Does he stay or go ? | Page 4 | Vital Football

Does he stay or go ?

Captainreblue said:
Away from home we've done ok, even well on some occasions as you mention. At home though over two seasons we've been poor, not just results but performances. SL has not found a system that works, but worse than that he has persisted with a system that does not work, has not worked, has been to easy to play against but has persisted with using it, and his justification was it worked when we had Dack. Sorry, but his stubbornness over the system will get him the sack. We've seen glimpses of us playing well at home of 45 minutes (here and there) only to be followed by 45 minutes of toilet his ability to get a system that works, is effective and the players look comfortable playing at home, he's failed badly, over two seasons with numerous players tried within his preffered system. With PS packpriestfield initiative, he can't have teams putting in performances and offering up what SL's team have over the last two seasons, as has been proved by the massive drop in attendances.
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Wouldn't argue with most of that, as I said in my previous post, the home form is definitely a cause for concern. But you described it as "cloud cuckoo land" to suggest that we were not that far away from being a good side able to compete at the top end of this League. I don't think it is. This team has shown that, on its day, it can compete with the sides at the top of the league. That's a good start, now Lovell needs to work on getting them to perform like that more often, especially at home. I'm not for a minute suggesting I think we're ready to challenge at the top, but I think there are enough encouraging signs not to go making dramatic changes just yet.

Completely agree on the point about looking to pack Priestfield. If our home and away form were reversed, I don't think we'd be having this discussion. The trouble is that the money coming into our club comes from fans watching us play at home, not away, and you're right that recent performances aren't doing anything to encourage that. It's no good playing well away if we follow that up half the time with a dire home performance that leaves people wishing they'd stayed at home.

I think people should be careful what they wish for though. I've no doubt that somewhere out there, there are managers who could do a better job than Lovell, and get us pushing for the playoffs or better. I've also no doubt that for every 1 such manager, there are half a dozen who'd do a hell of a lot worse. Is it worth the risk? I don't think it is just yet. As I said before, I'd be happy to give Lovell another season. Target a top-half finish (would keep us moving in the right direction), and improved home form. If he can't manage that, reassess things this time next year.
 
The problem is that SL doesn't seem to know how to solve the problem of our home form. He's had two seasons to get us playing effective and results football, and in both seasons he's failed.
In our last two home games (which have been critical games) its been so poor in the first half he's had to make two substitutions at h/t , on one occasion we were even worse in the second half after the changes (Saturday we improved after the changes). The fact that whatever preparation we've done in the build up for our last two games especially hasn't transmitted to the players is alarming IMO.

I don't think having better players would help because of the system he chooses to use. The only reason the system worked with Dack was because he was way to good for this League so you play to his strengths. Until he changes the system we use at home results and performances in the long run won't either IMO.

His demeanour and body language during games also gives the impression a lot of the time he's lost and doesn't know how to fix it.
 
I feel that SL has been wrongly slagged off; in some cases, it's because he doesn't rant and rave on the touchline. I have queried his diamond stuff but that aside he doesn't have a lot to work with. Think how different it would be if a few more players were as committed as [say] Fuller or Zakuani
 
Good teams come at us and it suits.
It's when we're supposed to go after the other side we have problems.

I do think that feeding Eaves suffered from both the law of diminishing returns and rising opportunity costs. Which is not to deny that it is thanks to him in great part that we're sitting fairly pretty.
 
The thing that is obvious if people look at the forums of rivals in the bottom half of the league is how many of our complaints about Lovell is echoed elsewhere. There will be Plymouth supporters lamenting the fact that yet again they have played well for one half (first) but we're awful in the other and the failure to find a solution is because the manager is tactically clueless. And then there will be other fans defending the manager saying he is doing OK based upon the resources.

All the teams in the bottom half have a couple of decent players supported by a team of average team mates and the result is dependent on whose decent players step up during the dominant spells.

And guess what? The fans of those teams are hardly praising g their team of playing eyepleasing football despite the final result.
 
