Final say: Southend United staying up means more to me than stadium

Shrimpers chairman Ron Martin has said similar ahead of the club’s stadium plans being assessed by the council once again later last week.

But, in all honesty, my concerns are solely on the pitch, not off it.

Whether that is being short-sighted or blinkered I am not so sure.

However, stopping the rot and somehow avoiding relegation matters far more to me than anything else at this stage.

And, for me, that has to be Blues’ biggest goal right now.

The Shrimpers have been in steep decline for quite some time and are in deep danger of suffering a second successive relegation.

Southend sit bottom of the League Two standings, seven points from safety with a vastly inferior goal difference to those around them.

And it is no exaggeration to suggest the next few fixtures will have a huge say in determining Blues’ destiny this season.

Their crucial run of games against sides in and around them started with Saturday’s trip to Stevenage which saw the Shrimpers involved in their first 0-0 draw since January.

Not since Tranmere Rovers failed to score at Roots Hall had Blues been involved in a goalless stalemate.

But, in truth, Southend should and probably should have picked up more than just a point at the Lamex Stadium.

Stevenage started the day sitting immediately above Blues in the standings and, in truth, you could see just why that was on Saturday.

Both sides lacked quality in key areas of the pitch but it was the Shrimpers who certainly created the clear cut chances.

Richard Taylor, who was surprisingly and perhaps quite bizarrely used on the right flank, headed wide when well placed in the first half.

And Terrell Egbri and Alan McCormack both failed to make the most of excellent opportunities coming their way in the closing stages of the contest.

McCormack seemed to be taken by surprise by the opportunity which came his way but his determined display in the centre of the park was one of the biggest plus points for Blues.

The second clean sheet of the season and just their third in the whole of 2020 was pleasing and so too is that chances were actually being created.

Up until the last two or three outings, Blues were regularly failing to trouble opposing defences and pose problems in front of goal.

However, those opportunities have to be converted and there lies one of the biggest problems facing the Shrimpers at this stage.

Mark Molesley’s side have now failed to score in eight of their last 10 League Two outings while just one goal has been scored from open play in those outings.

In total, Blues have netted just six goals in 15 League games, fewer than any other team in the whole of the Football League.

And until that ratio can be improved the Shrimpers, quite simply, have no chance whatsoever of working their way out of trouble.

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, the transfer embargo has to be cleared as quickly as possible to ensure Simeon Akinola can be added to the attacking options.

But it is simply unfair to expect Akinola to suddenly fire Blues up the table.

The striker has played just 17 minutes of first team football since March and will take time to find top fitness and form.

The Shrimpers will of course be looking elsewhere but all sides are constantly on the look out for goalscorers and most of them will already have been snapped up elsewhere.

Those who may suddenly become available are likely to be aiming higher than Blues who will be far from an attractive proposition for most players at this stage.

Southend may have to end up paying over the odds in wages to attract their top targets but that would put further strain on the club’s already fragile financial position.

That path has also been trodden before with concerning consequences but expectations and performances have stooped so low in recent times that there is now a danger of mediocrity almost becoming accepted.

That should not be the case and a point on Saturday should really have been seen as disappointing given the importance of the game and the balance of play.

Of course, injuries have not helped but Blues have also been responsible for their own downfall and, while we may be in early December, time is running out to turn things around.

The Shrimpers face Scunthorpe, Grimsby and Mansfield Town – sides also in the lower reaches of the table – in their next three outings and points have to be picked up.

As a lifelong fan myself it is almost inconceivable that Blues could be about to drop into non-league.

And that is why what level the Shrimpers are playing in and not what ground which matters most right now.