Captain Adam in the middle and keep Simon Francis at right back, where his attacking skills were clearly on display against Carlisle, then Herd on the left?
However, Sankofa would be pushing for a recall, either in central defence, (not recommended), or Simon moving to left back, which would be a shame after his positive contribution from his favourite position. Please Tilly, he's been moved around so much, but the Blues boss may feel happier starting with experience.
Francis himself has been speaking to BBC Radio Essex: "I think teams know we try to get the ball down and play and hopefully Hartlepool will see that on Friday night. It'll kind of be like the Carlisle game last week, they're struggling and are in a bit of a relegation battle. We didn't have too much trouble at the back and hopefully it will be the same on Friday night and we've just got to go out and get the win."
'The win' would place us only three points off the play-offs, for 24 hours at least, dare we?
It's still a dream of course with Scunthorpe in prime position for that sixth spot but we might as well give it a go.
The fixtures aren't that unkind. Lee Clarke seems to be making a balls up at Huddersfield while MK Dons are on a losing streak, Northampton are struggling, MK Dons are dropping points all over the place, then Leicester, but at least at home. That leaves Oldham and Cheltenham, could be worse.
Over the last five seasons the sixth place team has finished with a points total of 76, (the Blues last season), 75, 71, 71, 73; an average of 73 points. (The sixth season back, 2002/03, was bizarre with Cardiff going up through the play-off final having finished 6th on 81 points, Tranmere finished 7th on 80!)
Fine, five wins for the Blues. Trouble is the Iron need only 3 wins from 8 games to react that target. No, it will be nearer 76 again this term and can I see Scunthorpe losing 4 games. Well, why not?
However, it will all go down the toilet unless Hartlepool are dispatched under the floodlights, so let's turn our evening voices on to 11!
As for Tilly, he loves these Friday hight games, read his post match thoughts here:
www.southendunited.co.uk/page/NewsDetail/0,,10444~1604274,00.html
Last Six Games
Southend Utd. | 6 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 5 | 12 |
OPPOSITION
Hartlepool Utd. | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 11 | 4 |
Last Six Games
Monkey Hanger boss Chris Turner has dipped into the loan market to sign Huddersfield left-back Joe Skarz on loan until the end of the season having missed out on a move for Manchester City defender Ryan McGivern.
Skarz, 19, played a number of games for the Terriers earlier in the season before losing his place due to injury. The teenager will wear the number 34 shirt and goes straight into the squad for Friday's match.
Watford recalled striker Liam Henderson earlier this week but Turner has no new injury worries, with fellow forward Keigan Parker, also on loan from Huddersfield, having confirmed he will stay with the club until the end of the season..
The versatile Matty Robson is pushing for a starting berth after fully recovering from his hamstring injury.
The bottom ten relegation league table
| 15 | Swindon Town | 39 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 35 | 32 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 25 | 31 | 10 | 14 | 15 | 60 | 63 | 44 | -3 | ||||
| 16 | Hartlepool United | 39 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 39 | 34 | 4 | 3 | 12 | 15 | 30 | 11 | 10 | 18 | 54 | 64 | 43 | -10 | ||||
| 17 | Crewe Alexandra | 39 | 8 | 3 | 8 | 29 | 32 | 4 | 4 | 12 | 25 | 39 | 12 | 7 | 20 | 54 | 71 | 43 | -17 | ||||
| 18 | Leyton Orient | 38 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 16 | 25 | 7 | 5 | 8 | 18 | 22 | 11 | 9 | 18 | 34 | 47 | 42 | -13 | ||||
| 19 | Carlisle United | 39 | 7 | 4 | 8 | 31 | 29 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 17 | 33 | 11 | 9 | 19 | 48 | 62 | 42 | -14 | ||||
| 20 | Northampton Town | 37 | 7 | 7 | 5 | 31 | 21 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 19 | 29 | 10 | 11 | 16 | 50 | 50 | 41 | 0 | ||||
| 21 | Yeovil Town | 37 | 3 | 9 | 5 | 18 | 22 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 14 | 35 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 32 | 57 | 39 | -25 | ||||
| 22 | Brighton & Hove Albion | 37 | 4 | 5 | 10 | 26 | 36 | 4 | 6 | 8 | 16 | 24 | 8 | 11 | 18 | 42 | 60 | 35 | -18 | ||||
| 23 | Hereford United | 37 | 6 | 4 | 8 | 21 | 19 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 13 | 41 | 9 | 6 | 22 | 34 | 60 | 33 | -26 | ||||
| 24 | Cheltenham Town | 38 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 28 | 36 | 1 | 4 | 13 | 17 | 45 | 7 | 9 | 22 | 45 | 81 | 30 | -36 | ||||
Hartlepool have lost their last four matches letting a two goal lead slip last week at home Millwall losing 3-2. Their last win was away to Swindon 1-0 on Feb. 24.
Chris Turner believes more relaxed fixture schedule will pay dividends in their battle against the drop. Last week was the first in five where Pools had not faced a Tuesday night game, (tell us about it), with his threadbare squad taking just eight points from nine games during the bumper run of fixtures.
But Turner believes the benefit of having a full week of training was shown last Saturday when Pools dominated third place Millwall only to be let down by defensive errors. The director of sport has seen a similar intensity in training this week and thinks it will pay off when Pools travel to Southend looking to increase the four-point gap between the bottom four.
Turner told the Peterlee Mail: "Over the last few weeks we have been working on certain things and we are starting to see the positives. Last week was the first clear week we have had for a long time. We did things on the training ground that we have not been able to do for the previous five or six weeks and it definitely made a difference. We did the same on Monday and Tuesday this week and we will do the same today because the players are responding well to it. I think it will show again against Southend and for the rest of the season."
