Good afternoon Gulls fans

[Rootshallbloke]

Saturday sees the Shrimpers visit Plainoor after a diabolical performance against Aldershot where we kindly donated all 3 points to them. So we approach this game with trepidation as to which Southend United will turn up.

Whatever happens there will be a fair few Shrimpers making this a long weekend after many years of the two teams being divisions apart. You guys were incredibly unlucky not to triumph against the Monkey Hangers so we do not expect an easy game. Whatever the result I really do hope the meeting of two sides by the seaside will be a game worth watching. And we may even get a referee and linos that have a clue about the rules of football (I can only hope)

So, how have you been doing this season, and do you fancy it on Saturday?

In peace,

Rootshallbloke

[happytorq]

So, how have you been doing this season, and do you fancy it on Saturday?

Mostly crap, and not really.

To expand - we've put together one half of decent football (1st half vs Maidenhead where we went in at HT 4-0 up). We were looking really good at Notts before having a man sent off after 25 minutes, and did pretty well for the rest of the game (1-1)

We've played 3, lost 3 at home. Conceded 10 goals. Our defence has all the strength of a 3 week old flan, so if you make any effort to get at them, you're probably going to get a result.

Our recruitment in the summer was...substandard, no doubt in part due to the hugely contracted off season. PO final was June 21st so we had about 3 or 4 weeks less than everybody else to bring bodies in, and I think the uncertainty over which division we'd be in meant we missed out on several of our targets. Gary Johnson said the other day that he expects to move out some of the people he brought in (yeah, I dunno how either). So things aren't looking great.

I think GJ is the best man for the job, despite a few early rumblings from various whinging malcontents. I mean, who could replace him? Our target this season was not to win the title as that seems unrealistic given the money thrown around and the players we lost - but half a dozen games in some are talking about relegation even though I believe playoffs are still possible.

Very much looking forward to the last day of the season at Southend, too, since a lot of us have very fond memories of a last day there 17 years ago!

[Rootshallbloke]

So unless we are both royally conning each other (unlikely), then we should be in for a riveting game of football. The tanned God that is Phil Brown took the lads on a 10k run on Wednesday morning, and he told the press all about it (not much on publicity is Phil). The majority view is that Josh Coulson, our recent recruit at CB, had to take a torch with him and may still not having finished it yet. Cruel, but he is not all that quick is our Josh.

[SimonJones]

Mostly crap, and not really.

To expand - we've put together one half of decent football (1st half vs Maidenhead where we went in at HT 4-0 up). We were looking really good at Notts before having a man sent off after 25 minutes, and did pretty well for the rest of the game (1-1)

We've played 3, lost 3 at home. Conceded 10 goals. Our defence has all the strength of a 3 week old flan, so if you make any effort to get at them, you're probably going to get a result.

Our recruitment in the summer was...substandard, no doubt in part due to the hugely contracted off season. PO final was June 21st so we had about 3 or 4 weeks less than everybody else to bring bodies in, and I think the uncertainty over which division we'd be in meant we missed out on several of our targets. Gary Johnson said the other day that he expects to move out some of the people he brought in (yeah, I dunno how either). So things aren't looking great.

I think GJ is the best man for the job, despite a few early rumblings from various whinging malcontents. I mean, who could replace him? Our target this season was not to win the title as that seems unrealistic given the money thrown around and the players we lost - but half a dozen games in some are talking about relegation even though I believe playoffs are still possible.

Very much looking forward to the last day of the season at Southend, too, since a lot of us have very fond memories of a last day there 17 years ago!

What an amusing, but accurate summary!

[happytorq]

Phil Brown really seems like a manager from another era entirely. One of those who thinks that shouting at people and making them do long runs will somehow motivate. Heck, maybe he's right and the Shrimpers will play like a team possessed this weekend, but it's hard not to think that some of the players will say 'yeah, you can screw yourself' and they'll be in even more strife.

I, for one, hope his team have a shocker on Saturday

[Rootshallbloke]

Phil Brown really seems like a manager from another era entirely. One of those who thinks that shouting at people and making them do long runs will somehow motivate. Heck, maybe he's right and the Shrimpers will play like a team possessed this weekend, but it's hard not to think that some of the players will say 'yeah, you can screw yourself' and they'll be in even more strife.

I, for one, hope his team have a shocker on Saturday

It's not impossible! Against Wrexham we looked like world beaters and followed that up with a performance that we want to forget against Aldershot. Naturally, I hope we give you a good thrashing but the truth will probably be somewhere in between.

[Plainmoor78]

Phil Brown really seems like a manager from another era entirely. One of those who thinks that shouting at people and making them do long runs will somehow motivate. Heck, maybe he's right and the Shrimpers will play like a team possessed this weekend, but it's hard not to think that some of the players will say 'yeah, you can screw yourself' and they'll be in even more strife.

I, for one, hope his team have a shocker on Saturday

Seeing that Gary Johnson can have a player in tears and see fit to make it public, I wouldn't think our players would be suitably motivated by that either.

[Rootshallbloke]

a couple of posters on our board have asked what has happened with Klaidi Lolos, they thought he was highly rated and would start this season.

[happytorq]

a couple of posters on our board have asked what has happened with Klaidi Lolos, they thought he was highly rated and would start this season.

I'm pretty certain he'll start tomorrow.

We'd gone with Wright and Holman up front so far, with little success. I think Holman can do a job for us, but it's not fallen for him so far (shocking service it must be said). Lolos came on in our last game and scored, and apparently showed plenty of fight, which we need now. He's also pretty swift, which again is something we've been lacking so far.

(disclaimer; I'm not an in-the-know person at all, I just feel he did more in his 20 minutes on tuesday than anybody)

[Rootshallbloke]

Thanks for that. I'll let those know that were asking.