Source: FOOTYMAD
Southend United's Paul Sturrock fights to save Shrimpers
Speaking to the Guardian, Blues boss Paul Sturrock has admitted this season is going to be one of his toughest yet, however he still see promotion as a possibility! Sturrock told www.guardian.co.uk: "I've never had to turn around a squad like this before. It was necessity more than anything else. They all got the accolades and benefit of doubt from the fans [for signing], but the reason that some of these players were released [from their previous clubs] is the way they play the game. So I've got to change the beast. I'll either change the beast's mental approach to the game or I'll change the beast [itself]."The players have been warned about it. I've no time to be nicey, nicey any longer. We've done an awful lot of work in a short period of time but we've not done enough. We've been together as a squad for three and half weeks now, and it showed today. We're top of the budget and filled all our quota of players. I might be allowed to get another striker but I want to get these people right first and then add to them. There are good players in that squad."Training will be tough this week as the Scot sets about making up lost ground but with the majority of the players on 12-month contracts it is debatable whether many of them will ever get to play at Fossetts Farm, even if they do make it with their new club.Southend have been moving to a new stadium for as long as the locals can remember and there is a view that they will only believe it when the referee puts his whistle to his mouth to start the first game. Whether the team would be allowed to play there rent free, as they do at Roots Hall, which is owned by one of Martin's companies, is the other big worry. As things stand the chairman is taking the view that as the biggest town in Essex - with a population of more than 160,000 - the club can kick on, as Reading have since they left Elm Park, and become a well-supported Championship side.Luggy though remains optomistic: "Promotion? I've seen teams have worse starts than what we have had and still win leagues. I think it'll take more than a month to find what my best team is. We'll get it right, but there's a lot of work to be done before then."For the full article, and it's a good read, go here:http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/football-league-blog/2010/aug/22/southend-paul-sturrock-roots-hall?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
