Southend manager Phil Brown interestingly defends under-fire chairman Ron Martin for confronting angry fans’ chants at the weekend.
Once again, the Essex based side find themselves in the drop zone of yet another league as issues continue on and off the field.
Miffed off Shrimpers supporters made their feelings known during Saturday afternoon’s clash at Solihull Moors with fans demanding for Martin to leave the club midway through the second half after their opposition had taken a 2-0 lead.
— Paul Napper (@prnapper) October 2, 2021
This caused Martin to leave the directors box to speak with Blues’ supporters before being led away by Solihull’s security team.
Southend United have suffered back to back relegations and, as results stand, they currently sit 21st out of 23 teams in the National League table.
With this in mind, manager Phil Brown knows his future with Blues is in doubt.
“Having lost four on the bounce I know my head is on the block,” said Brown.
“I’m not daft.
“If you win games of football you stay in work but we’ve lost four on the bounce now.
“It doesn’t matter what club you’re at, what manager you or what your history is, it will cost you your job if you aren’t winning games.
“You can bring players in and that’s all I can do,” Brown continued.
“I’ll work to bring a centre back in but I got accused by one or two supporters today of blaming the players.
“I’m not blaming the players, I thought they were brilliant today.”
On John White and Josh Coulson both picking up injuries.
“We lost our club captain (White) in the warm up then Josh Coulson limps out with 10 or 15 minutes to go,” Brown adds.
“We probably had more of the ball with 10 men but we were 2-0 down by then.
“I have no defence for the first goal we let in, it’s a poor goal from our perspective.
“The second was a soft penalty and it’s synonymous with where we’re at.”
“Do I feel for the chairman? Absolutely, he’s ploughed his money in and he’s kept this club afloat for 20 years or so,” said Brown on Ron Martin.
“He tried to get us in the Championship when I was here before but now we’re facing oblivion if truth be known.”
In saying that however, Brown feels fans are allowed to have their say.
“The fans are having a go at Ron all the time saying they want him out.
“They want to vent their angst against whoever.
“It starts with players individually, then maybe all of them, then the manager and the owner of the club.
“But they have a right to do that, 100 per cent.
“The third of the crowd today was our fans.
“I don’t question their support at all and they have a right to call people out.
“But I’m here to try and defend way they’re calling out and who they’re calling out.”
Twitter users reacted as the Southend manager defends under-fire chairman Ron Martin for confronting angry fans’ chants…
That photo is the embodiment of the state of the club at the moment
— Paul Wood (@WoodyOneshot) October 3, 2021
When you have Southend at 3pm and on stage with east 17 at 8pm pic.twitter.com/BtymUpBAw2
— Danny Nicol (@Danny_Nicol) October 2, 2021
@PresidentBidon: Genuinely concerned about your club right now tbh. I wrote off your season after watching you. It’s heartbreaking for any football fan going through shite ownership etc, and even for opposing club supporters like myself, to witness
@dunmow_m: It’s heartbreaking I’ve grown up seeing Southend fixing their game and shooting up the leagues now we are sinking and no one but the fans seem to want to save the ship. The chairman has been obsessed over a new stadium for over a decade now.
@tjd01_: Hope things get sorted for you lot, as a torquay fan I know the pain of being relegated from this league and I hope it doesn’t happen to you lot
@sbray1989: As a Grimsby fan I know a lot of people are comparing us to you this season and our respective starts but we have a manager who knows this league inside out and what it takes to get out of it. Best of luck for this season.
@MartinL75279040: Was talking to a couple of Southend fans, after the match at Halifax the other week. They seemed resigned to another long season. Easy to say and hard to do, but hit the owner where it hurts… the pocket! Go away and avoid home games. If enough do it, he’ll soon look at leaving!
@AthersBFC: Keep fighting for your club, lads. Blackpool fans are with you
@Anthony76632588: Had some good trips to Roots Hall with Cardiff City, hope it’s sorted for you guys not the suited tit. Good luck
@Skinz85: Hard to watch, my local club going down the leagues. First game I ever watched 1-0 against West Ham, Brett Angel
@DKosylo: Know just what you mean. Seen my club play in every division of the Football League and due to poor ownership look where we are now. Wishing you all the best… it’s always the fans who suffer!!
@Alltheleedstalk: Pains me to see what’s happened with this club.. shambles
@shez_1987: Regional football isn’t that bad lads 🤔 It’s fuckin appalling, do everything you can as a fan base to avoid it at all costs. Most importantly stick together. Have a listen to the dark days series from @CountyPodcast learn from our mistakes.
@NdotP1: It’s the smirk that does me. 4 years, 5 different managers, 100+ players, 3 different divisions and only one position remains unchanged.
@Angleseyred: Good luck Southend fans, we at Wrexham had similar problems, we went into free fall into the National League. This season for us has given us a confidence boost. Once you get rid of him, I’m sure the future will look brighter
@Rams80s: feel ur pain Southend we 2 are on the end of a shit owner. just hope u guys pull through
@MUFCEssex: So sad to see the demise of an Essex club like this
@AjaxReloadedAlt: As a Colchester fan this hurts to see even when it’s our rival club we hate. Never nice to see no matter what club it is I hope it’s sorted
@LiamStoker: Honestly, what a football club. It’s like Dream Team, only shitter. I’m half expecting a plane to crash into the East Stand during the Eastleigh game.
@Raycrud: He’s totally lost it. (Assuming he ever had it ). Ron, sell the club and separate your business interests. Build the stadium and we’ll rent it and name a stand after you, but get out now. And get Tilly in unless Tuesday and Saturday go right.
@AliceeeRoss: I honestly am just baffled as to why Ron thought this was a good idea
@ReeceBakewell: Having your rotten owner come into the stands don’t think that’s a good idea fella #martinout
@jemmaaross: Successive relegations, constantly fighting a tax battle and THIS is what Ron Martin thinks will sort the problem. What is he expecting to happen 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀️
@liamdrury4: The man who’s destroying a football club tries to talk to fans. What did he expect was going to happen?!
@mancbast3: State of that prick at who starts directly filming his own fans at 10 seconds in with a grin on his face, what a generation we are. Embarrassing
@jmpschooley: Sad scenes at my club right now, but hopefully this will be the catalyst for some action at last!
@HGEN5B: Below us in the league. The Sarf-end fans should have jumped him and landed punches
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