Summer 2023 Player Signing News & Rumours

[LightDN123]

57 minutes ago, maximus1267 said:

Shez never ran much, even when younger but those around him did.

Im no lover of Sheron but every team needs a player that does the dirty work most fans dont see.

 

7 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

He's not average, he's probably been our most consistent player over the past 12 months. He can also play anywhere across the backline as well as in his favoured defensive midfield role he is currently playing in. He's as fit and strong as anyone on the books and his only real weakness to me his his passing ability, when he keeps that simple he's an asset to us.

Fair enough. I agree he runs a lot and try’s hard. Is that enough for a central midfielder that is playing for a team with ambitions of being at the top end of the table ? I personally don’t think so.

 

It’s more we are also now committed to having Sheron and Shelton on the books until the end of next season. 

[Monty Burns]

1 hour ago, Steve_R said:

I can imagine the reaction on here if this was announced last week with Unsworth singing his praises.

so true, l was almost stunned by the initial positivity. but that's how l often feel when l find myself in the mainstream

[Monty Burns]

7 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

 

Fair enough. I agree he runs a lot and try’s hard. Is that enough for a central midfielder that is playing for a team with ambitions of being at the top end of the table ? I personally don’t think so.

 

It’s more we are also now committed to having Sheron and Shelton on the books until the end of next season. 

no thats not enough. he's pretty good at tackling tho and l vaguely remember his positioning and interceptions being decent when he was allowed to run where his brain told him to. every team needs that.

just never, ever, ever wih Shelton in a two. 

Edited September 23, 2023 by Monty Burns
extra sentence

[deyres42]

Don't wish to be antagonistic but he is possibly the most limited player in the squad, one of the great mysteries is how he keeps getting picked in midfield.

[redlion]

17 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Don't wish to be antagonistic but he is possibly the most limited player in the squad, one of the great mysteries is how he keeps getting picked in midfield.

FFS stop being so apologetic will ya ?

Just say " I think he is possibly the most limited player in the squad, one of the great mysteries is how he keeps getting picked in midfield."

 

Edit: I think he does ok by the way.

Edited September 23, 2023 by redlion
Comment addes

[JoeP]

16 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Don't wish to be antagonistic but he is possibly the most limited player in the squad, one of the great mysteries is how he keeps getting picked in midfield.

 

Don't wish to be antagonistic either, but that's nonsense.

 

Still we've gave it a good ten minutes after Unsworth leaving to find something to be divisive about..

[Bobledgersheart]

21 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Don't wish to be antagonistic but he is possibly the most limited player in the squad, one of the great mysteries is how he keeps getting picked in midfield.

Have you seen the alternatives ?

[maximus1267]

36 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

 

Fair enough. I agree he runs a lot and try’s hard. Is that enough for a central midfielder that is playing for a team with ambitions of being at the top end of the table ? I personally don’t think so.

 

It’s more we are also now committed to having Sheron and Shelton on the books until the end of next season. 

I did also state that I am no fan of his.

As I see it, Sheron over Shelton any day, Sheron can be used in various positions, as cover.

Yes we could have better but just now its what we have. 

 

[maximus1267]

24 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Don't wish to be antagonistic but he is possibly the most limited player in the squad, one of the great mysteries is how he keeps getting picked in midfield.

Perhaps those who work with him daily and know him think he should be picked in CM at this current time.

They deffo know more than I do, I presume they know more than you too but you may tell me I am very wrong about that, although you will not want to be antagonistic whilst putting me in my place.

[yarddog73]

27 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Don't wish to be antagonistic but he is possibly the most limited player in the squad, one of the great mysteries is how he keeps getting picked in midfield.

I bet you we will see him in a better light now we are pressing further up the pitch, instead of him dropping in to the back line in an Unsworth 7-2-1, it was noticable that he was pushing on further than Gardner on Tuesday which is how it should be, he'll get even better with Lundstrum alongside him as he possesses both the craft and graft, when he does gamble and press further up the pitch he tends to win it in dangerous areas he then just needs support and someone with ability to give it to.

 

Players like Sheron will be appreciated more by the players he plays with than the fans, he won't get the plaudits others do but at our level the job he does is a necessity and much of the work he does do will go unnoticed,  I agree he shouldn't be paired with Shelton as they both share the same weaknesses on the ball which effectively leaves us without any creative spark but the work Sheron does for the team should never be underestimated in my opinion. 

[sjk2008]

38 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Don't wish to be antagonistic but he is possibly the most limited player in the squad, one of the great mysteries is how he keeps getting picked in midfield.

I can’t believe you’ve finally said something that I actually agree with.

 

Nurse!

[Monty Burns]

l voted him player of the season last year.

[mcfluff1985]

2 hours ago, LightDN123 said:

I prefer a cm who can pass the ball and doesn’t need to run loads every game because they read the game 

Plenty of elite level teams have a player that does all that running and tackling and then just give the ball to someone else

[Steve_R]

I don’t mind Sheron (does my head in when they call him Shez though), but I think he should be a squad player, playing 15/20 games a season at most, covering for injuries and suspensions.

