JASON Demetriou wants Southend United to pick things up - starting with Saturday’s clash at Rochdale.

The Shrimpers right-back admitted he was gutted to see Phil Brown lose his job as manager.

But he is desperate to help Blues get back on track this weekend.

“It’s a massive game for us on Saturday, a real six pointer which we need to win,” said Demetriou.

“We’re not facing a team full of confidence. We’re facing a team who are worse off than ourselves, so we need to go there and get the three points.

“It’s not good enough for us to have only won once in our last eight games and we want to put that right in what is going to be a very big game.”

Southend’s run of poor form has seen them slump to 18th in the League One standings and they now sit just two points above the relegation zone.

Defeat on Saturday would therefore put Blues in more danger.

But the Shrimpers will be making the long trip north without Brown, who was relieved of his duties as manager yesterday.

Brown had been in charge of Blues for close to five years and Demetriou was sad to see the 58-year-old depart.

“It’s never nice and this is definitely the horrible side of football, which I don’t think will ever go away unfortunately,” said Demetriou.

“We’re all to blame for the recent form, but it’s the manager’s head that’s on the chopping block and that’s the way it is in football.”

Demetriou - who joined the Shrimpers before the start of last season - had been a regular starter with Brown in charge.

And the 30-year-old was only too happy to sign an extended deal at the end of December.

“I was happy to sign the deal and I’ll always be grateful to Phil for bringing me back to a local club where I feel happiest,” said Demetriou, who put pen to paper on a three-year deal.

“From that point of view I’m absolutely gutted that he’s left.”