Southend United 2010-2011 Season Review Part Two

Around the turn of the year results, and crucially home form, started improving. No-one really knew why. Could it be that the enforced break due to the weather meant the players were fresher? Could it be Widdrington's departure? Could this rag-bag team of misfits finally be clicking into place? Sturrock asked the home fans for more noise and more atmosphere, and he got it. He turned French-Tunisian centre-back Bilel Moshni into a makeshift striker, who repaid his manager by scoring 4 goals in 3 games and was the subject of a late transfer deadline day approach by Blackpool ( £250k was offered and turned down - not bad for someone who was playing non- League in Paris in July ). He took Youth Team centre-back Kane Ferdinand and turned him into a first team holding midfielder, who is now currently being tracked by Ipswich Town. There was a confidence flowing through the side and away performances were equally matched by much-improved home performances as high flyers such as Wycombe were brushed aside. We beat Barnet at home to put us a point off the play-offs. Many Southend fans had to lie down in a darkened room just to try to take it all in.

Sadly the lack of a proper pre-season caught up with a few key players, with injuries taking their toll, so Sturrock was forced to blood a few more Youth players, literally throwing them in at the deep end. Some took to League football like a fish to water, whereas others were rabbits caught in oncoming headlights. Our play-off hopes slowly started to disappear as Sturrock revealed he had approached an impressive 43 potential loanees, with 28 going elsewhere and the rest staying at their parent clubs. However as the season reached it's climax more and more players recovered from injuries to boost the threadbare squad and we comfortably yo-yo'd between 14th and 11th position, eventually finishing 13^th. Striker Barry Corr notched 21goals for the campaign, his personal best tally ever, and considering he was always carrying at least two injuries every week something of an achievement. Experienced defender Chris Barker picked up the POTY award, not bad for someone who arrived in August after being told by Peter Reid he wasn't good enough for Plymouth. Flying winger Ryan Hall made the step up from non-League and, after recovering from some personal problems, scored 9 goals and generated countless assists.

So yes we didn't win the League, or get into the Play-Offs, but look back at my previous column - 5 players, 4 weeks, no money. That is some task and it was given to Paul Sturrock, a man that I recently met and doffed my cap to ( after kissing his feet first). I may be alone in thinking this, but in my eyes he is a genius. There are probably Southampton, Sheffield Wednesday and Swindon fans who disgaree with me but, I wager, not many.

He has layed down the foundations for season 2011-2012 and with a few additions I strongly believe we, Southend United FC, will be contenders for the crown. And no, I haven't been drinking.

Lee Morgan

@LeeM_007



Comments

[Retro1702]

Sorry but the above (& part 1) despite being fantastically well written make me want to frankly vomit.
You touch upon how people wanted Martin's blood the day Tilson was unceremoniously removed gromhis role, but what isn't addressed is how one wave of the magic wand by a certain dubious chairman changed the minds of probably 75% of those doubters. This to me and the subsequent lack of respect culminating in pathetically childish celebrations of Lincoln's demise at Wycombe in the final game of the season demonstrate huge faults in the SUFC fanbase at large.

If Sturrock is the legendary football manager so many Southend supporters would weirdly now have you believe, then why are we not about to extend our season with a playoff campaign or kick-back like fellow 09/10 relegation partners Wycombe? I don't buy the time to gel argument either. No, it's simply because Sturrock is now what people feared would be appointed - a journeyman lower league manager and not a very inspiring one at that. Especially one who constantly feels he needs family members to help him judge the mood of the dressing room and supporters Internet message boards.

To coin a phrase from Dragons Den, until the Kilted Buffoon has no more to do with my (sorry, I mean Ron's) club then "I'm out"...

[Cassas]

Clearly the comment by Retro1702 was written by an idiot. Anyone that thinks you can take a squad of 5 players and turn them into a team capable of winning the league within a few weeks is frankly so deluded they don't really deserve addressing.

I completely agree about the ridiculous celebrations at Lincoln's demise and wish Tilly all the luck in the future. The huge fault in the SUFC fanbase at the moment seems to be the inability to move on and get behind the team we have now not the one from the glory years. Those times are over. Get over it.

Great article Lee

[Retro1702]

Er, why the need for personal abuse?
Calling me an "idiot" for expressing my opinion is a trifle harsh.
Surely better to just debate the points you have issues with?

Anyway, I'm hitting out at those who think Sturrock is the best thing since sliced bread when, in my opinion, clearly he isn't. Unfortunately with the black name RM earned Southend nobody wanted to touch us, similar to no club wanted to employ a manager on the wain with a potentially debilitating illness. People can't have it both ways, either they need to see the man for what he is and his limitations or those who constantly praise him should cone up with better arguments than the "assembled a squad out of nothing" one when challenged on why their skirt wearing hero is such a legend.

[Lee Morgan]

thanks for your feedback guys!

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and I know that Sturrock is not to everyone's liking, but this was my own personal opinon and I think he worked a miracle.

I love Tilly as much as the next Southend fan, but hey, he isn't our manager anymore so I personally think we should get behind whoever is.

Up the Shrimpers

[Cassas]

Since essentially your criticism of Sturrock boils down to the fact that he failed to get Southend promoted and he's Scottish I'll stand by my ad hominem thanks.

But if you really want me to show that Sturrock is just as good a manager as Tilson then you only have to look at their performances as managers over time.

Tilson's win percentage is 38.73%
Sturrock's win percentage is 40.10%

Now you might well argue that Tilson had difficult circumstances, blah, blah and I would agree with you. Since you seem happy to completely disregard the difficult circumstances that Sturrock has had to deal with in his time at Southend it is only fair we give Tilson the same treatment. Therefore Sturrock is the better manager.

Now I'm not so sure that I agree with that because the circumstances ALWAYS have an effect on the performances a manager can be expected to get out of his squad. Tilson did an incredible job winning us back to back promotions and will always be a club legend. If I was to tell you my real opinion of Ron Martin this comment would probably be removed. Neither of those facts mutually exclude the fact that Sturrock has done a terrific job and should be given more credit that people like yourself have been giving him.

Man the internet is a harsh place, perhaps that's something else you should get used to.

[Retro1702]

Another fact people seem to have conveniently forgotten is that Ron didn't magic Sturrock out of thin air, even in the crazy world of football recruitment. There is no way you can sack a manager at 3pm on a Sunday, announce there will be a press conference explaining the decision for the next morning at 10am and then unveil PS & TW as the new management team. He had been sniffing around the job for weeks thanks to certain mutual connections between RM & PS. The whole way the appointment was handled stinks and I will never be onside with Sturrock because of that, plus his additional snide comments made about Tilson and then about the support not backing him. If Martin wanted Tildon gone then why not sack him within sight of the end of the season when people expected it? It certainly would have maybe made the transition easier to stomach.

As far as the slur about my anti-Sturrock stance being due to his nationality then again, that is total garbage. I would still have the same negative feelings about the man, his approach to football and what he stands for if he had been not in Rochford Hospital. I've disliked him throughout his career, as a manager especially, much like a lot of Shrimpers seem to be like about Ronnie Moore or strangely Paul Hart. Anyway, personal circumstance currently dictates that if bring anti-Scottish was a reason to be anti-Sturrock then it would be perfectly justified, but as I said it's not the reason.

Sainsburys dictated the kind of year we would have on the pitch & will do for the foreseeable future.

Martin out
Sturrock out
Brady out