Bitterly disappointed Southend United fans have been pointing an accusing finger at the players following the team's recent plunge down the table.

Accusations have been levelled in the Talkback column that there's a lack of heart and passion in the team - something which I have always found hard to accept.

I don't honestly believe that players go out on the pitch not to give their all and, anyway, boss Alan Little shouldn't stand for anything less than 100 per cent from his men.

No, for me, the reason Blues are in freefall is the same mammoth problem which has beset them over the recent seasons of struggle - a frightening inability to defend.

Only three teams in the Third Division have shipped less goals than Southend.

No team can expect to keep just three clean sheets in the first half of the season and be up there challenging for honours.

Any successful side must be built on solid foundations and that's a back four, back five or back three - whichever system you prefer - that doesn't give crazy goals away.

And there's no doubt Southend have handed the opposition goals literally on a plate, which is in direct contrast to the sort of mean side Little seemed to be building when he arrived at the back end of last term.

Four clean sheets in eight games definitely helped the club stave off the very real threat that they might go out of the league.

But it's all gone sadly pear-shaped so far this season and unless Little gets a grip on the problem then I'm afraid making the play-offs will soon became a distant memory.

I feel perhaps one problem may be the chopping and changing of defensive formations and I reckon Blues look better balanced with 4-4-2 lineup.

This gives the natural wide players - Gordon Connelly and Scott Houghton - room to operate down the flanks, rather than having to be pushed inside to accommodate wing-backs.

I don't for one minute believe that Little's job is yet on the line but its vital he sorts out the defensive blunders which dogged previous boss Alvin Martin's time at Roots Hall.

If he can put the shutters up for the second half of the season then all may not yet be lost. Here's hoping for a blank goals against column when Blues tackle Northampton on Boxing Day to set the ball rolling.

What a load of absolute rubbish has been spouted about West Ham's genuine error in playing young striker Manny Omoyimni in their Worthington Cup quarter final against Aston Villa last week.

The kid came on for the last six minutes of extra time and later, after Hammers won a penalty shoot-out, it was discovered he had played in an earlier round of the competition when on loan at Gillingham.

Tut, tut, that apparently contravenes the Worthing-ton rules and West Ham have been ordered to replay the match, despite Villa supremo Doug Ellis even suggesting his club should be given a walkover.

Surely it's time that this sort of crazy regulation is thrown out of the window because can anyone please explain to me what possible advantage Omoyimni had by playing in a second round clash against Bolton.

Mind you, if Manny had come to Roots Hall he would not have had this problem at all because, as Blues fans know any too well, Southend just don't get into the second round of any knockout competition.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.