For those who remember him, I think of him as a Gary Hoolickin type player. Never a regular, but a great attitude and ended up playing a good few games over the years, and never let us down.

To go up I think we need an upgrade on Sheron, but no problem with his contract as you need players like that around the squad and he’ll always do a job when needed.

[Hemel latic]

1 hour ago, yarddog73 said:

I bet you we will see him in a better light now we are pressing further up the pitch, instead of him dropping in to the back line in an Unsworth 7-2-1, it was noticable that he was pushing on further than Gardner on Tuesday which is how it should be, he'll get even better with Lundstrum alongside him as he possesses both the craft and graft, when he does gamble and press further up the pitch he tends to win it in dangerous areas he then just needs support and someone with ability to give it to.

 

Players like Sheron will be appreciated more by the players he plays with than the fans, he won't get the plaudits others do but at our level the job he does is a necessity and much of the work he does do will go unnoticed,  I agree he shouldn't be paired with Shelton as they both share the same weaknesses on the ball which effectively leaves us without any creative spark but the work Sheron does for the team should never be underestimated in my opinion. 

Sheron won Player's Player of the Year last year. Agree, he does the dirty work, every team needs a player like him. Of course it would be better if he had a greater passing range but we're in division 5. Seems to have a great attitude too, plays where's he's needed including CB and RB. Think I'm right in saying he's the only player on the books since the start of 22/23 who hasn't been dropped. Only missed one league game for birth of child early in the 22/23 season.    

[Lags]

3 hours ago, Steve_R said:

I don’t mind Sheron (does my head in when they call him Shez though), but I think he should be a squad player, playing 15/20 games a season at most, covering for injuries and suspensions.

For those who remember him, I think of him as a Gary Hoolickin type player. Never a regular, but a great attitude and ended up playing a good few games over the years, and never let us down.

To go up I think we need an upgrade on Sheron, but no problem with his contract as you need players like that around the squad and he’ll always do a job when needed.

 

Gary ain't too bad at fitting kitchens either. 

[ceskylatic]

I wonder if we’ll be having another go at bringing in Ogle the right back now Scunthorpe are seemingly in the shit.
Jordan Cropper who we were also linked with is still without a club.

[Gaz_Oafc]

41 minutes ago, ceskylatic said:

I wonder if we’ll be having another go at bringing in Ogle the right back now Scunthorpe are seemingly in the shit.
Jordan Cropper who we were also linked with is still without a club.

 

Have you seen some of the shit going on there... Fighting over who owns what, banning orders left right and centre, protests (all sounds a bit familiar) and leaked text messages from the owner with derogatory comments on the fans and basically saying he'll take the club under!

 

 

[True Tic]

10 minutes ago, Gaz_Oafc said:

 

Have you seen some of the shit going on there... Fighting over who owns what, banning orders left right and centre, protests (all sounds a bit familiar) and leaked text messages from the owner with derogatory comments on the fans and basically saying he'll take the club under!

 

 

I thought they had a buyer and things had smoothed over? 

[ceskylatic]

14 minutes ago, True Tic said:

I thought they had a buyer and things had smoothed over? 

The new owner is even worse than the previous one (Swann). 

[daniel]

28 minutes ago, Gaz_Oafc said:

 

Have you seen some of the shit going on there... Fighting over who owns what, banning orders left right and centre, protests (all sounds a bit familiar) and leaked text messages from the owner with derogatory comments on the fans and basically saying he'll take the club under!

 

 

Think the texts were proved to be bollocks in the end, but the rest is a complete shit show and very familiar to what we had previously. Hopefully they find their Frank. Another case of an owner being allowed to buy a club and then running it in to the ground.

[sjk2008]

On 9/23/2023 at 11:04 AM, Monty Burns said:

l voted him player of the season last year.

You always been nuts though tbf

[TamarBridgeLatics]

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Edited September 26, 2023 by TamarBridgeLatics
Made a mess of it.

[TamarBridgeLatics]

Postcards from the pyramid: Fans fight for Southend’s future. The Times.

With judgment day looming in the High Court and plans for a phoenix club being discussed, Saturday’s mass protest may be just the start of a supporter revolution

Kit Shepard

Monday September 25 2023, 12.01am BST, The Times

Southend fans send a message to the club’s chairman during a protest march from the city centre to Roots Hall on Saturday

KIT SHEPARD FOR THE TIMES

These days, Southend United supporters are more like political revolutionaries than the fanbase of a football club. Just look at their protest before Saturday’s home game against AFC Fylde.

It had a rousing rhetoric. The hundreds of activists marched noisily from the city centre to Roots Hall, chanting their hatred of Ron Martin, the Southend chairman.

There was cartoonish symbolism. The protesters followed a car that had a model of Martin attached, with the man in power depicted as a clown.

There were even flashes of insurrection. Once the agitators made it to Roots Hall a handful breached the directors’ entrance, as if they were going to depose Martin there and then. “Shut the gate,” a steward cried desperately.

