THERE are many factors which contribute towards a football team securing success.

Character, team spirit, talent and tactics are among the most important.

But so is discipline, and Southend United have been desperately lacking in that department this term.

Right from pre-season all the way to last weekend’s match at Morecambe, Blues have often been down by their behaviour.

Bilel Mohsni, in particular, has been in constant trouble on and off the pitch and has continually hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.

He is not alone in misbehaving though, and perhaps manager Paul Sturrock now regrets standing by the Frenchman after his first serious bust up which followed the Carling Cup defeat to Leyton Orient in August.

Had Sturrock acted strongly at that stage then a definite message would have been sent out to the rest of the squad.

However, Mohsni remained at Roots Hall and a whole host of trouble followed.

Blues have twice been charged by the Football Association for failing to control their players, have had two fringe players sacked, two in trouble with the police and a further trio who broke the club’s code of conduct in the team hotel last Friday.

The antics have angered the more mature side of the dressing room and Sturrock must now also be running out of patience.

After all, why else would Southend have volunteered the information about three of their players breaking the rules?

For me it was a sign that Sturrock is sick of backing his players when they have done wrong and hiding away their poor behaviour.

That should be commended, but I think such a stance should have been in operation at the start of the campaign.

Because maybe then Southend’s season of shame would not have been allowed to develop.

JULY 2011

>Bilel Mohsni has to be substituted in a friendly against Ipswich Town to stop him being sent off.

Manager Paul Sturrock insists he will hold talks with the Frenchman about his temper.

AUGUST 2011

>Alassane N’Diaye is involved in a training ground bust-up with Jemal Johnson and has his loan spell from Crystal Palace cut short.

> Bilel Mohsni also sparks an extraordinary fracas after the 4-3 penalty shootout defeat to Leyton Orient in the Carling Cup and his future at the club is said to be in doubt.

> Blues clash with Accrington Stanley players at the final whistle of their 2-1 win at the Fraser Eagle Stadium and are fined £1,000 by the Football Association for failing to control their players in the 3-2 win at Port Vale.

> Liam Dickinson is also sent off in the 1-0 win over Crawley Town in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy.

SEPTEMBER 2011

> Blues are charged by the Football Association for failing to control their players after a fracas during the 2-0 win over Plymouth Argyle.

> Bilel Mohsni is also sent off in the 1-0 win over Gillingham after being shown two yellow cards.

OCTOBER 2011

> Bilel Mohsni loses his temper towards the end of the 2-0 win at Macclesfield Town and has to be taken off.

“I’ve had a chat with Bil about what happened and he certainly knows where I stand about this now,” said Sturrock.

NOVEMBER 2011

>Southend confirm that Jemal Johnson has been suspended from the football club until further notice for a maximum period of 14 days following his arrest outside a nightclub in Ilford.

> Anthony Grant is also sent off for violent conduct at Oxford United in a 1-0 Johnstone’s Paint Trophy win.

DECEMBER 2011

>Bilel Mohsni is involved in a huge bust up with his team-mates following his red card at Oldham Athletic in the FA Cup.

Mohsni travels back to Southend with a club official and not on the team coach.

Blues also announce they have sacked Jemal Johnson.

JANUARY 2012

> Paul Sturrock confirms Bilel Mohsni will be staying at Roots Hall, despite falling out of favour with his team-mates.

“Bilel’s a Southend player and he will be here until at least the end of the season,” said Sturrock.

“He’s an asset to us and is of benefit to the team and our push for promotion.

“But we need there to be harmony here and there will be.”

FEBRUARY 2012

>Bilel Mohsni asks to be substituted during the 1-0 defeat at Morecambe.

He fails to shake the hand of his replacement, Elliot Benyon, on his way off the pitch before rowing with home supporters.

Mohsni then storms out of the dressing room and returns home on the train to again raise doubts about his future at Roots Hall.

> Liam Dickinson, Ryan Hall and Kane Ferdinand face an internal investigation following an incident at the team hotel the night before the Morecambe match.

Just days before that, chairman Ron Martin storms into the dressing room at Aldershot after a 2-0 defeat and is critcised by fans for releasing personal text messages from Tara Brady in a statement.

> Lee Sawyer is also back in trouble after breaching his sentence for beating up an ex-girlfriend.

Sawyer twice fails to attend his community service and is told to do a further 10 hours of unpaid work and ordered to pay another £50 in court costs.