FOR Southend United Saturday’s disappointing 2-0 defeat to Cheltenham Town was very much a case of one step forwards two steps back.

The Shrimpers had gone into the game at Roots Hall on the back of two successive draws which were secured via positive performances which could ultimately have brought greater reward.

But, at the weekend, Blues were very much back to square one as a flat and an insipid display saw a strong looking Cheltenham side cruise to a comfortable victory.

In truth, Southend never really looked like getting anything from the game and, aside from one opportunity that was wasted by Brandon Goodship, they never really looked like scoring either.

And that saw Blues’ winless start to the season extend to nine games.

Furthermore, the Shrimpers find themselves at the foot of the table with two points from six matches and these are worrying times.

Saturday was my 900th game reporting on the club for the Echo and, one way or another, I have regularly watched my home-town side for the past 31 years.

There has, of course, been an extreme range of emotions during that time, with various promotions and relegations along the way.

But, I have never felt sadder about Southend.

Defeats have now almost become the norm and it is hard to see how things can significantly improve any time soon.

Put simply, staying up would be a success for the Shrimpers this season but that should never be the case for a club the size of Southend.

Sadly, the heart and soul have been ripped from the club in recent times and watching Blues in the past couple of years has been far from fun.

Off the field issues and a fragile financial position have added to the issues and mean Southend find themselves perilously placed both on and off the pitch.

Mark Molesley would have known all about the extreme issues he was inheriting and he is to be commended for taking on what must surely be the toughest task in football.

There is certainly no quick fix and any manager coming into the club would have needed time to get things back on track.

Molesley certainly falls into that category and he maintains the enthusiasm and a willingness to work hard with his squad.

But everything seems far too nice with Blues right now.

The new managerial team are trying to bring in a passing style which in an ideal world is to be encouraged.

However, it might be time to try and mix things up if the Shrimpers are to start troubling their opponents on a more regular basis.

It is certainly not surprising that Blues have the joint fewest bookings in the whole of League Two and they need to quickly develop an aggressive edge to work their way out of trouble.

More experience is also needed and it does seem slightly strange that the Shrimpers have worked hard to free up space in their squad to permit new signings, only for more youngsters to come in.

Perhaps, those with more appearances under their belt are out of Blues’ price range at this stage but the squad is clearly lacking in key areas, most notably in attack.

The Shrimpers have lost Stephen Humphrys and Charlie Kelman since the start of the season and tried a new 3-4-3 formation at the weekend, to perhaps pose more of a threat in the final third.

But Emile Acquah is not yet ready to be a regular starter while Tottenham Hotspur loanee Kazaiah Sterling has failed to impress so far.

Blues managed just one shot on target at the weekend and must desperately be hoping Simeon Akinola will soon be fit to add something extra to the attack.

However, the 28-year-old has spent just one season in the Football League during his whole career and cannot be expected to lift the whole side alone, especially when so few chances are being created.

But, somehow or other, Blues must discover a mean streak to stop the rot and become far tougher to break down and beat otherwise another season of real struggles beckons.

And the Shrimpers could end up taking the biggest backward step of all – into non-league football.