Sturrock: 'Hopefully we will be there or thereabouts'
Former Dundee United forward Sturrock and ex-Southampton midfielder Widdrington arrived at Roots Hall in July and quickly set about assembling a squad capable of competing in npower League Two.
However, as Sturrock took up the microphone after a short introduction from Shrimpers Trust vice-chairman Bryan Woodford, he revealed that he still had high hopes of pushing for a play-off spot at the end of his first season in charge.
"I don't think we can look at it as just a season of consolidation," he said. "That might well be the case, but it will take time for us to find our feet and we have to look at it positively. We have played seven games now and we haven't been outplayed by anyone. We've still got to add to the squad, and we will have to take away, but hopefully by the transfer window, we'll have a settled squad. Hopefully at that time we will be there or thereabouts."
The pair arrived hot on the heels of the departure of Steve Tilson on 4th July, although there was widespread speculation as the squad was built up that neither had put pen to paper on their own deals. When quizzed on whether they had been paid, the Scotland international was unequivocal:
"Yes, we have been paid, and we have also signed our contracts."
Later in the evening, Sturrock paid tribute to the players who had arrived initially on pre-registration arrangements: "I was very, very pleased with the approach of the players; they signed contracts but not the registration documents, and those contracts were not really worth the paper that they were written on. I was very pleased with them, that they were prepared to come and settle here, and you have to give the players credit for that."
And much, much more, including his thoughts on the players who stayed behind from the Tilly era.
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