1) How did you fare last season? Best moment, worst moment etc.
Of course we won promotion, but it shouldn't have been via the play-offfs to be honest. We got 72 points from 36 games, but only 6 from the first five and last five! Best moment was of course winning the play-off final in Cardiff against Lincoln, with the worst the home defeat against Yeovil which ended our title hopes and the draw at Grimsby a week later which signalled the play-offs. We also lost in the LDV Final for the second successive season.
2) How do you think you'll do this season? Hopes, final position.
We have picked up some good results against sides in this League in our two LDV runs, so I'm hopeful we'll at least stay up. Mid-table would certainly be an achievable aim.
3) What's your squad like, new signings, etc?
No new signings at all! We need another striker and an out and out winger, but at the moment we have a confident squad who have a real winning belief and spirit. Goalkeeper Darryl Flahavan excelled last year and Adam Barrett was voted PFA League Two player of the year, and rightly so. Kevin Maher and Mark Bentley in midfield total over half the entire squads bookings, but are highly talented and combative players. Up front an eye must be kept on former sprinter Wayne Gray and 23-goal Freddy Eastwood, who scored after 7.7 seconds of his debut before notching a hat-trick!
4) Which youngster will make the biggest impression in your team this season?
Undoubtedly 21-year old Freddy Eastwood. Realeased as a youngster byWest Ham (having previously been with us) he spent time with Grays Athletic before joining us in October. Has been a revalation.
5) What's your manager like and will he still be there at the end of the season?
The Club were in disarray when Steve tilson took over from Steve Wignall in November 2004. He immediately took the side to a first Cup Final in 98 years as well as saving the Club from relegation. A year later, another final and the most prized gift of promotion. Oh, and he was voted Southend United Player of the Millennium back in 2000. Need I say more?!
No chance of leaving, unless Sven resigns maybe!
6) Are you happy with your Chairman/Backroom staff?
A tricky one, we don't actually have a Chairman either! Ron Martin, a non-shareholding director and a member of the Football League board does the day to day running. We have been notoriously two-faced and rubbish behind the scenes in previous years, but I think things are improving.
7) Which team do you want to beat the most and why?
Colchester United! We have not met in the League since 1989-90, but of course we have now knocked them out of the LDV two years running and two more derby victories will be equally pleasing!
8) Predict your champions and runner up, the 4 Play-Off teams and the 4 to go down
I think Bristol City will win it this year with Brentford as runners-up. Forest will go back up, via the play-offs, with any number of sides (ourselves included) having every chance of making up the other three slots.
Thanks to Mark Wallis (Southend Mad)
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