UPDATE: 'Ricketts has not signed for Southend United'

Last updated : 19 July 2011 By exiledessexboy

Ricketts: Southend trial

Probably no surprise if the club are not following up on Rohan Ricketts
 
If the latest tweet from Echo journalist Chris Phillips is correct then former Tottenham and Wolves winger Rohan Ricketts will not be joining Southend United.
 
Speculation has been strong that even after his hat-trick against the minnows of Great Wakering Rovers, where he certainly looked a class act, and his late flight to Scotland for the Shrimpers weekend games in Scotland, he will still not be asked to join the club.
 
Lack lustre displays in both games, he was taken off just before the hour in the latter one, a goalless draw with Raith Rovers, after playing the second half of the 2-0 defeat against Dundee Saturday afternoon, wouldn't have helped, as was the increasing need for a more central striker with both Barry Corr and Blair Sturrock possibily carrying long-term injuries that would leave a heavy work load on the shoulders of new signing Neil Harris.
 
Adding possible high wage demands along with tweets from his own account of his increasing love for the Shrimpers faithul and he hopes things will work out, then having talks with the Stevenage manager Graham Westley, and there was a growing suspicion that all was not what it seemed with the much travelled forward.
 
He's certainly been quiet, 11 hours since his last word and that had nothing to do with Southend, after promising he would reveal all Monday and where previously you couldn't shut him up!
 
Phillips wrote: 'Ricketts has not signed for Blues'
 
However, he has followed this up with: 'My last tweet was to deny the rumours surrounding Ricketts. I personally don't think he will come to the club now.'
 
Followed by: 'Southend fans who went to Scotland will know what I mean about Ricketts.'
 
Fuck knows what that means! S24's Westfield, who was there, tells me he must mean the players performance, but they weren't that bad to make it definitive he wouldn't sign, if true there must be other factors.
 
Hang on, CP is back: 'To clarify, I'm just saying reports Ricketts had signed were untrue. IMO I don't think he will join now but I haven't been told this by club.'
 
Oh, that's all right then.
 
Reports on transfer websites that nobody takes seriously, (do they?), and the way Phillips is going it might be him that is putting up the posts as we now have: 'Hearing rumours Stevenage are now in for Jack Parkinson. Could this prompt Sturrock in to action? He did rate him.'
 
Blimey, I'm too old for this 21st century technology, close season to me living in London used to be seeing a couple of Southend mates at the Lord's test every year and asking them what was going on, and that would last me till the first match in August!
 
Still, this is certain, Luggy said earlier: “I would like to bring in one and maybe two more forwards before the serious stuff gets underway. It’s something we’re working on but I wouldn’t blame the centre-forwards who played this weekend for not scoring because I look at the whole team when it comes to things like that.”
 
So it's hard to believe we have the dosh for defender Parky and these hoped for strikers, let's all have a break now and get some sleep!
 
As it happens, if confirmed that RR is not to be, I don't think it would be a great loss, however good he was against Isthmian League opposition on an Essex summers evening.
 
That match: www.southendunited-mad.co.uk