How can Southend United prepare for their first stint in the National League?

Southend United haven’t suffered back-to-back relegations for no reason, and it certainly isn’t a case of bad luck. Put simply, poor management of the club and terrible planning has left the club in a dire state.

With the Shrimpers resigned to their first-ever relegation to the National League, there seems little point in looking back at what has created the issue and instead look at how the club can be changed in the short term to stop the rot on the pitch.

With protests held and many Southend supporters making their feelings known to chairman Ron Martin in recent weeks, it is now time for him to act and change the way the club is operating, to provide a sustainable football club that Shrimpers fans can be proud of.

Therefore, the first and most important thing that the Southend owner of 23 years must do is act with more urgency this summer. The club seems to have been sluggishly acting at a snail’s pace for the last three years, which is in clear correlation with the Blues’ drastic downfall. The actions within the club have seemed reactive rather than proactive and that needs to change if Southend aren’t to slump into non-league mediocrity.

In the last year, Southend were way too slow in their appointment of Mark Molesley, leaving him with a very short pre-season whilst also failing to clear a transfer embargo which saw Southend pick up just six points from their 15 games under the limitations. Post-embargo results were better than relegation form, and that is one reason why Southend simply can’t suffer from a lack of urgency again.

With this in mind, Martin must now act quickly to permanently appoint Phil Brown.

Whilst the fanbase isn’t unanimous with this opinion, it is certainly a majority that would like to see the previous manager of five years sign on for next season. His arrival for the final six games of the season has seen a big reaction from his side and they certainly have not looked like a relegated side under his stewardship.

Brown has expressed his interest in staying at the club despite dropping to the fifth tier and, if appointed, will begin preparations as soon as next week. With no real plan B or backup option, chairman Martin must act now to work out a budget for next season and get terms agreed with Brown, as he simply cannot afford to dawdle over another managerial appointment.

It has been encouraging for Blues fans that, in the past few days, Martin has accepted that he needs help and that will be in the form of a CEO being appointed. Southend’s last CEO, Steve Kavanagh, left the club to join Millwall in 2016 and since his departure, it seems like the club has made poor decision after poor decision.

A CEO is a necessity for Southend now and having that ‘middle man’ will allow Martin to concentrate on the business side of the club, with a separate footballing structure that he no longer has to manage. Martin has met with a candidate for the role and is meeting with another next Wednesday, expecting to make a decision of who to appoint by the end of next week.

A very big driving factor behind these meetings has been the emergence of former Blues striker Stan Collymore.

It must be said that Collymore has been a breath of fresh air for Shrimpers fans with good communication and a willingness to get involved at a club that it’d be easier to not get involved with.

The former Liverpool man has spoken of his eagerness to be involved in the setup at Roots Hall, in a role similar to that of Mark Bright at Crystal Palace. With his contacts and his stature in the game, it could be a very wise move to allow Collymore into the footballing structure of Roots Hall along with the CEO.

The Blues’ reputation is now a very poor one and someone like Collymore within the club could help to build some bridges and restore some sort of attraction of playing for Southend.

With Brown at the helm and a new footballing structure at the club, the next change at the club has to be a proactive transfer window.

For far too long, the club have rested on their laurels in the transfer market and watched many great players get snapped up before them. Southend typically wait until later on in the summer window to sign their players. Now, this needs to change.

Due to the size of the club and a willingness to get back to the Football League at the first time of asking, Southend will probably have a bigger budget than most in the National League this summer. Thus, it is important to make the most of that.

As mentioned earlier, Blues need to be proactive, rather than reactive. The contacts of both Collymore and Brown will surely present good opportunities to Southend and they simply need to have a good summer transfer window to avoid yet another poor season. Within the squad already is a strong nucleus of talented young players, now there needs to be the addition of some seasoned pros, some players that have ‘been there and done it.’

With all of these factors considered and acted upon, there should be no reason for another abysmal season like the last three have been for Southend. The footballing side of the club has been neglected for far too long and it is time for major change within the structure of the club.

What has been said by the Chairman in the last few days has been encouraging for Blues fans, but, as they have now grown to learn, actions speak far louder than words.