Source: FOOTYMAD
Southend United Sturrock and West Ham United Grant speak out after friendly
Both managers involved in Monday evening's 1-1 pre-season drawhave their say after the game, with West Ham accepting they were given a good work out at Roots Hall. Sturrock: 'Blues boss Paul Sturrock is a happier man now the Shrimpers seem to be moving forward after weeks of uncertainty following the confirmation on Monday that the Shrimpers had avoided administration by settling their tax debts with the Inland Revenue. Sturrock told www.southendunited.co.uk: "This has been the longest and shortest few weeks of my career and we had to cram a lot in. It is important that the football club is moving in the right direction and the chairman has shown me his vision for this football club and I am very much on board with that."Then his band of 14 new merry men and a couple we'll still not sure about grabbed a 1-1 draw against Premiership club West Ham the very next night!Sturrock continued: "You can't argue with my players' attitude, endeavour and work rate. They are showing all the attributes that I like to see and I am very hopeful that the icing on the cake will be one or two more clinical finishing players. We are trying to build a team on the hoof through the league games which is never ideal, but people have shown they are capable."Next stop, Stockport County, Saturday August 7th at Roots Hall, kick-off 15.00. Be there, it could be fun. (But if you have ordered a season card, make sure you've been sent your special match tickets to get in!) Meanwhile, the Hammers new boss Avram Grant felt Southend's competitive approach to the game will stand them in good stead for the start of the new season. Grant spoke to www.whufc.com: "It was a good game for us because a few of the players needed more minutes because they didn't play as much as we wanted in the last games. The first half was good and we passed the ball very well. The first half was good and we passed the ball very well. We created a lot of chances. They were a little bit tired in the second half and we didn't play like the first half."
