Football Season Guide

Southend are coming from a season that saw them being near the play-off places during three quarters of its course, but eventually collapsing and ending in midtable. They therefore have no momentum going into the new season, but this is not the only reason for the grim atmosphere surrounding the club, as the majority of their fans is understandably upset with the behaviour of their boss Phil Brown, who was less than discreet regarding his desire to get the then-vacant managerial position, and then publicly recommended himself to Sam Allardyce, as he apparently wanted to become a part of the new England set-up. However, his public flirting with other jobs did not affect his position at Southend, as he remains in charge, and will be expected to steer the Shrimpers clear of danger once more. However, this will not be easy, as his side have lost their arguably two best players in Jack Payne and Daniel Bentley, who will both continue their careers in the Championship, while several other regulars, such as Myles Weston, Cian Bolger and David Worrall have all also left. On the bright side, the list of signings looks decent, with Mark Oxley, Jason Demetriou, Jermaine McGlashan and Simon Cox all being proven League One players. Cox, who drops down a division following seven years in the Championship and the Premier League, could prove to be a particularly good signing if he manages to get anything close to the scoring return that he had for Swindon in the 2008/09 season, which was the last time that he played League One football. All in all, Southend seem to be a touch weaker than last season, and, following his summer indiscretions, Brown could be gone rather early if his side do not get off to a good start.