Go back to August when our league position predictions where made. Most had us as relegation escapees based on the quality of players we had manage to attract on our smallish budget. As mentioned above the home form has been poor but the away form good including great results against most of the big boys. Add to that a decent FA cup run and it doesn't deserve to be called a disaster at all. MUST sort that home form though!
 
I would love to know how our playing budget compares to others. That may be a better way to judge success or failure of SL.

The fact Scally feels he is worth a 50% pay rise suggests he does not live in the real world. I got 1.4%.
 
I would think our playing budget would be in the bottom six in this league. S.L also had to work with a reduced budget from the previous season. With attendances falling we may well see a further reduction.
Replacing the manager every time we are not challenging for the play offs might seem a good idea, but in reality is costly .
I've seen some terrible football over the last 50 years with a few decent periods in between and this although not wonderful would possibly be about mid table if placed in a league.
It would good to see SL supported and actually given some credit for keeping our Team in this division for another season.
 
Kojaculation said:
I would think our playing budget would be in the bottom six in this league. S.L also had to work with a reduced budget from the previous season. With attendances falling we may well see a further reduction.
Replacing the manager every time we are not challenging for the play offs might seem a good idea, but in reality is costly .
I've seen some terrible football over the last 50 years with a few decent periods in between and this although not wonderful would possibly be about mid table if placed in a league.
It would good to see SL supported and actually given some credit for keeping our Team in this division for another season.
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I agree. The only reliable information that seems to be released is agents fees and we are one of the lowest payers in that respect.

It amazes me how many people think a change of manager is some form of magic potion. Chris Powell had an almost completely unblotted management copybook before he went to Southend and I admit I would have been pleased by his appointment for us when the job was last available. Yet they were on their way down when he was sacked. Gary Bowyer did a great job under difficult circumstances at Blackburn and Blackpool and yet there has been no new manager bounce for him at Bradford.
 
SE1_Gills said:
Southend were blighted by injuries in Powell’s defence
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You could argue that it's partly down to that manager's training of the players though. Didn't seem like a coincidence that we constantly had injury issues during both tenures of Hessy and then the following managers improved the injury record fairly instantly. Could just well be that Powell's training is the source of Southend's injury woes.
 
It can’t be easy for Lovel or cox the past few months having Evans watching every game
I think it’s disrespectful of a scally to do This. If Evans isn’t going to take over what exactly is he doing at our games ?
 
kettners said:
It can’t be easy for Lovel or cox the past few months having Evans watching every game
I think it’s disrespectful of a scally to do This. If Evans isn’t going to take over what exactly is he doing at our games ?
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But has anyone actually confirmed he’s been there?

I’ve seen multiple rumours and people saying “yes he was there”, but only ever rumours.

No confirmation from anyone, or word from the club. And if he was there in any sort of official capacity for the club,they’d have to say something. And if he’s been there incognito and uninvited with out SL knowing, you’d have thought he’d be very careful about it.
 
Sir keefy I actually saw him in the Priestfield players car park a few weeks ago he’s got a black convertible bmw and I know others have seen him perhaps we should have photographed him ?!!
 
Hang on kettners. So you say he’s been at the ground and in the players car park? So presumably invited by the club and surely the players, SL and Scally must know he’s there.

You earlier said “disrespectful of Scally” meaning you think he’s been invited there to watch games with the intention of taking over from SL? Or watching what happens to become a DoF above SL.

Do you really think that is how someone like Scally (or anyone) would operate? Seriously? I think if true, SL would have resigned long ago.

If I’ve misread what you mean, sorry. Struggling with any of it myself. And still no “proof” he’s been there, just have to take your word.
 
I can confirm that my story about meeting Evans on the train on Saturday, and Evans taking over goalkeeping duties in replacement of Holy, once he's slimmed down, was in fact false. I do apologise for any confusion I've caused which may have added to the situation...
 
kettners said:
Sir keefy I actually saw him in the Priestfield players car park a few weeks ago he’s got a black convertible bmw and I know others have seen him perhaps we should have photographed him ?!!
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In the days of cameras in Mobile phones it actually is quite remarkable that nobody among this throng has done so.

All we have after two or three months of rumour is a very long distance shot of a fat man sitting on his own in the upper stand.
 
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