Meanwhile, midfielder Tony Sweeney stands defiant believes picking Hartlepool's players up after their Millwall agony will be a synch compared to the shambles at Cheltenham seven days earlier. While Pools may still be coming to terms with the disappointment of throwing away a two-goal lead to promotion contenders Millwall, they at least have the comfort of knowing they dominated a top four side bar 10 minutes of madness.
The display was a stark contrast to the half-hearted effort at Whaddon Road the previous weekend when Pools barely tested League One's bottom club, who ended their 14-game winless run. The squad held clear-the-air talks in the wake of that dire display at Cheltenham and Sweeney believes Pools can draw on the positives from the Millwall display, if not the result, for the long trip to Roots Hall.
Again speaking to the Mail Sweeney said: "I don't think it's going to be too hard to lift ourselves for Friday. It was harder to lift things after Cheltenham because that wasn't good enough and we let a lot of fans down because we are better than that. For a team to go 14 games without a win and then beat us, it's not good enough is it? This is going to be a weird one. But it's all about three points and getting results in our last seven games now. We had a reaction from last week and we needed it. You always get managers and coaches saying things. But sometimes as players you need to get together in a room and air your grievances with each other. Some things were said that people needed to take on board and we trained well all week, at a high intensity and it was a bit more geared for the Saturday which maybe it hasn't been as much in the past. I think the majority of the game it worked, if not the result side of it."
We have the upper hand here with a history that starts in the swinging sixties, Fri. Sep. 2 1966 at Roots Hall to be precise, a 2-0 win, Woodley and Firmani got the goals.
The Monkey Hangers last won at the home of football on Oct. 25 2002 1-0.
Blues have scored four goals twice against them, once at the home of football; Sep. 26 80, a 4-0 win, Gray, Pountney, Mercer and Otulakowski the scorers. While on Dec. 19 98, 4-2 away, Houghton, Newman, Fitzpatrick and Conlon on this occasion. Of course we let in 4 the last time we played at their place, Jan. 22 08, somehow losing 3-4! A Hammell penalty, Gower and Black for the Blues. Some may remember a 1-5 defeat six years ago, but I don't.
The last time we played them in Southend was Feb. 9 2008 when the midfield duo of Macca and Bailey, not long now Nicky, scored in a 2-1 win while the very last fixture was the 3-0 away defeat on Dec. 19 2008.
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The man in the middle is Mick Russell from Hertfordshire.
He has officiated in 19 matches this season issuing 39 Yellow Cards and 2 Red Cards in the process.
You may remember him as the official in the 3-3 home draw against Colchester when he failed to give a card of any sort to the Farmers goalscorer Anthony Wordsworth who celebrated them taking the lead by removing his shirt and then jumping into the North Bank.
FIXTURES
Tuesday, 31 March 2009; (all kick-offs 19.45): Bristol Rovers v Huddersfield, Millwall v Colchester, Yeovil v Northampton.
Southend (4/5) Draw (5/2) Hartlepool (4)
HISTORY
The amateur team West Hartlepool F.C. were formed in 1881, being the town's only club until the formation of United. In 1905,
If you wonder why Hartlepool are referred to as the 'Monkey Hangers' then it is because the residents of Hartlepool are famously said to have hanged a monkey that was washed up from a ship that had sunk during the Napoleonic wars, because they thought the monkey was a French spy. The Club take this to good heart and of course who else would they have as their club mascot? H'Angus the monkey of course!
Not much after that as they went up a few times, went down a few times, stayed down a lot.
The most famous person to be associated with Hartlepool United is Brian Clough, who went on to achieve managerial glory with Derby County and to an even greater degree Nottingham Forest. He began his managerial career at Hartlepool in October 1965 before moving on to Derby two seasons later.
Another famous ex-manager is Cyril Knowles, who took over as manager in December 1989 and the following season helped them win promotion to the Third Division.
In 2002, the team's mascot "H'Angus the Monkey", aka Stuart Drummond, was elected mayor of Hartlepool as an independent, under the slogan "free bananas for schoolchildren". Even though his candidacy was just a publicity stunt, Drummond has since been re-elected after throwing off his comedy image and identifying himself increasingly with the Labour group on the council.
Danny Wilson was appointed manager on June 13, 2006, after relegating MK Dons who sacked him! (Must be getting used to it now.) Hartlepool had bounced back to League One in 2006/07 after the previous season's relegation, finishing second behind champions
On Jan. 1 2007 Hartlepool United equalled the all-time Football League record of consecutive wins without conceding a goal by beating
The club went on to complete a 23 match unbeaten run which finally ended against the team they last lost to - Barnet.
The Monkey Hangers bounced back to League One at the first time of asking, finishing second behind champions Walsall. This was the club's second promotion in four years and they maintained their League One status for a second successive season by finishing 15th in 2007-08.
Director of Sport Chris Turner has been placed in temporary charge of the first team. His first solo managerial position came at Hartlepool in 1999. Turner took over when Hartlepool were bottom of the Football League, saved them from relegation and turned them into promotion contenders. They gained promotion at the end of the 2002-03 season but Turner had moved back to his old club Sheffield Wednesday six months before the success was achieved under his successor Mike Newell.
Former Blues reserve coach Colin West, he of the 5-1 defeat in his only game in charge fame, joined Turner as his No.2 in February after only being at Southend for a couple of months!
(Thanks to all the usual suspects for their help with this article)