Tilly: 'We have to focus on our football'
Blues boss Steve Tilson faces one of his toughest tests to-night attempting to place the events of the last week behind him and get the team to focus entirely on the local derby with Leyton Orient.
Tilly spoke to www.southendunited.co.uk: "We've all had a meeting together and, although it will be hard, we have to focus on our football and the game tonight. We can't control whatever goes on behind the scenes and there is no mistaking it has been a tough week. Hopefully we can put all that behind us though and produce a good performance in what is always a big game."
The Shrimpers manager, already having to deal with a small squad even before losing two more players sent on loan, will deal with it in his usual professional manner.
Tilly continued: "I have 16 to pick from and we're not hiding that. It's not ideal but it doesn't bother me that we won't have seven subs because I feel that change was pathetic anyway. If you can't pick three from five then you are doing something wrong but we certainly don't want to be picking up any injuries."
Commenting on the continuing reports of a cash crisis at the club: "Things are tight financially, like they are at other clubs, and we have to get some people out to get others in. We circulated a few names and Revs certainly wasn't at the top of the list but Swindon came in for him and he ended up going there on loan."