Dickie Down

A very good, long and detailed article about Southend in today's Guardian.

40 minutes ago, yarddogs said:

Hendon was a particularly bad day 

The only time I've ended up wanting Latics to lose a game.

2 hours ago, BP1960 said:

 

Can you go back a bit further than that?

Barry Hartle.

Jack Rowley got around 16 months.

When Jimmy McIlroy was manager the chant was ' Sack Mac , bring back Jack!'

So we did

The chant was subsequently reversed.

Might be some interesting pickings from Hartlepool.

You wouldn't sign Hart from Sutton. Third relegation from League 2 in five years.

1 hour ago, Littlemoor Lad said:

Madden would be the perfect replacement for Norwood, 

I think we should go all in for Conn-Clarke if Alty fail in the play offs.

Slow, overweight, one footed, can't tackle or head the ball.... but the best footballer in the division.

A modern John Robertson.

2 hours ago, yarddog73 said:

The Hogan business doesn't stack up to me, he's average at best and I wouldn't need any sort of reason to drop him and I'd presumed he continued to play him because of his professionalism, that though is now being questioned.

 

We've carried him in games lately and he's been awful, what I cannot understand is how he was allowed to play enough games to trigger a new deal, that's an expensive fuck up by someone as we need better both in his position and as Captain. I wouldn't have an outgoing Captain around a squad, it undermines the new one and it can also create mixed messages within the group particularly if there are cliques. 

Hogan seems a very flawed leader with his favourites, who he doesn't challenge eg Kitching, Norwood.

His treatment of Sutton , who we know struggles, is very poor. Aggressively bawling him out repeatedly is something other than leadership.

He confronts the refs and pushes them into a corner rather than working to get them to give us a hearing.

He has one clear error a game in him at least eg he started the rot against Fylde at home.

He also has a vested interest in staying at this level as it is the best he's going to get.

Given the options locally, I fear we are stuck with him.

It was Freeman's last game.

6 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

But anonymous in the BP fixture!

He was .

Then again, Rochdale hardly tried to cross the halfway line.

6 minutes ago, Lukers1 said:

AFC Fylde have apparently increased the interest in Reid.

 

Conlon is going to take over the captaincy.

 

We are looking at the Fleetwood winger who was on loan at Rochdale.

Cian Hayes. Played very well in the Spotland game.

It may be he would take less at Cheltenham for a longer contract than he has with us.

Fondop renegotiated in autumn 2022 after a burst of form and will be on much more than £800.

Both Tollit and Norman did so at a similar time.

4 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

 

Fondop might have had enough of this anyway

I think Fondop will get a deal somewhere else. The only one I might have re employed, but happy for him to go.

4 minutes ago, Wardie said:

Somebody with a sense of humour at the club?
I think it was a mistake.

The font used for ' Retained List' was different to the one the club uses.

Amusing, though.

I think it was a hoax.

3 hours ago, disjointed said:

I think most of us over mid 50 year old would have been there. 

I remember the clang of John Platt's head on the goalpost when John King barged him into it. Awful foul.

2 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

Would we get compensation?

A good question. I presume we'd get something. Probably have to offer him a contract which he then rejects and go from there.

26 minutes ago, Bobledgersheart said:

Me too.

It's puzzling why Atherton wasn't brought into the squad, when available, to fill Green's boots unless Mellon was trying to prove a point ( a bit like Shez did naming 3 subs a couple of years ago !).

I'm thinking they might have a deal to a big club lined up for Atherton and don't want him injured. Or perhaps his agent has?

Just a hunch based on no information.

A cameo from the Joe Royle stand yesterday during the second half.

 Harrison McGahey miscontrolled a ball that went for a throw. A middle aged man a few rows in front sitting with what appeared to be a family group got from his seat and abused McGahey for around 10 seconds, concluding with ' Fuck off out of our club.'

There was pretty much an embarrassed silence until Mike Fondop, who was nearby, came across and gestured directly for the man to calm down.

This brought a muted round of applause.

28 minutes ago, TheBigDog said:

It's good to be reminded of how optimistic so many of us were at the start of this season...

 

Optimism that was severely deflated after the first game and totally wrecked by match nine. There was then a short uplift during the Redfearn/Thompson tenure rising back to previous heights after the victory at Rochdale, only to come back down to earth the very next game... a period of renewed optimism was completely wiped out by our March madness.

 

We are going to finish 9th or 10th after a previous season finish of 12th.

 

Excited for this poll next August...

 

 

 

 

The win at Rochdale very much epitomised the strengths and weaknesses of the side.

Once the goals dried up, we were left with only the weaknesses.

Finished above Rochdale. Heady times.

26 minutes ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

I’m going. I want the chance to willy wave about it in 20 years when we’re hoovering up the Championship title.

I've already had my ' I saw us lose at home to Hendon badge' designed.

Windass's dad voting now apparently.

An interesting selection from one person to retain Windass.

None I'd keep.