For a long time, Southend Utd were in the news for all the wrong reasons. Constantly in the High Court and winding up orders being adjourned they were as often as you or I eating breakfast daily.
The takeover finally completed last July by COSU (Custodians Of Southend Utd) was heralded by all in the game, including those watching from afar knowing at any point it could have been their club instead.
But there are rumblings around Roots Hall and on social media (of course) that not all is well for the Shrimpers. On the pitch most and many expected them to be challenging in the play-off’s or around the edges at least but after the 3-0 home defeat to Barnet at the weekend they sit in 14th spot and eight points off the top seven.
Was too much expected too soon? Are they underachieving? Is there a danger of being sucked into the relegation zone? Let’s have a look at this in more detail.
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12 points from their last ten games puts them below midway in the current form table, not hugely impressive but by no means horrendous, two defeats in their last six either isn’t bad with those coming against two of the top three in the division.
They’ve conceded as many as the second placed Bees, but the struggle has been at the other end having only found the net 29 times in 26 games. The return to his parent club in the last couple of weeks for Bim Pepple who was just beginning to find form won’t be helping with fans citing a lack of options in areas not just at the top end of the pitch.
The loss of Harry Cardwell soon after the season began was instrumental no doubt and despite bringing in Josh Walker from Burton Albion an injury hit campaign has resulted in the former Barnet and Dagenham striker not yet bringing what he can.
The fact wing back Gus Scott-Morris tops the scoring charts with 10 goals in front of Pepple tells it’s own story with the next highest scoring player having just four to his name.
Fans are clamouring for more players to be brought in, constant criticism at John Still for not securing the brightest young talents in non-league to head into Essex, to Kevin Maher for not pushing for more players to help their beleaguered squad. The question is though, is there money in the pot to use?
Seemingly it was thought that once Ron Martin was gone and COSU took full control money would be no object. Granted Martin spent but rarely paid any of it back to anyone, but if it was thought there was an open chequebook that’s hugely mistaken for me.
If we head backwards while the takeover rumbled on they were paying wages to keep the playing staff intact given they are the only assets to a football club besides the stadium and training ground if both are owned.
Now they are paying all the bills, and I would be very much surprised if skeletons don’t pop out from the closets more than they ever expected. No doubt many owed money by the previously rogue owner gave up asking for it, but an unpaid invoice is an unpaid invoice, and I expect there are a few more than they bargained for.
The Shrimpers might well average over 7,000 per home match but that money doesn’t go far at all. People forget the state Roots Hall has been allowed to get into, the lack of good care taken at the training ground. I wouldn’t be surprised if RH had the thinnest of safety certificates awarded with stringent repairs needed this season for another to be awarded for 2025/26.
These guys are wanting to run the club in a way that it doesn’t ever return to the mess it was allowed to become by Martin, but priorities have to come first. No good having a top tier squad with a bottom tier stadium that ends up with a groundshare at Chelmsford because RH won’t pass an inspection.
I could be miles and far off the mark, but for me you don’t turn something like the situation there around perfectly in less than twelve months at least. But so many people see the 90 minutes on the pitch and nothing more than that. Nothing wrong with that, but in this day and age of football you have to understand more than the match you see on a Saturday or Tuesday.
Football isn’t anywhere near as simple as it ever used to be and some of that is down to the very top level where you just throw money at everything and if that doesn’t work throw some more until it does.
Many are starting to ask for Maher to be sacked, that comes at a price which ultimately might mean less available for players or improvements to the club that help the future, can the club afford to pay up the contracts of Maher, Darren Currie and Mark Bentley?
The best scenario I can see is Southend get the 17 points they need to hit the magic 50 marker, although it might take less than that to stay up this year and revisit things in the summer.
It won’t make a pretty three and a half months possibly, but more damage limitation, maybe it might take a club update from the owners, who knows. Southend Utd are still a big club in this division, but every club has to earn the right to compete and win promotion, being unstable off the pitch is the biggest hinderance.
