Sturrock issues warning (From Echo)

Southend United manager Paul Sturrock issues warning ahead of Gillingham clash

9:19am Monday 13th February 2012 in Sport By Chris Phillips

SOUTHEND United manager Paul Sturrock insists he will only pick players who follow his instructions for tonight's game at Gillingham.

Sturrock was left furious by his side's 2-0 defeat to Rotherham United at Roots Hall on Friday night.

And is now demanding an immediate change of attitude from his players.

“We seem to suddenly have a team who think they know better,” said Sturrock.

“When they listened to what I was telling them we went 17 games unbeaten but now they're doing things like passing the ball back to the goalkeeper from the half way line.

“Our keeper must have had about 20 back-passes to deal with and that's something we never used to do.

“We're were also throwing the ball back to our centre-backs and it's bitterly disappointing.

“At the moment I would go as far as saying I have a blank team-sheet for tonight's game at Gillingham.

“And I will pick 11 players who will go out there and do exactly what I tell them.”

Despite the defeat, Blues remain third in the League Two table.

But they will slip to fifth in the standings if Shrewsbury and Swindon Town both win their games in hand and that also frustrated Sturrock.

“If we had won this game we would've gone top of the league but we're well down the pecking order now,” said the Scotsman.

“The second half was just completely unacceptable.

“We're not holding the ball up in attack and we're not clearing our lines at the back.

“We're conceding too many goals and people are going to pay the price for it by sitting on the bench or in the stands for this evening's game.”

The clash against the Gills is being screened live on Sky Sports.

FULL STORY IN MONDAY'S ECHO