Those who got through the entrance soon retreated autonomously and it must be emphasised that this uprising was benevolent, peaceful and had minimal police interference. Considering the fans’ heartache, their conduct was impeccable.

Yet the measured behaviour should not mask the desperation for Martin to sell Southend. His 25-year ownership has been defined by unsuccessful attempts to move from Roots Hall to a new stadium at Fossetts Farm, as well as financial turmoil.

Southend are due back at the High Court on October 4 to address the club’s 18th winding-up petition since 2009. This latest petition includes, but is not limited to, an unpaid tax debt of £275,000.

The under-fire Martin has defended his commitment to Southend over the past 25 years

PENELOPE BARRITT/SHUTTERSTOCK

Southend were most recently at the High Court on August 23, when they received a 42-day adjournment, a ten-point deduction and the sternest of warnings. “If this was not a football club with the attachment of its fans, I would be winding you up today. You will be wound up on the next date if it’s not sorted,” Judge Sebastian Prentis said.

Fans are yearning for Martin, who put the club up for sale last March, to find a buyer. A consortium fronted by Justin Rees offers hope but he announced last week that two takeover bids had been rejected and a deal before October 4 was unlikely. Supporters blame one person.

“Every corridor we go down has a locked door with Ron Martin on the other side,” Liam Ager, a board member of the Shrimpers Trust fan group, said. “Ron does what he wants. He is not accountable to anybody except himself and the people he has borrowed money from, and he is not interested in the town or the club.”

Martin, who provided a statement to The Times, rejects criticisms of his commitment.

“It was I that set up monthly liaison meetings, as we named them, some 25 years ago with the Shrimpers Trust to ensure fans’ views were accounted for,” he said. “In many respects the club were frontrunners, wishing to understand and, as best we can, accommodate the wishes of supporters.

“After all supporters are the club, without which there is no club. It would be daft for any company board to ignore their customers. Regular contact between the trust and club remains.

“I don’t know how anyone could suggest I do not care about the club or city,” he added. “I am passionate about the club and have travelled home and away to some 1,200 matches over 25 years. Losing hurts, whether I am at the match or not. I have given up a huge part of my life, as have my family, for Southend United and now wish to pass the baton to a custodian who will make that same commitment to the club’s future.

“It’s a great club with fantastic potential and as part of selling the club (gifting it, really) I want to contribute to its future so the city can be proud.”

Southend fans believe Martin is anything but charitable and they marched to the game against Fylde in unprecedented numbers.

Protesters blame only one man for Southend’s financial turmoil

PENELOPE BARRITT/SHUTTERSTOCK

“This is the best protest,” Steven Walsh, who has been going to Roots Hall for 53 years, said. “Before it was quite fractious but everything is together now.”

Indeed, like any rebellious group, the Southend movement contains various ideologies. As displayed by this protest, alongside supporters throwing tennis balls and fake rats on to the pitch to delay games earlier this season, the more militant faction has prevailed.

“Back in January, the first protest we did, we took a banner into the South Stand and 50 per cent of the people there were giving us abuse and supporting security for taking it off us,” Sean Wall, who is heavily involved with the protest group, said. “Fast-forward six months and, because of collaboration and the legitimacy of protest, we have got the whole ground stopping games.”

Complementing the disruptive tactics is a studious group exploring financial solutions, such as this week’s Shrimpers Trust proposal for community ownership of Roots Hall. Ager helps behind the scenes, purely out of necessity.

“I should not have to be researching insolvency practitioners and filling in application forms to ask the government for £2 million,” he said. “It is not my job as a fan and I am absolutely exhausted, tired, and angry.”

Martin does accept some responsibility but insists Southend’s consecutive relegations — from League One in 2020 and League Two in 2021 — were awfully timed.

“It must be true the buck stops with me, but the main reason for the club’s current financial issues is double relegation on the back of Covid,” he said. “I suspect we would have been relegated irrespective of the [2019-20] season being curtailed, nevertheless it certainly didn’t help as we came down with a PAYE debt from League One wages.

“We could have cut costs further; however, Southend is a big club in the National League and to dismantle infrastructure and reduce the wage bill further would make it harder to compete when the club’s objective, and fans’ too, is to get back into the EFL.”

They can barely compete in the National League right now. Fylde won 2-1 on Saturday to climb off the bottom of the fifth tier at the expense of Southend, who had only 14 available players. Typical moans from the terraces, such as “will we ever score from a corner again?”, had an uncomfortably literal meaning.

Southend’s next home game is against Oxford City on October 3 — hours before judgment day. Yet with plans for a phoenix club already being mulled, the revolution may be just beginning.

“If we are liquidated or wound up on October 4, there will be a football club in Southend in some form or another,” Ager said. “People won’t let this die.”

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[Longlostfan]

On 9/23/2023 at 11:13 AM, Steve_R said:

Gary Hoolickin type player.

More similar than you think. If I recall he got pelters for a long time but kept plugging away. Eventually was seen to come good.