality at times, some lovely stuff in fleeting moments, but whilst it wasn't a performance like a Peterborough or Rochdale, it was an improvement on the previous week. We kept trying to break them down, but failed to take some good chances. And in balance, Southend had chances themselves. To me, that's football, I like to see competitive matches and that generally means our opponents will get chances too. I don't believe the lack of quality yesterday reflects the coach's approach, but the willingness to keep going certainly does, imho.

I think we would have a battle to survive in the Championship with this squad but that's as much a reflection on the ability of so many championship clubs to now spend big money. Let's get there first, we have a great chance to do that, and let Stendel make his judgement. The only strapline I can remember the new owners/board coming out with since relegation is that they want to get us "established" in the Championship. Quite how they'll do that, as and when we get there, I don't know with any certainty. My own guess would be slow (several years) investment and turnover of players, they've said no bankrolling. What their plan is will be something we will see in time I think.

There are parallels with chasing a place in the Championship with us getting to the Premiership. It's more fun getting there than being there. That's a sad reflection on modern football rather than a criticism of BFC. I think you'll enjoy more home games than you have done so far in the coming months.