On Your Bike Tilson

Everyone’s allowed to be hypocritical sometimes and I’m a self-confessed hypocrit so that’s alright. I have often said that if a team wants to succeed then stability is the key. And that’s why when a football club’s first response to a bad run of games is to sack the manager I get angry, and you won’t like me when I’m angry. However, when it comes to Southend United and our bad run this season (not winning a game in 2010 and picking up only three points from our last nine games) I become hypocritical. I think Steve Tilson should get on his bike and go home.

It’s nothing-personal Steve I just feel that your time is up. He’s had a good stint as the Blues’ most successful manager and I’m proud to have the fourth longest serving manager in the football league. But sometimes you jut have to know when to say adios, goodnight and god bless. My feelings on this matter were confirmed when inside sources told me he applied for the Brighton and Hove Albion job back in November 2009 and got through to the last stages of the interview process. I mean that doesn’t sound like a manager who is dedicated to the long-term cause. It sounds like a manager who is fed up and wants to go. It is obviously rubbing off on the team. So let him go I say. Let him go and good luck to him.

I have always been a fan of his and it will be upsetting to see him leave. It would be best for both parties in the end and that’s what we have to concentrate on, the future. Who would replace him is another matter and a difficult one at that. Steve Coppell, Paul Jewell, Alan Curbishley to name but a few. These are all managers who I would love to see at Roots Hall and they’ve got some things in common. They’re ambitious and have all achieved exceptional things with small clubs. Obviously whether they want to come to the South Essex coast that’s another thing.

Tilson you’ve done a wonderful job and I’m sure you’re sincere when you say you are up for the challenge of keeping us up this season. And I believe you will, but after that can you then move on please?

Next week I will be upping the ante and providing you lovely people with two lovely posts a week, previewing and then reviewing the weekend’s action.